Title: Descendants (2011)
Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Robert Forster
Story: Kaui Hart Hemmings (Novel)
Director: Alexander Paine
Verdict: I loved this movie. I thought it was a very realistic portrayal of how a dysfunctional family deals with its problems. The movie is sincere and does not indulge in escapism. The film has some inappropriate language and behavior - some even by children. But that is consistent with the plot. Great performances by George Clooney and others. The director has managed to insert a layer of comedy in this movie about a serious topic.
Score: 8 out of 10
Descendants is a very powerful movie about familial relationships and bonding. It starts with the protagonist Matt King played by Hawaiian Resident George Clooney attending to his comatose wife who was injured in a surfing accident during his absence. Matt has a teenage daughter and a preteen daughter. As the movie progresses we see that his is a totally dysfunctional family. Matt's absence as a father due to his preoccupation with his business as a lawyer, is a prime factor. Matt now wants to change and be a good husband and father. But since his wife is in coma he now goes on to being a parent and finds himself at a loss not knowing how to do the things parents do. Add to this, his wayward teenage daughter and her equally juvenile boy friend and he is under tremendous pressure.
At the same time Matt is also attending to a family inheritance issue. He is the trustee of an ancestral property which dates back to several generations of his family - the King family. All the descendants of the King family are about to make a momentous decision to sell the property.
The above plot provides the framework to explore family ties, parenting and interactions with rebellious kids. There are many situations in the movie in which the kids' behave so obnoxious that I was getting angry at the kids. It was very good to see how the characters in the movie handle them.
Even though the movie deals with a serious theme, there is a lot black comedy that comes out when the characters deal with their difficult situations.
The acting is superb. George Clooney plays to perfection the role of a harried father. Shailene Woodley as the teenage daughter turns in a mature performance especially since her character has to display wide and disparate behaviour and emotions. Robert Forster as Matt's father-in-law, Nick Krause as the immature boyfriend. Amara Miller as the preteen daughter and others turn in good performances.
The movie is sincere and does not indulge in escapism. It gives a very realistic portrayal of how a dysfunctional family deals with its problems.
No comments:
Post a Comment