THE DESCENDANTS 4.0***
The Descendants is not a movie that's easily defined. It’s about a man grieving for his wife, who lies in a coma from which she may never emerge, while simultaneously attempting to care for his two daughters, each of whom is a stranger to him because he’s a workaholic lawyer.
Matt King (George Clooney) is the father and the family lives in Hawaii. He has a good life - at least until his thrill-seeking wife suffers a serious head injury during a powerboat race, placing her in a deep coma. Matt's orderly life is no more. He must not only deal with the fact that he may never speak with his wife again, he must also learn an entirely new way of life – being a father to his daughters. As wife Elizabeth's condition deteriorates, Matt must also deal with family and friends and open doors he never knew existed. Just when things can't seem to get any worse, Alexandra , his 17 yr. old daughter, drops a bombshell him… his wife has been cheating on him. Matt is shocked, outraged, and becomes obsessed with finding the man. He goes through anger, sorrow, frustration, and acceptance during all this, and plays the character of a stressed father in such a realistic fashion it's almost breathtaking.
The highlight of the movie is Clooney's unbelievably terrific performance. Clooney quite simply knocks this one out of the park. He is vulnerable, strong, confused, decisive, anguished, angry. But what makes this performance so remarkable is that at no time does he have all of the answers, and at no time does he have no answers at all. It is not the typical role we are accustomed to seeing Clooney play, and I think that is what sells it the most. He is out of his element, much like the character he is playing, thrust into a situation he never expected in a very adult way. From the moment he steps on-screen, you are simply captured by his presence. He will be a strong contender for the Best Actor Academy Award.
Shailone Woodley does a wonderful job as the rebellious older daughter, Alexandra. She captures the anger and hurt of a teenager betrayed by her mother and abandoned by her father. Her relationship with her father is the heart of the movie, and they slowly learn to rely on each other for support and strength in dealing with their mother/wife. Her struggle to find her place and to help her father is the emotional crux of the film. And their relationship and chemistry is amazing,
The Descendants is touching, sometimes dark, and one of the best films of the year. It's a culmination of perfect parts meeting fascinating characters.
Clark
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
TOP 15 COMING OF AGE MOVIES
From time to time a movie comes along that gives each of us pause to remember a significant night, summer, grade in school or the age we were when we shared that first kiss, doing 'IT' for the first time, or just a period in our lives that will forever be special to us. This Top 15 list of ”Coming of Age” movies that caused me to think back to those years when I was still a kid/teen-ager but was dying to experience 'grown-up' things. Try to remember which movie gave you the 'best' memories of those 'best of times and/or those worst of times.' .
1.American Graffiti (1973)
2. Stand by Me (1986)
3. Ferris Buellers Day Off (1986)
4. Breaking Away (1979)
5. Dirty Dancing (1987)
6. Almost Famous (2000)
7. Big (1988)
8. The Graduate (1967)
9. Dazed and Confused (1993)
10. American Pie (1999)
11. Sandlot (1993)
12. Billy Elliott (2000)
13. The Goonies (1985()
14. Good Will Hunting (1997)
15. Summer of ’42 (1971)
Send me yours… I’m sure I’ve missed some.
Clark
From time to time a movie comes along that gives each of us pause to remember a significant night, summer, grade in school or the age we were when we shared that first kiss, doing 'IT' for the first time, or just a period in our lives that will forever be special to us. This Top 15 list of ”Coming of Age” movies that caused me to think back to those years when I was still a kid/teen-ager but was dying to experience 'grown-up' things. Try to remember which movie gave you the 'best' memories of those 'best of times and/or those worst of times.' .
1.American Graffiti (1973)
2. Stand by Me (1986)
3. Ferris Buellers Day Off (1986)
4. Breaking Away (1979)
5. Dirty Dancing (1987)
6. Almost Famous (2000)
7. Big (1988)
8. The Graduate (1967)
9. Dazed and Confused (1993)
10. American Pie (1999)
11. Sandlot (1993)
12. Billy Elliott (2000)
13. The Goonies (1985()
14. Good Will Hunting (1997)
15. Summer of ’42 (1971)
Send me yours… I’m sure I’ve missed some.
Clark
Friday, December 2, 2011
COURAGEOUS 3.25**
“Courageous" is primarily about four deputies in a large sheriff's department in a mixed suburban and metropolitan area. It details some of the dangers, temptations and excitement inherent in their job. However, even more so it shows us how they interact with each other and their families, especially how they deal with tragedy and learn from it.
In the many years I have been a regular movie goer, I've seen pretty much everything one can put into a film, from explosions to nudity to every possible combination of four letter words. And I can assure you that you won’t get any of that in this movie. So, if you yearn for a Hollywood blockbuster....pass on this one.
No, I'm no Pollyanna. I like some action and adventure, and just about everything else. But I've gotten to where a movie with "less" is a nice change of pace.. And, in full disclosure, I am proud to say I am a Christian. A Christian dad, too..And I'm happy to report that this movie is what every father should see, be they "in the Faith" or not. It's nice to have a movie where there's a strong message of family unity. Even Disney movies have taken to trying to tell us that your average family is a broken one. That may be factual, but why can't we have some entertainment that focuses on men trying to be strong fathers? And that leads to strong mothers, and then stronger children. And in the end, a stronger community.
There's just enough humor to keep the movie moving along. It's not a short film by any means and doesn’t need to be. There were a few action scenes that might cause a jump or two, but they are part of setting the story. The movie is a nice surprise in a season of movies that will probably be forgotten a few weeks after viewing.
If you don’t like hearing about GOD and such, pass on this at the local Googleplex and go to another film. . But, I would gently suggest you try this movie out. Be you a man (or woman) of Faith or not, you just might be surprised. And, you just might wish to spend a little more time with your family
. Clark
“Courageous" is primarily about four deputies in a large sheriff's department in a mixed suburban and metropolitan area. It details some of the dangers, temptations and excitement inherent in their job. However, even more so it shows us how they interact with each other and their families, especially how they deal with tragedy and learn from it.
In the many years I have been a regular movie goer, I've seen pretty much everything one can put into a film, from explosions to nudity to every possible combination of four letter words. And I can assure you that you won’t get any of that in this movie. So, if you yearn for a Hollywood blockbuster....pass on this one.
No, I'm no Pollyanna. I like some action and adventure, and just about everything else. But I've gotten to where a movie with "less" is a nice change of pace.. And, in full disclosure, I am proud to say I am a Christian. A Christian dad, too..And I'm happy to report that this movie is what every father should see, be they "in the Faith" or not. It's nice to have a movie where there's a strong message of family unity. Even Disney movies have taken to trying to tell us that your average family is a broken one. That may be factual, but why can't we have some entertainment that focuses on men trying to be strong fathers? And that leads to strong mothers, and then stronger children. And in the end, a stronger community.
There's just enough humor to keep the movie moving along. It's not a short film by any means and doesn’t need to be. There were a few action scenes that might cause a jump or two, but they are part of setting the story. The movie is a nice surprise in a season of movies that will probably be forgotten a few weeks after viewing.
If you don’t like hearing about GOD and such, pass on this at the local Googleplex and go to another film. . But, I would gently suggest you try this movie out. Be you a man (or woman) of Faith or not, you just might be surprised. And, you just might wish to spend a little more time with your family
. Clark
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