Thursday, June 21, 2012

The Descendants (2011)

The Descendants is about an ordinary family dealing with the impending demise of the mother in a rather curiously ordinary way. The father, who never really concerned himself with the upbringing of his kids, is hapless after an accident leaves the mother in a vegetative state. The movie, rather leisurely, goes about showing us the family, which is not exactly dysfunctional, but may just end up being one. The elder daughter is becoming more and more like her Mother, and the younger one is becoming more and more like her sister. After much meandering, we learn the mother had been cheating- something which anyone who might have seen the trailer would already know. 

It's interesting to see a character in a position where there's no way it could defend its actions. It is also a rather brave attempt to make the audience root for a bunch of people without telling us anything about the one person who sets the whole thing in motion. And that, in my opinion, is where the movie fails. It has everything one usually finds in a good dramedy. But I just couldn't bring myself to care for anything that happened to them. This also heavily impacts the other big plot line, about dissolving the property inherited by Clooney's family from their royal ancestors. They are likable people and I am not cruel enough to wish more misery upon them, but does that mean I care for them? I don't think so. 

I liked that it was never sentimental or melodramatic. It also wasn't manipulative like I feared. It deals with a tricky subject like death in a lighthearted way. If it had a few more intense scenes, the humor would've have complemented it well, but there are no such emotional highs or even lows. I must confess I had some big laughs, but the movie walks a path that is too calm for its own good. 

Clooney is unlike anything I've seen him in before, and gives a performance which many claim is his career best. No one can look at this role and say George Clooney is playing himself. Maybe its just those floral printed Hawaii shirts, but I've never seem him so relaxed. Shailene Woodley is Godly, btw. It's a pretty looking movie with good music and all. It may work for you, and very well at that. I simply couldn't care.