Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Movies: 'The Descendants' : Yes!


George Clooney with Shailene Woodley (center) and Amara Miller/Fox Searchlight Pictures

Academy Award nominations:
Best picture: Alexander Payne et al.
Best actor:  George Clooney
Best supporting actress:Shailene Woodley
Best supporting actress: Amara Miller
Another Clooney film without sex!  Aaaaauuuuuugggggggghhhh, but those eyelashes!  Do you think they are real?
This is a thoroughly enjoyable film, and as a matter of fact, I wish I had not seen it so I could see it for the first time.
It's a great story with "another man," a dad, an estranged and mute (?) wife, two daughters, and a boyfriend who adds tremendously to the enjoyment, and a grandpa whose lines are keen.  I wouldn't give it the highest rating, but it's close.  
A chick flick?  No!
A sleepy (at times) tempo match the Hawaiian lifestyle (the locale) so it's not a film for the action-oriented male kills everybody, except when it comes to words:  The lines for this film are some of the best heard anywhere. Including the obscenities which are mostly 85% gratuitous in all other movies, but not here.  They are part of the plot.
The Hawaiian scenery is nice on the eyes, especially at this time of year, and did the Hawaiian Tourism Bureau help produce it?
The only negatives:  the redundant music which lacks any pizzazz (no nomination), and the passionless title (sounds like one of those loooooong books by James Michener) which is too vapid for the contents.  Don't judge a movie by its title. 
Please go here (Rotten Tomatoes) if you want to know more about the plot but don't be turned off by what looks depressing.  It's not.  It's hilarious.
Suggested new title: "George Clooney's Got Eyelashes"

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