Descendants [Blu-ray] [2011] [US Import]

This pleasant movie is made interesting by George Clooney's performance as a Hawaiian lawyer who, as head of a family trust, is considering a plan to sell a perfect, unspoiled part of the state to a big developer. Just about all his cousins want the deal; they'll get a lot of money. But his wife has an accident and now is on life support. He has to learn how to be a parent to his young daughters. And then to learn to live knowing that his wife was sleeping around with a real estate agent and had plans to divorce him.

Not much on the politics of family financial tugging but a lot on one family learning how to live with each other. Clooney keeps it from becoming a daytime soap serial. The self-discovery portions (there's a lot of them) are mostly wry and often affecting. No big-time movie star aura from Clooney and he's not afraid to make his character (and himself) look a bit silly at times.

I shouldn't have been surprised to click on this movie's reviews to find a host of reviews that say 'boring,' and of course the predictable resident wits 'it put me in a coma.' If you're looking for a high octane, popcorn movie then this isn't for you. If you are looking for an intelligent film with a heart, then you can't go far wrong.

Clooney plays the role of Matt King, a man as alienated from his family as he is of the landscape. He's a work-a-holic who doesn't realise his wife is cheating on him, or that his kids are going off the rails. It's a story of self-discovery, rebuilding an identity as a father and husband, and slowly reconnecting to the land and his ancestory that he has become distant to. It is also a damning critique [which you expect from a Clooney film] of American economic imperialism. Hawaii is no more than the US' play-park, where capitalism is everything, and if you refuse to play the game you are penalised economically. Also, watch for the subtle digs at American culture's attitude to women 'ice cream is full of carbs,' and 'she had an op, which went wrong.'

The acting is fantastic, especially from the actress playing King's daughters. I watched this with my sister and Mam, and there wasn't a dry eye by the end. I've seen The Artist several times now, and it's strength is in its cinematic techniques. I can't help feeling this film was robbed due to it's source material. But then Hollywood has always enjoyed being self-congratulatory.

I only rented this - and it's been a while since I've done this - but I am definitely going to buy the Blu-Ray.

Director Alexander Payne has previously directed high quality movies such as Election [1999] [DVD]starring Reese Witherspoon, About Schmidt [DVD] [2003] starring Jack Nicholson, and Sideways [DVD] (Widescreen Edition) starring Paul Giamatti, nominated for five Oscars winning one.

Gregory Peck once said it's hard to make a good man look interesting.

You can probably imagine in a cinematic world peopled with antiheroes, flawed heroes, or unrealistic superheroes, how refreshing it might be, to encounter a good guy we can relate to, in situations that parallel those we might actually experience.

George Clooney plays Matt King, a lawyer, businessman, and hardworking mostly absent father of two girls. He happens to be wealthy because of his descent from the original landowners of Hawaii, the real Hawaiians, who own most of Hawaii. Sole trustee of the family's interests, and now because of succession rules faced with the situation of having to sell off thousands of acres of pristine land to resort developers. Despite his family wealth Doug leads a very modest life. He drives a metallic silver Honda Civic, a sensible car.

When his thrillseeking wife ends up in a coma following a powerboating accident, he is thrust into the unfamiliar role of looking after his two daughters each bringing their own challenges. The younger one has difficulties in school, the older one, well, she's a teenager.

We learn early in the movie that the wife had an affair, making a difficult situation even worse. George Clooney Alex Payne manage to create apposite emotions for the movie goer. While distressed he pads out the front door, dons flipflops and runs to his wife's best friend house. He runs funny. A comic relief followed by a dramatic confrontation. Tension, and shock artfully modified by humor make this movie an emotional wonder.

When he breaks the news of his wife's condition to his older daughter she ducks underwater and we see an invisible breakdown. Some of these scenes are tender. In the hospital there are various monologues to the comatose mother, from a cheated husband, an unforgiving daughter, and a wounded wife.

The presence of Clooney vastly elevates the movie, as does the acting performance of Shailene Woodley, giving a tremendous breakthrough performance as the teenager daughter you worry might go off the rails. Judy Greer, who you probably know from Two and a Half Men appears later in the movie.

The Descendants is among the leading Oscar nominated movies. Although nine movies are nominated for Best Picture, only three I believe are genuine contenders, The Artist, and Hugo being the other two. Nominations for The Descendants include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay.

Previously, Alex Payne won the Academy Award for the Sideways screenplay.

Based on The Descendants: A Novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.

Post Academy award update. Payne has now won his second Academy award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

I think you will enjoy one of the years best movies, and I hope this was helpful.