Movie of the Week: The Decendants

This was supposed to be a comedy drama but the comedy passed me by. There were some quirky moments, but no real laughs. OK now that's out of the way it was still a good movie about a family trying to come to terms with a mother in a (terminal) coma and a father who has never been more than a 'back-up parent'. Just when you think it's about as bad as it can get for the father (George Clooney) and his two daughters - aged 10 and 17, the elder daughter drops the bombshell that she knew Mom was having an affair.

Comedy? Hardly, but there's a kind of lightness when Clooney sets off to find his wife's lover, ostensibly to tell hom she's dying and to give him chance to say goodbye. He could do it by phone, of course, but he wants to see the guy's face for himself, believing it will tell him something about his wife or gve hiom some insight into why she cheated on him.

The emotional range in this is brilliant. Clooney is pitch-perfect as the grieving but betrayed and angry husband and the young actresses playing the girls are both terrific, especially Shailene Woodley as Alexandra "Alex" King, the seventeen year old daughter. It's a thoughtful piece and though Mom's death is inevitable, it's poignant rather than dark.

The film has already collected a ton of awards and may yet collect more. Pretty well deserved, I'd say.

Movie of the Week: The Decendants

This was supposed to be a comedy drama but the comedy passed me by. There were some quirky moments, but no real laughs. OK now that's out of the way it was still a good movie about a family trying to come to terms with a mother in a (terminal) coma and a father who has never been more than a 'back-up parent'. Just when you think it's about as bad as it can get for the father (George Clooney) and his two daughters - aged 10 and 17, the elder daughter drops the bombshell that she knew Mom was having an affair.

Comedy? Hardly, but there's a kind of lightness when Clooney sets off to find his wife's lover, ostensibly to tell him she's dying and to give him chance to say goodbye. He could do it by phone, of course, but he wants to see the guy's face for himself, believing it will tell him something about his wife or gve him some insight into why she cheated on him.

The emotional range in this is brilliant. Clooney is pitch-perfect as the grieving but betrayed and angry husband and the young actresses playing the girls are both terrific, especially Shailene Woodley as Alexandra "Alex" King, the seventeen year old daughter. It's a thoughtful piece and though Mom's death is inevitable, it's poignant rather than dark.

The film has already collected a ton of awards and may yet collect more. Pretty well deserved, I'd say.