Music and Medicine

The Descendants

The basic story of The Descendants goes like this: Matt King’s (George Clooney) wife was recently in a boating accident that has left her in a coma. This comes at a time when Matt is working as the sole trustee to sell the last part of his family’s virgin Hawaii estate. The vast majority of his many cousins are eager to get the money. To make matters worse, Matt finds out that his wife had been having an affair and had been planning on asking for a divorce soon.

Now forget about the plot. One thing that makes The Descendants a great movie is that these characters and their problems are not extraordinary. Sure selling off estate land is different from what most people have to go through, but the real conflict has more to do with dealing with his family and leaving behind a good life for his own children. At the same time, he’s also reconciling the fact that his wife had been having an affair. A task made even more difficult because she’s in a coma.

The writing contributes a fair amount of work towards the normalcy, but what really pulls its weight is the acting. George Clooney as always is in top form in the role of Matt King. His facial expressions alone are worth the movie. There’s one scene that’s shown in the preview where he’s running around a corner, that when put into context is both hilarious, and sad without saying a single word. Shailene Woodley also puts in a fantastic performance as the teenage daughter Alex. And the interaction between the two is perfect. They create a dynamic that encompasses the situation they’re both in. Both characters know they’re not emotionally capable of handling it all, and they rely on each other to move forward.

This fits nicely with the Hawaiian backdrop of the film. The family is an archipelago that is just trying to get it’s shit together. The movie captures some amazing views of the island and it’s land. Lush greens and bright blues contrast with the un-relaxing nature of the situation the characters are in.

One final note is that I’ve rarely seen quite as good of a cut to credits as in The Descendants. It’s just pure and simple. You know it’s coming soon, and then suddenly it’s there, unobtrusively in the final scene. A great way to end the movie.

Overall, The Descendants is probably the best film I’ve seen so far this year. Everything about the film hits well. The acting, the views and the writing/pacing all come together to create a film that doesn’t rely on action, overt comedy, and very little drama. It feels real. It feels normal. And there really isn’t anything more you could ask for. Movie: #3