Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The Descendants (2011)

This is topic The Descendants (2011) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=001820

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 12-01-2011, 04:24 PM:

CINEMA: Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons, Sandy, UT
AUDITORIUM: 10
PRESENTATION: Dolby Digital Cinema
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: Soft image, slight airy audio hum (reminded me of the old analog days, actually)
RATING: Three stars (out of four)

THE PLOT: A cheating ho is on life support. Wackiness ensues.

George Clooney plays a guy who is going through some life changes...he's about to sell off some prime Hawaiian real estate that's been in the family forever, and his wife has been in an accident and is about to be taken off life support. Oh...and she's been having an affair.

He and his daughters go on a journey of discovery of sorts with a whole lot of bad ideas that actually turn out pretty well. This never would have happened in your life OR mine.

This could have gone into three and a half star territory if Judy Greer had been allowed a longer, more creative diatribe, but that's okay.

Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 12-02-2011, 09:25 AM:

Wonderful film. Excellent writing, acting and characters, and one of the characters is Hawaii itself, seen in a way unlike it's been portrayed in past movies. Also, great soundtrack of traditional and modern music of Hawaii. In fact, I expect you'll be hearing a lot more Hawaiian music next year than you ever have before. Alexander Payne needs to make more movies more often.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-02-2011, 06:44 PM:

I was planning to see THE DECEDENTS last week with HUGO but only had the time to see the Scorsese 3-D movie only. I am now planning to see the film tomorrow and I know I will enjoy it from the many favorable reviews I had read. It was playing in only three Honolulu theatres last week but the movie opened in five more houses today so I think the crowd factor should not be too bad.

Hawaii has played a very big roll in many successful movies and television shows such as the JURASSIC PARK films, and the current HAWAII Five-O television series after LOST ended it's 8 year run . I am very proud when I see the many beauty of my island state featured so beautifully on the big screen and on TV.

-Claude

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-03-2011, 07:43 PM:

I am very glad I had waited a week to see THE DESCENDANTS because the movie has now been moved to auditorium #12, the largest complex at Regal's Pearl Highland 12 and showing in digital with the theatres Sony 4K system. Like all of the films I had seen in this complex in both 2-D and Real D, the presentation was flawless with perfect picture and sound.

As expected, I enjoyed the movie very much when it had exceeded my expectations. Yes, Hawaii was the starring factor in the film when the movie showed more of my island state than I had seen in previous Hawaii based films. George Cloony was excellent and he could win a 2nd academy award fior his performance. Another outstanding performance was by Shailene Woodley who played Cloony's eldest daughter who could get a nomination for a best supporting actress oscar. Also good was Amara Miller who played the other daughter. Another factor that made the film enjoyable was the music. It is very unusual for a a movie like THE DESCENDANTS not to have a original music score written for the film because all of the music in the film were by commercial Hawaiian recording artists and very easy to obtain in Hawaii on CD. Buying the recordings in stores on the mainland and elsewhere might be difficult but there is an original soundtrack album of the music used in the film . I am already looking forward to getting the Blu-Ray of the movie when it comes out a couple of months from now

-Claude

Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 12-07-2011, 05:01 PM:

without saying too much about the film, I thought the trailer was very deceiving in regards to the overall tone of the film, it's comedic and has humor but really it's a sad story and Payne effortlessly merges the pathos, dialogue and character interplay to excellent effect.

Posted by Carol May (Member # 4068) on 12-15-2011, 10:45 PM:

I liked The Descendants, I agree with everyone that the Hawaii setting added a nice touch, made it different. It's not a movie to pick apart, just watch it for what it is. Clooney's other 2011 movie, Ides of March, was far better.

I really object to all the foul language in the movie from the mouths of babes (underage ones). I can't imagine ever walking out of a movie saying, "Gee whiz, I wish they'd added more four letter words, it really would've enhanced the story." The 17 year old girl could've been made just as nasty without quite such a nasty mouth, and there was certainly no reason to have the 10 year old speak such an endless stream.

This was a problem with Win Win, as well. Put a lid on it, already.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-16-2011, 07:32 PM:

Carol, I agree with you a hundred percent how I feel about young people using foul language in movies but sadly that is the way many teenagers speak today in real life so it was necessary for the Shailene Woodley character to speak that way in the movie. I do not think a week would go by when I would overhear kids even as young as ten using the 'F' word in public as though there was nothing wrong speaking that way at a McDonald and other fast food establishments.

-Claude