In Review: The Descendants

The Gist

A non-cheesy trage-comedy, The Descendants is one of those rare films that is mildly lying and mildly telling the truth--it does take life's tragedies with seriousness, but ends up with a childlike self-laughable behavior. Truly one of 2011's best films.

The Good

• pleasant and realistic script, serious but with a heart and candidness
• excellent performance from Clooney and everyone involved.

The Bad

• has dragging parts near end, with an unsatisfying ending
• will not feel long, but will dilly-dally on a lot of occasions

Synopsis

Matt King, father of two girls, a local Hawaii lawyer, and a failing husband, is the sole trustee of an inherited Hawaiian land, of about 25,000 acres. Having thought of no better way to resolve their problems with the rule against perpetuities, the King clan decided to sell their property to a local developer, Dolitzer for half a million dollars. During the course of the bidding, Matt's wife gets into a motorboat accident, which left her in a coma, which if she ever recovers from, will leave her in a vegetative state, leaving Matt to execute her living will of disconnecting her from the machine. On the course of accepting the bitter truth, Matt fetches her daughter from her boarding school and embarks on a journey to inform everyone about his wife's fate and dealing with his family's ancestral property.

Pleasantville

When one thinks of Hawaii, all we ever think of is parties, fun, pinacoladas, beaches, surfing, and other recreational activities. Media has done very little to expose the other side of Hawaii, that is the political dealings, the common life of the residents, and the problems that Hawaii faces, in general. Alexander Payne depicts part of that undiscussed side of Hawaii in a very lifelike light, using a realistic script that reflects American values with a Hawaiian flavor. The result is a finely-crafted mix of unexpected humor in tragic circumstances.

Surf's Up

I am not a big fan of Hawaii-based films (or TV series or TV series episodes for that matter). There is a weird feel in Hawaii being American and smack right in the middle of the Pacific. It's an uneasy mix of culture and humidity and vibrant colors that don't really go well altogether. Anything set in Hawaii makes me feel uneasy and humid and to some extent, feels corny, shallow, and predictably a surfer or beach movie. That is to say, that to me, watching The Descendants felt initially like that. But the thing with The Descendants is that it's actually a movie that normalizes Hawaii, make the beaches as commonplace and as uninteresting as a heavy traffic in New York. In a way of saying: it's a drama set in Hawaii, and not a surfer movie with some drama. Heck, even George Clooney, who is normally polished and gleaming, is disheveled and slob-looking here. That is how bigwigs in Hawaii looks like, apparently, as his character explains.

If only we can all get paid to look like slobs.

What's gonna surprise you as the movie goes on is how the dialogues, at their most pedestrian ("motherless whore," "you are such a retard"), becomes humorous and entertaining.

The whole cast did well on their parts, though I have to note Shailene Woodley and George Clooney's acting. Here, Clooney plays a vulernable and uncertain father, quite unsure of what he is doing and what he is to do after he gets the news about his wife. This is quite an opposite to the roles he has played in Michael Clayton, The Ides of March, Ocean's Eleven, and Up In the Air, where he plays a suave successful man who's figured out everything only to learn a lesson in the end. Kudos, too, to a relatively unknown Nick Krause, who did great on his role as Sid, the equally lovable and detestable friend of Alex (Woodley), for providing most of the movie's comic reliefs and that rare wisdom amid stupidity.

Scene-stealing Sid played by Nick Krause

Near the end, the story will slow down and mostly rely on visuals for the resolution. And speaking of resolution, I'm not sure I'm a big fan of the way the movie ended. Sure, that's how life is sometimes, we peek in the middle of the story and the end for us is up to how much we are allowed to peek into the lives of these characters. It's just that the ending felt kind of undone and could've been done better.

In a sense one can say that the movie was effortlessly done. There are sparks of brilliance here and there, but one may need to dig the sand for those. It's in the normalcy and how Payne managed to capture the human response to tragedy that makes this movie shine. How genuine the characters are and how relatable they are. There was very little cheesiness too as there was grit, but those worked exactly for the better.

My verdict:

A comedy amid tragedy, hindered by some dragging parts and a nonchalant ending. A passing and recommended mark of 4/5.

In Review: Hugo

The Gist

A 3D wonderment at its finest, Hugo is a family film that, while entertaining and rewarding, may discuss too many things all at once to mask its huge fanaticism for the magic of cinema.

The Good

• fine 3D experience, at a running time of more than 2 hours, it doesn't wear your eyes down
• an innocent film with a heart of a child, eager to discover new things
• finely cast with great performances from Butterfield and Moretz

The Bad

• the semi-fictional viewpoint may seem dubious for cinephiles who know the story behind Melies
• initially focuses on existentialism then does a turn for movie preservation; should have focused on one thing intensely

Synopsis

Hugo Cabret spends most of his days stealing bread and milk and winding the clocks secretly in a French train station to avoid being placed in an orphan home. His father, a clock maker, perished in a fire and left him to his drunk uncle who has been missing for months. One day, he was caught by toy shop owner George Melies who confiscates all his belongings, including his father's notebook that has all the notes on the automaton they have been working on. To get back his notebook, Hugo enlists the help of Melies' granddaughter Isabelle and together, they embark to a journey that shows them the wonder of cinema.

Not Like the Movies At All

Scorsese, famous for his gangster films, surprises everyone by directing an adaptation to a children's book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. The book itself is based from the later life of George Melies after his decline in the industry. Scorsese followed the same course as the book did and the result was a family-friendly film. Sadly, if you know the true story of Melies and how he suffered, and how unromantic everything was going for him, you would feel as if the movie had trespassed on a lot of things that Melies has gone through. But, if you didn't know about those, you'd most likely enjoy yourself. Sorry.

Cinemagical

The problem with me reviewing this movie is that I know the real story of Melies and for me, the inclusion of fictional elements seem like an affront on the history of cinema, although a little mellowing does not hurt anyone, but this is real life that Selzsnick "fixed." Trying my best to be objective, I would like to commend on the casting of Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, and Ben Kingsley into the film. Sacha Baron Cohen was typically annoying, but I guess it worked for the better of the film. And while I am here, might as well comment on how much Kingsley looks like Melies.

Not sure if Ben Kingsley or George Melies...

The pacing of the movie will initially feel slow, but actually, you wouldn't notice the running time of 128 minutes as events unfold fast enough. Butterfield's innocence also helps a lot in the movie as you will be engaged watching him.

Initially, the movie will existentialist, dealing with one's purpose of being here with analogies from machines and clockworks. Then the focus would soon turn to the cinema, forgetting the existentialist premise it initially started on. The later parts of the movie are generally dangerous due to their inaccuracy. If people were to take these accounts as true, given that Melies was a real person, one might not completely understand the real story of Melies and conclude this to be true. Nevertheless, the depiction and re-enactment of the early days of cinema were delightful and as poignant, making Hugo one loveletter to the joy of the movies, just like The Artist.

The 3D in Hugo is liquid. It does not hurt your eyes much as would other 3D movies. 

My verdict:

A family affair with a historical and existential twist. Not bad, could've been better. A passing mark of 4/5.