170, The Decendants

So, George Clooney in something that does not include the word 'Oceans' and hopefully is a huge improvement on the American.  Well, being Oscar nominated I was hoping it would vaguely catch my imagination and I would get swept up in what is being called one of the movies of the year.

Clooney stars as a Decendant of some of the original land owners of Hawaii and through generations his family has got rich off of the land they own.  Now, with all the money tied up in trust funds he is sole holder of the families millions.  Unlike his ancestors before him though, Clooney has chosen not to divulge the wealth straight away but instead, leaves it safely stashed away in a bid to auction it all off and ensure the huge collection of ever imposing cousins all get their share as he brokers his families legacy to the highest bidder. 

In the background - his wife is involved in a terrible boating accident and lies in a coma, with no hope of survival.  Its then that he discovers his wife was having an affair and with his daughter in tow sets out to discover the truth, without his wife being awake to answer for her mistakes.

As an Oscar nominated movie it has all the traits of abeing a potential winner.  Clooney heads a great cast including Matthew Lillard, Beau Bridges and Judy Greer with Clooney's stage daughters played by TV Actress Shailene Woodley (Alex) & Amara Miller (Scottie) in her debut role.

Both the girls are brilliant.  Loose lipped around their dad which makes for some great banter and you get a real sense of family as Alex (eldest daughter) stands by her Dad throughout, even with a rocky beginning but they soon get over it and its nice to see them get along so well towards the end.

As for the wrap up of the story - Clooney is sent into a tailspin when he discovers the truth about his wife and the repercussions the land sale will have for all those 'involved' but for those that go along to watch, dont panic.  I wont spoil it.

There is not really much else to say - its a definate story led movie this one rather than a guaranteed blockbuster and every now and again (normally to coincide with award season) we get them popping up to make actors and writers feel good about themselves. 

Being set in Hawaii there were no filming complaints although the movie does make a point of focussing on it being just another town, played down by the characters as 'home' rather than a paradise destination.

I still prefer Clooney as Danny Ocean (Oceans Twelve excluded) but for me, this far outweighs his last offering in the American which can ony be a good thing.

If you want a rollercoaster of action, guns and sex then avoid like the plague, you wont get any of that here - but for those in touch with their softer side, you'll probably love it.  An older, softer Clooney dons the big screen and one thing is for sure - the poor guy cant run to save his life! (you'll see what I mean!)