The Descendants

[Nigel Tufnel]

With three kids and my mom (obvious babysitter) watching the kids during the week (best daycare imaginable), my wife and I rarely get out. So watching movies occurs at home. Rented The Descendants tonight. Wife and I watched an hour of it. Have no idea how it ends....but wow. Who would have thought the Cincinnati kid who was on Facts of Life and got his big chance on ER would end up being able to pull off performances like that?

Like I said...I've only seen half the movie, but even if the second half included Adam Sandler dancing with Chris Farley in a penguin costume, I'd still think this was a pretty good movie.

Nothing better than an actor doing a great job of underacting. His character isn't physically disabled....he isn't a held down minority (this reminds me of Eddie Murphy in Bowfinger...his character keeps wanting to play a blind deaf mute slave so he can win an Oscar)....he is a pretty normal guy dealing with one of life's unpredictable and unfortunate circumstances. Great character and great acting.

Best screenwriting, directing, cinematography and acting I've seen since No Country For Old Men.

I liked Clooney in Ides of March and alot of his other roles. But his performance in The Descendants is his opus. Haven't seen The Artist...but I'm going to have a hard time believing his performance is better than Clooney's in The Descendants.

[Juice]

Like I said...I've only seen half the movie, but even if the second half included Adam Sandler dancing with Chris Farley in a penguin costume, I'd still think this was a pretty good movie.


http://www.inpapasbasement.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Billy_Madison_Chris_Farley_Penguin1.jpg

It sort of has happened once before in a movie.

[GuyFawkes38]

I loved it. It's a crime that Clooney didn't win best actor and the film didn't win best picture (harvey weinstein does seem to rig the oscars).

I'd imagine that Clooney is a smart guy. If he's in a film, I want to see it. I'm sure someone could point out some duds, but for the most part, he's in good to great films. Tom Hanks used to also be great at choosing roles, but his record has taken a hit the past 10 years.

[xavierj]

I loved it. It's a crime that Clooney didn't win best actor and the film didn't win best picture (harvey weinstein does seem to rig the oscars).

I'd imagine that Clooney is a smart guy. If he's in a film, I want to see it. I'm sure someone could point out some duds, but for the most part, he's in good to great films. Tom Hanks used to also be great at choosing roles, but his record has taken a hit the past 10 years.

Are you guys serious? I went to see it with my wife who loves sappy movies and we were both trying to figure out how to get those two hours of our life back. The guy who was in scream is a terrible actor as well.

[GuyFawkes38]

Are you guys serious? I went to see it with my wife who loves sappy movies and we were both trying to figure out how to get those two hours of our life back. The guy who was in scream is a terrible actor as well.

It's really not a sappy move (and certainly not a romantic comedy or anything like that). It's just an understated look at a family going through a transition (no gimicks or plot tricks.....just well done, IMHO).

Movies these days are filled with ridiculous plots and characters. The Descendants is refreshingly different. It felt like a real story with a real family.

[Porkopolis]

Are you guys serious? I went to see it with my wife who loves sappy movies and we were both trying to figure out how to get those two hours of our life back. The guy who was in scream is a terrible actor as well.

This is my obligiatory "we felt the same way about No Country for Old Men" moment. My wife and I hated that movie (though I loved Javier Bardem's performance). It was one of those times where we simply couldn't believe that the prevailing opinion was so different than ours. I haven't seen The Descendants yet but it is at the top of my list.

[JimmyTwoTimes37]

It can't be any better than Nic Cage's performance in Wicker Man

[Juice]

It can't be any better than Nic Cage's performance in Wicker Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyigAW-14w0

This is the only good part of that god forsaken movie.

[LadyMuskie]

I haven't seen The Descendants yet. I hope it's better than The Ides of March which I thought was not so great. In fact, I can count on one hand the George Clooney movies I like:

Up in the Air
Ocean's Eleven
Three Kings

George Clooney movies I don't like:

all the rest of them!

I want to like them, but they're just not that great to me. Hollywood loves him because he's so lovable and is, I think, a good person, but his movies, like Brad Pitt's movies, are bankable simply because of who stars in them. I'm holding out hope that The Descendants is good, but after The Ides of March, I'm not holding my breath.

[bobbiemcgee]

The American was ok due to the hot babe in it.:D

[LadyMuskie]

The American was ok due to the hot babe in it.:D

Well, if that's the criteria - the only reason I watch Clooney's movies in the first place (even though I think they'll be bad) is because Clooney will be in them. If all else fails, there's still George as eye candy ;)

[bobbiemcgee]

Rented The Descendants tonight. Wife and I watched an hour of it. Have no idea how it ends....but wow.

OK, gotta ask, who watches a good movie for an hour? What the hell happened? Fire? Flood? Drunkeness, Debauchery? If I fell asleep during one and it was any good, I would generally watch it all over again.

[GuyFawkes38]

I haven't seen The Descendants yet. I hope it's better than The Ides of March which I thought was not so great. In fact, I can count on one hand the George Clooney movies I like:

Up in the Air
Ocean's Eleven
Three Kings

George Clooney movies I don't like:

all the rest of them!

I want to like them, but they're just not that great to me. Hollywood loves him because he's so lovable and is, I think, a good person, but his movies, like Brad Pitt's movies, are bankable simply because of who stars in them. I'm holding out hope that The Descendants is good, but after The Ides of March, I'm not holding my breath.

The Descendants is better than The Ides of March. IMHO, even Clooney's mehish movies are fun and interesting (The American, Syriana, The Men who Stare at Goats, the Ocean films, Michael Clayton). Many great actors just cash in on their resume with some awful films (yes, Tom Hanks, but many others). Clooney refuses to do that, which is nice and partly why he's respected.

[Nigel Tufnel]

OK, gotta ask, who watches a good movie for an hour? What the hell happened? Fire? Flood? Drunkeness, Debauchery? If I fell asleep during one and it was any good, I would generally watch it all over again.

Three young kids and a brand new puppy. Started watching the movie at 10:00 and at 11:00 she says, "I really like this movie, but I have to go to bed...can we stop it?" I'm not whipped...I pick my battles. And while it was a great movie, IMHO, this was a battle I wasn't willing to fight. I'd rather fight the battle go fly to New Orleans in three weeks than making her stay up to watch the movie or watch it without her. So...I guess that's why.

As for the movie...its all subjective. I thought No Country was incredible on many levels. A lot of my friends didn't like it or Fargo....I thought they were both great. A lot of my friends turned off There Will Be Blood....while not something I would want to watch multiple times, I couldn't help but enjoy DDL's performance. Most of my friends thought Forrest Gump was the best movie...I'd fight anyone to the death that Pulp Fiction got robbed that year and is in a different league when it comes to movie greatness.

As for Clooney...I like most of his stuff. I liked his work in Out of Sight, Three Kings, O Brother, Ocean's 11, Confessions of a Dangerous Man, Good Night and Good Luck, Michael Clayton, Up In The Air, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Ides of March and The Descendants. Is he my favorite? No....but I just thought he took his game to a different level in The Descendants.

I do agree about the guy from Scream...why would they put him in that movie?

[xu95]

Isn't he too busy trying to save Darfur to make movies?

I usually refuse to watch his movies on principle. Not that he is a Democrat but that he is a movie actor who feels he is smarter than everyone else and tell us how we should think. Just F&^kin act.

[RealDeal]

Isn't he too busy trying to save Darfur to make movies?

I usually refuse to watch his movies on principle. Not that he is a Democrat but that he is a movie actor who feels he is smarter than everyone else and tell us how we should think. Just F&^kin act.

I'm with you 95, when entertainers like Rush Limbaugh try to tell us what to think it's pretty F-ing annoying. Just entertain us you drug addict.

[Kahns Krazy]

From Dusk Till Dawn was one of the dumbest movies I have ever seen.

[xu95]

I'm with you 95, when entertainers like Rush Limbaugh try to tell us what to think it's pretty F-ing annoying. Just entertain us you drug addict.

I don't care what side of the spectrum they cheer for. I want them to shut up and do their job. I will make my own mind up about what I believe, like, dislike, etc.

[xu95]

I'm with you 95, when entertainers like Rush Limbaugh try to tell us what to think it's pretty F-ing annoying. Just entertain us you drug addict.

I get it that you hate Rush (and I don't listen to any of the talk radio guys) but this is a little different. His job is to be a cheerleader for the Republican party and get the core riled up.

George Clooney's job is to date hot women and act.

xu95

[LadyMuskie]

The Descendants is better than The Ides of March. IMHO, even Clooney's mehish movies are fun and interesting (The American, Syriana, The Men who Stare at Goats, the Ocean films, Michael Clayton). Many great actors just cash in on their resume with some awful films (yes, Tom Hanks, but many others). Clooney refuses to do that, which is nice and partly why he's respected.

Well, Clooney is at a completely different place in his career and life than Hanks is. Clooney is about 10 years younger than Hanks which helps because once actors and actresses get about 50, the roles start to diminish considerably. Plus, Hanks has been an A -lister since the 80s, starting with Big. Clooney's career has been relatively shorter, especially when you consider that he entered the movie world with films like One Fine Day, From Dusk Till Dawn and The Peacemaker. Clooney will be where Hanks is now in about a decade.

My problem with Clooney's films is that they try too hard to be clever and intelligent. Movies that are really great don't have to try so hard because they just work. Some of Clooney's movies tend to be pompous, over-wrought, think-fests that don't really work. Syriana and Michael Clayton come to mind.

[LadyMuskie]

As for the movie...its all subjective. I thought No Country was incredible on many levels. A lot of my friends didn't like it or Fargo....I thought they were both great. A lot of my friends turned off There Will Be Blood....while not something I would want to watch multiple times, I couldn't help but enjoy DDL's performance. Most of my friends thought Forrest Gump was the best movie...I'd fight anyone to the death that Pulp Fiction got robbed that year and is in a different league when it comes to movie greatness.



You're right. Whether a movie is good or bad is totally subjective. Most guys love Pulp Fiction, but I thought it was one of the dumbest things ever put on film. Having seen Inglorious Basterds, I can't even reconcile how one man could make something as good as I.B. and something as bad as Pulp Fiction, but that's why they have chocolate and vanilla. I'd argue that if any movie should have won the academy award the year Gump won, it was Shawshank Redemption. It's the only one that's withstood the test of time and the acting was superb.

[RealDeal]

I get it that you hate Rush (and I don't listen to any of the talk radio guys) but this is a little different. His job is to be a cheerleader for the Republican party and get the core riled up.

George Clooney's job is to date hot women and act.

xu95

Actually, he repeatedly says he's an entertainer after he drops a "she's a slut" type of bomb and needs to defend his actions. Top members of the Repub party also dismiss his rhetoric (Santorum did so last week) with "he's an entertainer" when he screws the pooch on something. So I'll take his word for it and not listen to anything that comes out of his mouth because he's just an entertainer and everyone is free to do the same. I don't hate Rush, he's a clown (per his own admission), I get annoyed by the people who actually take what he says seriously. Same way you do with other entertainers like Clooney.