The Descendants

UK Release: 27th January 2012

Watched in the Cinema: Thursday 29th November 2012

Rating: 15

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Runtime: 1hr 55mins

IMDb Plot Synopsis: With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident, Hawaiian land baron Matt King takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront the man who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune.

My Review: After winning an Oscar last year and gaining not only critical but audience acclamation, I knew there must be something special about this film. And it couldn’t just be George Clooney! So I was glad to finally see it up on the big screen almost a year later and see for myself what all the fuss was about. The acting was great and Hawaii looked stunning on camera but it was the tone of the film that really gave it that extra edge. It had more than just a feel-good feel (although you do leave feeling happy) - it felt more complex and honest than most Hollywood films. The emotions of the characters were about more than falling in love or fighting crime it was about family and illness and that is something we can all relate to.

There were numerous times that I felt myself, and the packed cinema around, swell up with tears as we had all felt those emotions at one point in our lives or at least could painfully imagine losing a loved one; a wife, a mother. 

It’s the odd humour of it all, the everyday dark comedy than comes from tragedy because if you don’t laugh, well, all you can do is cry. 

Score: 8/10