Hollywood The Descendants Movie Review & Rating (4/5)

Cast: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause

Direction: Alexander Payne

Genre: Drama

Duration: 1 hour 55 minutes

Movie Rating: ****

Review : When George Clooney plays single dad to a grown-up irreverent teenage daughter Alexandra ( Shailene Woodley) and a little girl Scottie ( Amara Miller) who picks up all things wrong from her elder sister, rest assured the dad-daughter equation ought to bring out the uneasiness of a father specially when the daughter is in the backseat of his car with her boyfriend (Will you please not touch each other when I'm around, says Clooney). And when George Clooney realises his wife was in for a blooming affair with Brian Spears right behind his back, he makes it sure to vent out his anger and frustration at his wife even as she lies in coma... just a few minutes away from death (You wanted to divorce me! Well I hated you too, Clooney says in his soliloquy).

Elizabeth (Patricia) has an almost fatal power boat accident off Waikiki Beach, something that puts her on life support forever. But then her living will wants her off every ventilator. The outcome: The once split family gets together to say their final goodbye. First, it's Alexandra, the rebel daughter, who had issues aplenty with her mom. Next is the husband, Matt King, who never had ample time to perhaps give her what she wanted -- love. Even now that she is dying, he has a multi-million dollar virgin ancestral land deal going for him. Of course, it's his daughters with almost no childhood memories of the place that help him make the right choice. As for Matt King, he helps all around him make the right choice, both as a husband and father. What? One has to follow the protocol of a situation. In this case, all loved ones must get a chance to bid a final adieu to the one on no life support.

So where exactly does the film score? Three places. First, the irony of its location. On one hand there's the beautiful Hawaiian landscape, on the other hand is Clooney caught inside the four walls of a hospital room understanding the nuances of parenthood, coping with a dying, unfaithful wife and trying to strike a big corporate deal. In fact, even board meetings in fluorescent Hawaiian shirts do not ease the nerves of the actor. Second is the relationship of a never-been-around dad with a rebel of a teenage daughter and her I'm-so-cool boyfriend. Lastly, it's Clooney himself -- sometimes as the dad who gets all scandalised and worked up each time his daughters swear, sometimes as the restless and helpless, ever questioning husband. Special mention: Watch Clooney convince his wife's boyfriend to make it for one the last time to the hospital and his dying wife.

Relationships, pain, anger, emotions, understanding, betrayal... all handled with care.

Tip off:
Don't just go looking for sun, sand and surf. This beautiful Hawaiian landscape -- far from the maddening city crowd -- with its blue oceans and captivating visuals has more painful heartbreaks than perhaps your everyday city life.