THE DESCENDANTS and HUGO: Oscar bait?

Oscar season is in full bloom now, with plenty of contenders crowding the screens. Here are two causing a lot of chatter: One is for families, one is about families. Both are based on 2007 novels (where would the cinematic world be without the imagination of fiction writers?). Check out these Reel Answers to see if either—or both—of these films are for you.

THE DESCENDANTS
Directed by Alexander Payne
Starring George Clooney, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges, Shailene Woodley

What is The Descendants about?

With a screenplay written by director Alexander Payne (Sideways, About Schmidt), based on the novel by Hawaiian author Kaui Hart Hemmings, The Descendants centers around Matt King (George Clooney), a successful real estate lawyer who attempts to build a better relationship with his difficult daughters after his wife falls into a coma. A simultaneous subplot has to do with Matt’s larger family (the descendants of long-ago Hawaiian royalty) who face a deadline for selling the final piece of their inheritance: 25,000 acres of stunning waterfront property in Kuau’i.

Is this a feel-good movie or a bummer?

This low-key movie straddles both comedy and tragedy—often fluctuating between the two in a single scene. While a little quiet at times, the story also has a bit of a detective element to it, which keeps your interest. Like all of Alexander Payne’s movies, at its heart it’s a portrait of a clueless man who wises up a bit along the way, with the attendant smiles and tears.

How are the actors?

George Clooney is touching and real as a forlorn husband who is also a down-to-earth land baron. (It’s funny to think of him as stolid Batman, when you watch him skittering around trying to juggle complications from his wife’s situation and his larger family dilemma.) The two characters of the daughters are well played with the right degree of sulkiness and warmth (even if one of the girls looks more like a model than a real girl), and the rest of the ensemble, featuring accomplished actors like Beau Bridges, Judy Greer, and Robert Forster are quirkily realistic, with some great lines.

Anything else noteworthy about The Descendants?

The setting and soundtrack, both authentically Hawaiian, add a nice exotic touch to this family drama.

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HUGO
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Starring Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz

What is Hugo about?

Based on Brian Selznick’s movie-inspired illustrated book The Invention of Hugo Cabret, the film tells the plaintive story of orphaned Hugo (played by Asa Butterfield, this generation’s Elijah Wood lookalike), who lives in the 1930s Parisian Montparnasse train station tending to its many clocks. Hugo’s genius for fixing things eventually leads him into a magical cinematic world where he unlocks the secret past of a very stern older gentleman, played by Ben Kingsley.

Is this film only for kids?

While some of the story elements are simplified for children (parentless boy melts heart of stony old man), the gorgeous and ingenious sets and film history references will also enchant adults. Actually the somber, rather stylized tone of the film often seems better suited to adults than children, but the fairy-taleish story is told from the POV of a 12-year-old and the tween-age kids around me sat in rapt attention for the two-hour+ length of this movie.

Is it worth paying for the 3D?

I believe that if a movie is shot and intended to be seen in 3D then it’s worth paying for the full experience. And when the 3D is created by top-of-the-line auteurs such as Martin Scorsese and his sophisticated crew, it’s well worth it. It’s fun when dust motes from a 1930s train station float right in front of your eyes, and look for the patented Scorsese swooping tracking shots, with objects now coming at you in 3D.

Will I need tissues?

While I felt a little detached from the sometimes stock characters in this film, there’s no escaping that the ending packs a sentimental punch.

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My Reel Answers column aims to boil down film reviewing to its essence: answering questions (without divulging key plot points) you might have about a popular movie before plunking down your hard-earned money to see it.

Please visit http://reelanswers.net to see past movies and DVDs I’ve reviewed, and let me know what questions you have about upcoming movies that I can answer.

When not watching and reviewing movies, I run a consulting business helping successful creatives ramp up their online presence via websites, ebooks, and social media at http://laura-e-kelly.com.         ~Laura