“Ah the night…here it comes again”
It’s on with the jeans, the jacket and the shirt
How’d I end up feeling so bad
For such a little girl

And I hold you close in the back of my mind
Feels so good but damn it makes me hurt
And I’m too scared to know to how I feel about you now
La Cienega just smiles…”see ya around”

And I hold you close in the back of my mind
And raise my glass ’cause either way I’m dead
Neither of you really help me to sleep anymore
One breaks my body and the other breaks my soul
La Cienega just smiles as it waves goodbye

“Ah the night…here it comes again”
It’s off with the jeans, the jacket and the shirt
How’d I end up feeling so bad
For such a little girl?

And I hold you close in the back of my mind
Feels so good but damn it makes me hurt
And I’m too scared to know how I feel about you now
How I feel about you now
La Cienega just smiles and says, “I’ll see you around”

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“The Descendants” – Alexander Payne.

I loved this movie. Flat out loved it.

When I find a movie that is meaningful to me, I go whole hog. I see it three or four times. Then my mind goes back over it again and again, digesting it, attempting to figure out why I’ve found it be so moving.

I’ve done this with “The Descendants.”

Brief story summary: George Clooney plays Matt King, an attorney living in Hawaii with a wife and two girls, age 17 and 10.

His wife has been in a boating accident and is in a coma when the movie opens.

Not long after, he discovers she will not be waking up from the coma.

Soon after that his 17 year-old daughter informs him his wife has been having an affair on him.

“You really don’t have a clue, do you Dad?”

This starts what remains of the family on an odyssey to find his wife’s lover, to inform him of her impending death and to tie up loose ends.

George Clooney is just great as Matt King. You get to see his character struggle: The small parts of himself vs. the larger parts. Clooney communicates so much pain throughout this film, most of it without having to speak a word. In fact, two of my favorite scenes have him alone and overwhelmed, broken and not knowing where to go. You know. Kind of like real life.

I put this movie alongside “Solaris” has two of all time favorites – Clooney was magnificent in that as well.

Shailene Woodley as his 17 year-old, just about steals the movie. And, Nick Krause as “Sid,” her boyfriend is simply too good to be true.

This movie takes some twists and turns, and there are a few subplots along the way that drive the story to an elegant ending. But, make no mistake, this is movie about one man’s struggle to come to terms with the betrayal of his wife. And, as she is no longer around to participate in his discovery and healing, he must do that alone.

This is a beautiful film.  Poignant and sad, but funny and filled with depth.  You’ll get lost with these characters for two hours and never even realize you are in a movie theater.   I don’t think I can say anything better of a movie.

Alexander Payne always puts out top-notch stuff when he makes a film. He’s done “Election,” “About Schmidt,” “Sideways,” and now “The Descendants.”  All four are top-shelf movies.  If you haven’t seen them, get your butt to the movie theater (or order up on NetFlix if you’re reading later); you’ll be glad you did.

I’ve seen “The Descendants” four times now. That’s how much I loved it. I’d go see it again, but I think I’m running out of people to take with me.

Wanna go?

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