OK it would seem most mums-who-blog have themes in the week, Silent Sunday is a popular one for those who take photos (a theme I may plagiarise when I get my camera) and there are various cooking and creative ones.  Well I thought I would try and review a film I watch once a week and I have an idea forming for one around children and food but we’ll just have to see about that.

We watched a DVD last night, The Descendants, starring George Clooney.

As expected Clooney did not disappoint with an excellent performance as the conservative, kind and yet annoyingly unaware husband and father to three feisty, self absorbed women (one being his wife, two being his daughters).  

So we enter at a point where you get glimpses of how he used to be unattached to his family, but now in a place where he is the pivotal character in everyone’s life and he can’t escape becoming an active participant.  You get the impression people have enjoyed living their lives without his inclusion but quickly you see everything would have gone a lot better if he’d just joined in a bit sooner.

I liked him, I was for him right from the get-go and I enjoyed seeing him “switch on” and make the decisions he does.  It’s just under two hours and we were tired when we watched it but for quite a simple, non-action story it kept us interested right to the end.  And it’s one of those films where you connect with the characters enough that you want to carry on being in their lives beyond the conclusion of the film.

I was totally captivated by Shailene Woodley, who plays Clooney’s eldest daughter.  Ridiculously beautiful and pitched a good girl wanting to be rebellious so her parents would notice her very well. ‘One to watch’ perhaps. It was lovely to see her relationship with her father grow and strengthen as the story unfolded and you go from thinking he’ll never manage to it’s going to be fine – which is always where I like to be left at the end of a film.

I’d give it a 7.5 out of 10 as it’s not going into my Top 20 but it was definitely good.  Worth watching, maybe not worth buying as it’s not one you need to see a second time.