“How was your break?”

“Good, great; not long enough.”

Common back-to-school banter. How many times have you undergone this interaction since returning for the new semester? Several, I am imagining. Break was good, but not long enough to do all the things you had wanted. My unfulfilled bucket list included making a white bean pie à la….whoever that one special baker is at the Eastern Market, knitting a scarf, and seeing “The Descendants.”

Fortunately, the new Alexander Payne film is still showing at the State Theater, long after the holidays. The screenwriter who brought you About Schmidt (2002) and Sideways (2004) is back with another round of cleverly spelled out, real-life drama. Based on the book of the same title by Kaui Hart Hemmings (2007), the movie stars George Clooney, Shailene Woodley of The Secret Life of an American Teenager, and several other highly talented albeit B-List celebrities (Beau Bridge, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer). I say confidently that The Descendants makes for a solid cinematographic success. In an artful balance of raw tragedy and tender love, dark moments and comic relief, the movie deserves a heartfelt nod.

The story is about Matt King, a busy lawyer living in Hawaii with his wife and two teenage daughters. Why Hawaii? Matt is the heir to a substantial piece of undeveloped property that once belonged to his great great great (great) grandmother, an important island native. The land is in the process of being sold to resort-ville, the money in turn funding Matt’s cousins- or- the descendants. An interruption to the business plan interferes within the first five minutes of the flick: Elizabeth, Matt’s wife, is involved in a boating accident that leaves her in a serious coma.

Suddenly, Matt is confronted with losing his wife, fathering his unruly, dirty-mouthed teenage daughters, and managing the sale of his sacred inheritance. To add a little flavor to the mix, as if that isn’t spicy enough, Matt finds out from his oldest daughter that his wife is not everything he had thought (spoiler alert!): she has been cheating on him. (don’t worry too much though, you find that out in the trailer).

In an unusual series of events, Matt, his daughters Scottie and Alex, and Alex’s unbelievably dense boyfriend, find themselves on an adventure to uncover the man with whom Elizabeth has been unfaithful. A whirlwind of shouts, tears, laughter- the usual gammat of emotions- brings the family to a new and unexpected place of closeness.

Am I glad I saw the movie? Yes.

Did I think it was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen? No.

Did I appreciate the clever writing, skillful timing, atypical story line, and unbearably realistic acting? Yes.

Did it make me laugh aloud? A few times.

Did it make me cry? No, but if I’d been having a hard day it sure would have.

Was the soundtrack worth downloading? Absolutely, check iTunes now.

Did the scenery make me want to move to Hawaii immediately? Yes and yes.

Did I enjoy watching George Clooney do his thing? I think we all know the answer to that one.

I recommend seeing it, if it didn’t make your bucket list over the holidays. If nothing else, I appreciate a film that is complex enough that you have to actually watch the whole thing to truly understand the derivation of the title. And, once again, the acting was top notch.

The Descendants is playing at the State Theater through Thursday, January 19th at 4:30, 7:00, and 9:30 pm. Student tickets cost $8, and matinées cost $7. Take a friend, take a box of tissues, take a break from studying (already!) Let me know what you think! Read More

I think in my preview of this event I somewhat mocked the fact that anyone, but those whose French classes were going to talk about the situation of immigrants in France (…moi), would really want to attend a documentary on the second week of classes. After seeing the film “Paris Mon Paradis,” I truly hope that everyone who has the chance goes to see this film. It’s extremely thought-provoking and dwells on a lot of issues many of us didn’t even know existed. AND, as an added bonus, the director of the film is at the viewing!

First-time movie director, Eléonore Yameogo, outlines the story of numerous immigrants from French-speaking areas of Africa who move to France, hoping to find the paradise of their dreams. The disillusionment of these young Africans to Paris and other cities in France is devastating for many. They are forced, for the first time in their lives, to go to bed hungry and even, sometimes, sleeping in the street. The film highlighted the complexities of the situations of African immigrants to France in a very informative manner. From what I perceived, it’s a combination of anticipated easy success, pressure from back home to be successful, and the unavailable documents, allowing for those immigrants to be properly employed or own a home. Of course, that is a generalization of the massive issue of illegal immigration in France, but those were some of the key points I picked up from Yameogo’s film.

I truly felt the passion of this film. I was moved without being scared away, which is a difficult task when dealing with human rights. So many times I feel directors use fear tactics, utilizing blood and gore, in order to prove their point; however, Yameogo’s interviews and personal connections with others allows for the film to work without scaring away the audience. Yameogo also did a beautiful job with the camera angles. One of the most memorable scenes of the documentary was when she interviewed a group of young men who lacked the proper funds for a home, so they slept in a carousel. The gold and shiny carousel was entirely metaphorical of the common cyclical nature of poverty and the disillusioned “paradis” of France for many African immigrants.

After the film, Eléonore Yameogo answered questions pertaining to the film. She pointed out that her initial intended audience was young Africans, informing them of the largely unknown challenges of immigrating to France. I thought that was very interesting, and it made a lot of sense after seeing the film. Changing a deeply rooted economical problem such as homelessness is obviously a challenge, but I believe educating others about the issue is a solid place to begin.

In case you missed it, go see tomorrow’s showing of “Paris mon paradis” at 4pm in North quad!! It will definitely be worth your while! (and don’t fret; there are English subtitles)

Monday, January 9th at 4pm in 1360 East Hall

What better way to take advantage of the brief lapse in homework before the semester really kicks off than going to see a French documentary? As part of the symposium film series “Women Visualizing Africa” they will show the new and highly acclaimed documentary, “Paris mon Paradis.” Directed by Elénore Yameogo, the film will be in French with English subtitles.

The film series’ newsletter writes, “The dream of a better life has often led Africans to immigrate to Paris, their paradise. As a symbol of the Occident, the French capital soon becomes a symbol of disillusion…Striking and emotionally truthful, Yameogo’s documentary is an abrupt awakening.”

The film is sure to be very thought-provoking and on an issue that is often overlooked. Hope to see you there!