The Descendants

Matt King (George Clooney) is a father of two difficult children who live on the islands of Hawaii. The youngest, Scottie(Amara Miller) is 10 year old with a bad attitude. The oldest, Alex (Shailene Woodley) is a defiant 17 year old who constantly parties and refuses to follow the rules. Matt has a hard time connecting with his kids and has always left the parenting  to his wife, Elizabeth. This all changes when Elizabeth gets into an accident and falls into a coma. After much time in the hospital, Matt is informed that Elizabeth will never wakeup. When Matt tells Alex, she reveals that her mother was having an affair with another man. Matt's first reaction is to find the man and seek revenge. The film ultimately captures the difficulties of dealing with family issues and death.

The Descendants is raw, real, and heart breaking. George Clooney's performance was extremely interesting. He was able to really depict what a father would go through if put in this complex situation. He is angry, sad, vengeful, and confused all at the same time. He makes the character likeable and particularly relatable. The girls do a fabulous job as well. Woodley and Miller's reaction to their mother's death is devastating. An audience of all ages is capable of  feeling the hardship that each character has to face throughout this film. The movie also incorporates the environment and culture of Hawaii in a creative way. We see incredible shots of Hawaiian land and we realize that Hawaii isn't just a vacation spot. The soundtrack also reflects the culture of Hawaiian people. Ultimately, the experience is very enlightening. The Descendants is an academy award winner because each performance is real. I would highly recommend this film to anyone seeking a movie that is heartfelt and genuine.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was one of the best action movies I've seen in a very long time. I really didn't like the first Hunger Games movie. I felt like the script and the acting was incredibly dry. Overall I thought the film failed to capture the captivating story of the Hunger Games in general. Naturally, I thought the second movie would be just as bad. I decided to give it try anyway because it got great reviews and had a different director. I was blown away. Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) was fabulous. I was specifically disappointed with her performance in the first movie. She made an amazing comeback.  Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark) also made a great comeback. I had trouble connecting with his character throughout the first movie; however, in Catching Fire I could really relate to him because he had a strong display of emotions. I actually didn't read any of the Hunger Games books but I could still follow the movie very well. Since I had no idea what was going to happen it made the film even more exciting. 

I'm not going to give a long synopsis like usual for anyone who hasn't read the books. Going into the theater without knowing  a lot of background information makes the movie extremely fun to watch.  A quick summary is that Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark are being tracked by the government after they won the first Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen has become the ultimate target because of her rebellious actions.  The battle for survival by the people of earth has become overwhelming and everyone is seeking a solution. This movie is a must see of 2013. The cinematography is breathtaking, the acting is Oscar worthy, and the film is relatable.