Reasons to watch

The Descendants

Matt King (George Clooney), a lawyer and the sole trustee of 25,000 acres of virgin land, is shattered when his wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) meets with a speedboat accident. He struggles to deal with his two daughters, 10-year-old Scottie and 17-year-old Alex (Shailene Woodley) and some painful truths.

Director Alexander Payne (think Sideways) has portrayed human comedy in the most realistic way. The movie, a remake of the 2009 novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, has Clooney giving his best. He comes across as a man who is true, raw and emotionally charged. The soundtrack is a blend of traditional and modern Hawaiian music.

Haywire

Haywire is an electrifying story about a female covert ops specialist who seeks payback after discovering she has been betrayed by someone close during a mission.

   The movie has a strong supporting cast and director Steven Soderbergh has turned to MMA fighter Gina Carano for the lead.  There is an attempt by the director to avoid high-tech wizardry as much as possible. Though it is an action movie, he has kept it realistic. Look out for the scene featuring a conversation between two characters as they stand about 10 feet apart in a plane hangar.