The Tribes of Palos Verdes

This film tells the story of a seemingly perfect family falling apart.

The portrayal of the family falling apart is very gripping and engaging. It feels very real as well. I find the film captivating. I feel very connected with the characters, and feel sorry for all their predicaments.

Strong performances from the core cast save this slow-moving and moody family affair from being irredeemably trite. You've seen this film before, but maybe not this cut of it. Echoing the aesthetic tone and much of the slower interstitial pacing of the 90s thriller Point Break, this coming of age divorce melodrama shines light on the emptiness of the idealised American Dream, showing that money most certainly does not always add richness to one's life. Shadows of evolving tribal bonds flicker on the walls - family, friends, allies, enemies. Who is which? Is blood thicker than water? Is loyalty more important than happiness? Can a morality tale masquerade as a post-modern narrative? Whatever the case may be, Palos Verdes somehow keeps the action, and the answers to these questions, somewhat detached and at arm's length. Despite the decent cast, none of the characters, through all their travails, are sufficiently compelling to be celebrated or mourned.

Not great, but not bad. Worth a watch if you are hard up for something to fill 90 minutes.

This movie came up on a list of best surf movies. It is not about surfing! This movie is about a dysfunctional family going through a divorce. It's very sad. It's well written and interesting. Just be prepared that this is not an upbeat film about waves and surfers.

Having grown up in Palos Verdes (Estates, specifically) I had only a cursory interest for giving this movie a chance. Nothing new here in the insulated enclave which has become a house-flipping real estate orgy for millionaires since the 1980s. Dysfunctional families, drug addiction and suicidal teens, along with territorial surfer thugs were as prevalent here as its sun drenched environs during the Sixties and Seventies. The novel inspired the movie and seems to have been adapted well enough. Though I just couldn't wait to escape, invoking the same feeling I had as an adolescent.

This movie is pretty depressing. I guess that means it's pretty realistic if played true to form. Functional family becomes dysfunctional family and breaks apart. Pretty ho-hum all around; however, Jennifer Garner is excellent as a bi-polar mom dealing with her crumbling life. The rest of the cast turn in decent performances but Garner shines and proves she's a really good actress.