The Tribes of Palos Verdes

This is a very good movie, people and characters in it are all look real. The broken marriages to so many families nowadays in almost every country of the world not only affected so many husbands and wives but also seriously messed up their children. America's social infrastructure is like a broken and shattered glass, so many broken families, so many toilet relationships, so many twisted hardship that kids have to deal with their parents' bad marriage. America has become a weird family tree, its branches and leaves so complicated, either the wives carried their kids to new marriage, or the husbands brought their kids from his first, second or even 3rd marriage to newest wives, while their newer wives or husbands also got their own kids from their former marriages. More divorces simply complicated the family tree's growth and burdened it to unknown, unpredictable and unfathomable abyss. Kids growing up from such broken families many have twisted views almost to everything that ensured them to repeat the same or similar situations of their own marriages, their relationship to their opposite gender. They would become a bad copy of their parents and usually, the 2nd or the 3rd copy will be always worse than its 1st edition.

This is a very cruel but up close and personal film that I could hardly be able to watch to the end. I pity the three young children from two different broken families. The hardships they have to deal with 24/7 are so cruel and unbearable. I felt so sad while watching it and couldn't resist thinking of my elder son's broken marriage, and the grandson jammed in between his mother and father. The hardship my son has to deal with everyday is beyond every word could be described.

This film is just too cruel to watch.....

I normally don't watch movies. Actually I rarely ever watch movies. But it was on cable and I didn't feel like being bothered with the other hyped up marketed acts last night so I sat through this. And the summary of the movie was not accurate. The ratings are a joke here. First, this is one of the better screenwriting. Two, Jennifer Garner CAN act. Three, direction was excellent. This isn't a feel good movie. This movie is true to life. If not Palos Verdes, then anywhere in Southern California. Life is not a feel good movie, and unfortunately it's really this ugly for anyone who is the unwilling trapped victim of a narcissist. In this case, it's the all too common children of divorce. The reason why I don't like the summary "coming of age" is because it really isn't. How do they come of age? These kids didn't get any sort of enlightenment or accomplishment. They're the protagonists that you will empathize with. IF this movie had a hero, it would be a true blue canine family member. But these kids were not so lucky. Many people can relate to this family regardless of who and what you are- and what your circumstances are. And it's actually a good idea to watch something like this to put it in perspective. I found the drama a little intense. I wish there was more better energy and sense of humor- but unfortunately, It's true to life.

The Mason family has just moved from Michigan to the exclusive community of Palos Verdes, California. There's the noted heart surgeon father (Justin Kirk), the emotionally troubled mother (Jennifer Garner) and their extremely close twin siblings (Maika Monroe and Cody Fern).

The film is narrated by Monroe's character Medina, as they all settle into their palatial home overlooking the gorgeous Pacific Ocean. However, all is not idyllic in this family, as we actually watch them deteriorate before our eyes.

The acting is solid all around but I found the story led me on a depressive and mean-spirited slog, with the parents particularly despicable here as they manipulate their teenage kids for their own purposes no matter what the cost. Without giving too much away here, the cost will be very high.

Overall, some may find this unrelenting melodrama to their liking but for me it was a difficult view and far from entertaining.

When the situation at her idyllic Palos Verdes home turns volatile, young Medina attempts to surf her to happiness

This is much more than that. Jennifer Garner is amazing. Deep and insightful movie. To think i was just looking for a surfer movie.

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.