Closing out theis year’s New York Film Festival is Alexander Payne’s new film, The Descendants. Set in beautiful Hawaii, it stars George Clooney (The Ides of March, The American) as Matt King, a father struggling to keep his life together after his wife is severely injured in a boating accident. Matt is a busy lawyer who has not had much involvement in his daughters’ lives until this point. Adapted from the best-selling novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, the story is a perfect blend of drama and comedy. Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways) adapted the script and infused his voice into the already compelling story. With the backdrop of the beautiful landscapes, the most heart-wrenching moments get an extra push of color in the real world. While starting out with voiceover, it does not rely on it as a crutch, but uses it as a tool bring the audience closer to Matt and empathize with him.George Clooney is once again seamless as the desperate father, Matt King. Unlike other roles, like the senator in The Ides of Marchor other charmers, in this, he’s just an ordinary man. He works hard and tries to provide for his family. He has the uncanny ability to convey every emotion without saying a word. He’s never afraid to be vulnerable and show true feelings in his characters.
The supporting cast is surprising and fit extremely well together. The most surprising would be Matthew Lillard (Scream, Without a Paddle). Even though his scenes were some of the most dramatic, his expressions in the moment lend a realism as well as a bit of comic relief. Judy Greer (Peep World, 27 Dresses, Jawbreaker), who has made a career of playing best friends to leading ladies, gives a moving dramatic performance. I’m calling it right now – her first dramatic lead will earn her an Oscar. She’s always the bridesmaid and never the bride, but her time will come. Robert Forster (Jackie Brown, Me, Myself and Irene) is perfectly intimidating as Matt’s father-in-law. He’s got a great balance of being overbearing and protective, yet very endearing.
There were parts of the film, particularly with the character of Matt, that I felt were trying to hard to inject comedy to lighten the mood. When he’s running to the house of his best friends, it’s silly and didn’t quite have the intensity that I wanted. The landscape provides enough of a buffer to maintain any drama, and although it did so in many ways, sometimes it missed the mark.
I did very much enjoyed seeing so much of Hawaii. I’ll admit, when I think of Hawaii, I don’t think of skycrapers and freeways, but of palm trees and pina coladas. It’s always fascinating to explore a new world and learn the culture. It was obvious that the dialogue was from a native speaker because it’s not how I would have referred to the islands. I really liked experiencing that part of the film. It reminds me of how people refer to Manhattan as “in the city” and Long Island as “on the island.”
Opening in wide release on November 16th, The Descendants will draw an audience due to Payne and Clooney, well-deservedly. It’s smart and relates to every age group.
Rating: Enjoyably honest with a dollop of Clooney. 8/10
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