Movie The Descendants (15)

Jenness Mitchell • Published 27 Jan 2012 08:00 0 Comments

Award season is well underway and The Descendants has already picked up a number of accolades - including a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (Drama), another for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) and five Academy Award nominations. At this time of year voters love themselves a bit of cinematic tragedy.

Matt King (George Clooney) is a Honolulu-based lawyer and is the sole executor of a family trust. During the midst of a development deal that will bank his relatives millions, Matt's wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) is involved in a boating accident and ends up in the hospital comatose. Now 'back-up' parent to 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller) and 17-year-old Alex (Shailene Woodley), Matt is forced to face his younger daughter's inappropriate behaviour, his eldest's wild ways, and is shocked to discover that Elizabeth was having an affair and was about to leave him for real estate agent Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard). On learning that Elizabeth will never awaken from her coma, Matt respects her wishes and disconnects her from life support. With time of the essence, Matt flies to Kaua'I to confront Brian and decently allow his adversary to say a final farewell to his lover.

Co-written and directed by Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt, Sideways), The Descendants is bittersweet. Matt's opening narration establishes that although set in Hawaii life is no beach party. In a way Elizabeth's coma awakens Matt from his own self-induced depression.

I completely understand why The Descendants is being praised. There are some comic moments - from Scottie's abusive texts and Alex's complete disregard for authority to Matt's graceless running and stalking of Brian. On the other hand, as the story is very 'real-life' like it makes for a very melancholy watch. I am not sure I would quite happily sit through another showing of this movie again because of that reason alone.

Gorgeous George Clooney is deserving of the acclaim bestowed for his performance as Matt King. The silver fox still looks ruggedly fabulous onscreen, but his usual swagger and sophistication has been replaced by weariness and disillusionment. As with Up In The Air (Anna Kendrick) and The Ides of March (Ryan Gosling), Clooney allows his younger co-star Shailene Woodley to shine as daughter Alex. The 20-year-old was rightfully nominated for a Golden Globe and I loved everything about her character - from her outfits and smart talking to the fact that at 17-years-old she was now trying to put her rowdy past behind her. Scream and Scooby-Doo's Matthew Lillard plays straight as Elizabeth's lover Brian. When confronted by Clooney's Matt his reaction is priceless, and without ruining part of the plot, Judy Greer's (Arrested Development, Jawbreaker, 13 going on 30) hospital meltdown is a subtly brilliant.

The Descendants was good - just not a classic.

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