Director Alexander Payne (About Schmidt, Sideways) manages to capture the subtle sadness and humor within the deepest part of an emotional crucible. The Descendants is a strong film with all the nuances Payne is known for, supported by a perfectly selected cast, and will likely be remembered as a milestone in the Director/Writer’s career. Whether the same can be said for an at-times overdone film’s place in viewer’s lives, the answer is not as certain.
Premise: An attorney tries to reconnect with his daughters after a terrible accident claims his wife. Result: A powerful, enjoyable film about life and what comes after tragedy.
The story rests on a boating accident, the serious injury of Elizabeth King (Patricia Hastie) now fallen into hopeless coma. It is her husband, Matt (George Clooney), who must try to pick up the pieces of their broken marriage and support his two daughters Alex (Shailene Woodley) and Scottie (Amara Miller) despite his self-ascribed role as “the back-up parent.” Of course, the tale becomes even more complex once Matt finds that his wife has been having an affair with a local realtor, Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard).
In the background is also the looming pressure of a major land deal, a half-billion dollar sale of prime, untouched Hawaiian land that belongs to the King Estate, a trust that he and his extensive family control, but which ultimately he is the sole trustee for. As the film progresses, these two storylines become intimately intertwined and the complexity heightens.
Ultimately, this film is a journey, of one man and his two daughters who must survive the unthinkable: the death of their wife and mother whose honor and love is called into question and where obstacle after obstacle looms: the land deal, the questions around the affair, their own roles in a failed marriage, regret, the blame from an enraged father-in-law (Robert Forster), the rage from a confused wife (Judy Greer), and the list goes on and on. What differentiates this film from others of the same ilk, is the nuance that Payne has mastered.
The Descendants is a film that takes a not too unfamiliar story and makes it fresh and new by introducing odd characters and strange occurrences that conjure both dismay and laughter. This, all while still managing to make the characters real by avoiding polished pontifications and text book sequences. These characters stumble through the film and grow together as much in spite of their circumstances as because of them.
Ultimately, it is the acting as much as anything that sells this story. Clooney is remarkable in his ability to master a character that is completely lost in his new surroundings, floundering under the pressures he must face but at the same time showing strength in the face of his anguish. Clooney brilliantly delivers expressions that will immediately and effectively communicate confusion, frustration and pain that audiences can identify with. He is very real, very sympathetic and very funny. And in one of the more brilliant moves in the film, the team of Clooney and Payne create an uncredited character, Clooney’s awkward running style to steal scenes. On multiple occasions, Clooney wabbled awkwardly through life, illustrating that this man is not some Adonis, but an out-of-shape cockled husband, every bit as real as the observers off screen.
Woodley for her part is every bit as brilliant, allowing her role to shine brightly as the dysfunctional daughter who uncovered the affair and whose strength is essential for moving the family through the chaos. She delivers every line perfectly, embodying the pain and the power of a character stronger than most. Miller, as Scottie, is equally brilliant, as the younger daughter with little understanding of the truth behind the scenes, yet manages to keep afloat amidst other strong performances.
Nick Krause, as Sid, is yet another breakout performance in this film. He manages to embody the eccentric boy/friend role to Alex in a completely unique way. His performance is masterful to invoke both humor and dignity as needed. Despite the film only affording him a tangential role, it must be said that ultimately the film would not have been as good without him. Forster, Greer, and Lillard are all wonderful in their roles, giving a much needed intensity to an already deep casting pool.
While The Descendants is not a perfect film, it is certainly worth watching and will likely be considered one of the best of 2011. Its blended formula of reality, humor and pain will resonate, although it is somewhat guilty of failing to connect on some levels; while the story is familiar, it can at times be a bit much and meanders when it should astound. Nevertheless, The Descendants lives up to its name, as a story of what comes after, of those that remain after inheritance, of either fortunate or famine, but in either case, of opportunity.
Rating: 8 – An expensive red wine and juicy steak
Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Brooklyn’s Finest) has taken a flimsy script based on a frightening premise and transformed it into an action powerhouse. While there is much that could be improved in this film, it is extremely entertaining action event complete with its own memorable Bad@$$!
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