Movie Review: The Descendants

4 stars out of 5

I am going to see a George Clooney movie every day. (OK, the streak MAY end tomorrow.) He’s reliably excellent. Generally, he plays some version of himself, which is fine with most of us: He’s a classic “women want him, men want to be him… and fine, we admit it, men also want him” persona. Here, Clooney stretches his talents: Yes, the archetypal Clooney is visible in the relaxed Hawaiian setting, but it’s a more grown-up, put-upon character than we’re accustomed to seeing him play. And the handsome S.O.B. hits it out of the park once again.

Of course, Hawaii is also playing against type here: It’s a cloudy Hawaii. A Hawaii with traffic. Clooney’s opening narration lays it on the line: They’ve got the same problems there as anywhere else. And yet, those damn palm trees and Aloha shirts are everywhere. It’s something I’ve thought about for a long time—nice places are the worst places to be miserable. Everything around you is telling you to be happy and the contrast can be devastating.

And there is a lot of devastation in this story. The ads paint the mood as a bit brighter than it actually is. The Descendants is without a doubt a tearjerker; it is the most emotional movie I’ve seen in a while. There are laughs, there are smiles, but there’s also a woman in a coma from the opening seconds, and the movie never lets you forget that. Ah, but Alexander Payne is a skillful enough director that it never crosses over into melodrama.

In a way, I was reminded of Jason Reitman’s direction of the Clooney-starring Up in the Air. Like in that film, there are many points during this when the source material could’ve led to a bad, over-the-top movie. Payne, like Reitman, lets the movie teeter on the edge, but always steers it back to safety. (Now, a totally bad filmmaker would’ve had Clooney humorously struggle with the challenges of becoming a real dad, and then, when he leasts expect it, fall in love.)

While Clooney does the heavy lifting, he’s nearly matched by a superb performance from young Shailene Woodley. Her character is forced to transform very quickly from bitter, disaffected teen to emotionally ruined daughter to forced-to-step-up maturity. She is 100% believable every step of the way and must be considered a serious contender for Best Supporting Actress. Nick Krause as goofy teen Sid also does some fine work. Younger daughter Amara Miller is not quite as effective, but when it counts she nails it.

Not a perfect movie—it drags a bit after the halfway point, before a very solid conclusion. And the real-estate subplot doesn’t totally mesh with the main thrust here. But oh how that main focus—on grief, betrayal, trying to come to terms with both, and trying to move forward—is handled with subtlety and excellence. The Descendants stands as one of the better films I’ve seen this year. (Even if a certain punk band has always had me spelling it “The Descendents.” I thought you went to college, Milo.)