Taking home the Golden Globe Award for Best Drama and George Clooney winning Best Actor in a Drama Saturday, "The Descendants" made an impressive impact on audiences this winter.
The film, based on a novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings, centers around Matt King's (Clooney) journey with his two daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) after his wife is injured in a boating accident.
Though the story is compelling and full of plot twists with well-scripted dialogue, it is the performances that really shinesin this movie.
Clooney portrays a hard-working lawyer and land owner who has a hard time reconnecting with his kids.
He is charged with the sole responsibility of caring for 17-year-old Alex (Woodly) and 10-year-old Scottie (Miller), both of whom are extremely spirited and opinionated girls.
It is a fantastic role for Clooney, akin to his "Up in the Air" performance, that shows his best dark-comedic side.
Woodley also surprises, as her character is quite the opposite of the whiny pregnant teenager some may be familiar with and is a welcome change. She works well with Clooney and the rest of the cast without overshadowing any other performances.
Matthew Lillard ("Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed") and Judy Greer ("Arrested Development," "Jawbreaker") also appear in the film, and also diverge from their usual character routines.
Lillard plays the antagonist of the story, but in a much more pitiful way than one would expect. His performance is mediocre at best, but Greer outshines all others when on screen.
I'm really only familiar with her comedic acting, but I was pleasantly surprised by her ability to connect with the audience. She was the emotional trigger of the film, adding depth and resolution where needed.
The movie seems to present itself as a very dark journey through the gritty reality of life, which is somewhat accurate. However, I surprisingly did not leave the theater with a dark cloud over my head. In fact, almost the opposite occurred.
The tragedy is introduced early on, so you have time to go through the entire grieving process with the characters. This surprisingly left me with a sense of resolution and fulfillment after the film, and an even lighter perspective on the world.
"The Descendants," directed by Alexander Payne ("Sideways," "Election,") is a must-see film this year. It's exploration into the journey of dealing with grief – and life, in general – is a beautiful depiction of reality in the true way of the artist.
The film features anticipated and surprising acting talent of that alone makes the experience worthwhile, but the additions of an enthralling storyline and gorgeous tropical Hawaiian atmosphere make this feature a critical success.
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