Review: "The Descendants"

Back in 1996 when I was 17, I saw two movies that starred George Clooney. The first was "From Dusk Till Dawn" with Tarantino, and I loved it. Immediately after that was "One Fine Day", and I hated it. Sadly this was followed by "Batman & Robin" (enough said right there). So I will be honest in saying that I mostly watched Clooney when his movies were on DVD. I almost felt that any movie he was in that was comedy ("O Brother, Where Art Thou" apart) or romantic based, was almost effortless for him. He didn't need to act. He could just be George Clooney in front of a camera. But as he as got older I think he as gotten better, with more dramatic roles in recent years. "Syriana", "Up In The Air", "The American" and "The Ides Of March" I found gripping and entertaining, but I think Clooney has pushed the bar even higher in "The Descendants".

The story (without ruining it for anyone) is nothing new; a family comes to term with an accident and infidelity. Whilst the film I don't think is Oscar winning - it was a great film, and if it wins, then good on it - but it's Clooney's performance that is breathtaking. A role which could so easily be portrayed in an over-the-top emotional performance, Clooney plays the role of Matt King slightly understated, trying to understand what's happening around him rather than reacting to it, and the emotional scenes by Clooney, director Alexander Payne, Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller as the younger daughter (and who should get more recognition as she delivers a great performance for a 10 year old) are all handled delicately. The setting of Hawaii is a fantastic location, with so much vibrancy and colour that it's a visual treat for the eyes (even the aloha shirts!). So in a change to previous decisions, I now hope that "The Descendants" does better than most at the Oscars, with Clooney in particular getting a second deserved Oscar. Rating: 9/10. Good story, great acting, no disappointment.