The Descendants (2012)

Shailene Woodley and George Clooney in The Descendants (2012)

Directed by: Alexander Payne
Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Judy Greer

What do you do when you lose sight of yourself? That's the question that The Descendants -- Alexander Payne's next big awards show venture, following his 2000s hit Sideways -- asks, and makes an attempt to answer as George Clooney plays Matt King, a middle-aged man who is pulled in more directions than he can count.

And that, perhaps, is one of the crowning achievements of the film. Packed into this two hour film, there are several different plot lines, such as Matt's search for a specific individual (whose identity will remain hidden to keep with my spoiler-free promise), his struggle to raise his daughters in the absence of his wife's guidance, and a business deal that has so many different factors going into it he's losing count. But the amazing thing is that all of these plot lines -- these deeply thought out, coherent plot lines -- weave together seamlessly. The script, combined with Alexander Payne's smooth direction, is a marvel.

It's really wonderfully adapted, which is why I think it's one of the frontrunners for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. It takes a story, which I'm sure could and is much easily displayed in novel form (I plan on reading the novel sometime soon) and portrays it seamlessly on screen, which is, as I've said before, probably its biggest overall achievement. The organization of the film is just masterful; there's so much going on, but every event, as it happens, just feels very natural. You never feel like the pace is strange in any way.

Put simply, it's an easy movie to watch. But that doesn't just come from Alexander Payne's directing or the masterful screenplay. That's also thanks to the all-star cast that has been lined up for this film. First, and obviously foremost, is George Clooney, portraying the protagonist, Matt King.

I've seen a lot of really good George Clooney films -- Up in the Air, The Ides of March, and Ocean's Eleven just a few -- and this is, hands down, the best thing I have ever seen him do. For the first time in a long time, he's got a lead role that allows him to be very rough, and very human. Movies like the ones I just listed allow George Clooney to show off his acting chops in a role that's actually very detached from the viewer, but here, he's front and center. Every second, you're feeling what Matt King is feeling, and it's all because of Clooney.

But while George Clooney probably could make this entire film by himself, he doesn't. From about twenty or so minutes into the movie onward, he has help in the form of young actress Shailene Woodley, who portrays his older daughter, Alex. You might recognize her from such fare as The Secret Life of the American Teenager; in this film, she takes a step up to prove to the world she's not an ABC Family actress. This girl knows her stuff, and while it might not have been enough to garner an Academy Award nomination (the Best Supporting Actress category is packed) we're going to have to watch out for her, I'm sure of it.

But even moreso than anything else, the movie is fun. Sure, its subject matter is, in general, depressing, but the adventure that Matt and Alex go on because of these awful things happening in their lives -- well, it turns out to be a fun ride that might make you cry sometimes and might make you laugh sometimes, but will definitely make you happy you spent ten bucks on this movie. It's worth it.

Final Rating: 9.5/10
Notable Performance: George Clooney as Matt King