The Descendants

After winning the Golden Globe for Best Drama The Descendants have to be one of the front runners to walk away with Best Picture along with several other awards in the big night. If The Artist represents everything that is happy and good, than The Descendants may be the exact opposite. The difference in tone may decide which film walks away with the statuette. The Descendants is both funny and devastating and captures the moments in life we fear the most with eloquence.

George Clooney stars as Matt King a working father who at his best considers himself second rate. After his wife is injured in a boating accident within the opening sequence of the movie he needs to step up and be something more to his family. All the while he and his cousins hold the fate of some of Hawaii's last bit of land in their hand as they are the direct descendants from Hawaii's last ruling family.

Clooney turns out of his best performances for the troubled father. Think Up in the Air, but that character in the third act. Don't get me wrong he is still playing Clooney in the movie, but with a definite lack of togetherness and cool. He plays the character effortlessly which makes the performance that much more believable and heartbreaking. He allows his character to bumble a little bit, to be awkward, because that is normal people would react. Matt King doesn't have all the right answer or the right moves and often makes mistakes, and that's what makes the character so endearing and relatable.

Clooney plays the part of Matt King perfectly, he allows for the awkward moments to seep into his performance. The movie comes off as a perfect balance between dramatic and funny. The Hawaiian backdrop is wonderful juxtaposition to the mundane and depressing he finds himself in. Not every action gets the perfect reaction; sometimes he comes off as downright cruel when facing stressful moments which anyone can relate to in wishing they could take what they said back.

Alexander Payne, who wrote and directed the movie, loves making characters who find themselves on the brink and who are already broken. He did great work in Election, About Schmidt, and Sideways. It is tough to believe this is his first movie since 2004, but Payne knows his strengths and knows the stories that he wants to tell. His experience with lead characters who are imperfect help to drive the best performance out of Clooney and what makes the movie so relatable.

There is a lot in the movie to feel down about, after all the movie opens with Matt King's wife stuck in a coma. His daughters are difficult girls to deal with, his eldest seems to be dating a complete toolbag and the people around him all seem very selfish. But as some people do, the characters tend to use comedy as a way to cope with their grief and that endears us to some of the softer moments in the movie. We see the character lean on each other for strength and it is when people are thrust into difficult situations that we often see them at their best. The characters become more endearing as the movie progresses.

The best performance besides that of Clooney may come from his eldest daughter played by Shailene Woodley. She plays the part of the spoiled brat so well, but when she needs to be she quickly becomes her father most trusted confidant. She makes the transition believable and that is the most important part of the role, she is able to be hated as the movie starts and seamlessly becomes beloved by the time the credits role. Beau Bridges does a great job as well having his character move in the opposite direction. He plays laid back so well that his callousness sneaks up on you. Every member of the supporting cast does a fantastic job of advancing the story and elevating the lead.

Just as the movie is looking to soften up though and place the audience at ease Payne is quick to hit them again and bring down the whole tone of the movie. The movie has a beautiful reality to it, and makes you feel what the actors are going through is genuine. It is rare to have a movie deal with such a depressing reality and give such a honest reaction that you can still walk out of the movie with a feeling of hope. The Descendants walk that line the whole time and on February 26th may be walking away with the best picture award. A-