The Descendents (2011)

“I don’t want my daughters growing up entitled and spoiled. And I agree with my father – you give your children enough money to do something but not enough to do nothing. ” – Matt King

Number of Times Seen – 2 (18 Jan 2012 and 20 Jan 2015)

Brief Synopsis – After his wife is injured in a boating accident that left her in a coma, a businessman living in Hawaii must deal with his two daughters while also having to close a major land deal involving hundreds of relatives.

My Take on it – When I originally saw this 3 years ago, I felt this was a mediocre movie and couldn’t understand why it was touted as being better than The Artist (2011).

I can now say that this movie IS better than its rival for the top spot because it is a better story told in a realistic and down to earth way for us ‘common-folk’ to relate to.

The story is engaging throughout and it gives us a feeling that we could know and like the people who this is happening to.

The think I liked the most tho about this were the performances. Alexander Payne always knows how to get the best performances from his actor and this movie is no exception.

George Clooney finally plays a non-flashy leading role and does it superbly.  He feels like an ordinary man instead of the glamorous movie star he always seems like in most of his movies.  He feels vulnerable and unsure of himself and makes us feel as if he’s one of us and that in and of itself proves that he really can act. 🙂

Bottom Line – Engaging, realistic and thoughtful drama about what we can miss in life if we don’t pay attention. Clooney is great here despite it not being his usual flashy kind of character. Highly recommended!

Rating – Oscar Worthy

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