TIFF ‘11: The Descendants review
Alexander Payne was one of the most distinctive and influential filmmakers to come out of the 90s. With just 4 films which he cowrote and directed, “Citizen Ruth,” “Election,” “About Schmidt,” and “Sideways,” he refined a style that was as distinctively recognizable as Wes Anderson or The Coen Bros. His films, always tragic and comic, featured a mix of movie stars (Jack Nicholson, Reese Witherspoon, etc.) and real people (often casting actual policemen for policemen roles, etc.) not usually showcased in Hollywood films. So after a seven year hiatus, during which you could see his influence in movies from “Up In The Air” to “Cedar Rapids” (which he produced) he returns with “The Descendants.”
Based on a novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, George Clooney stars as Matt King, a lawyer who must reconnect with his daughters when his wife goes into a coma after a boating accident. Matt has been so involved with his career his family responsibilities have fallen by the wayside. To complicate matters further, Matt and his cousins are the heirs to a giant plot of undeveloped land on the coast of Kauai. While many of his cousins have been living a relaxed lifestyle off their inheritance, Matt has only spent the money he earns as a lawyer, leaving his other earnings untouched so his daughters don’t grow up spoiled. But this hasn’t exactly worked out either as his teenage daughter Alexandra (a breakout performance by Shailene Woodley) is off getting into trouble at boarding school while his younger daughter Scottie (Amara Miller) has problems of her own.
Perhaps due to it’s Hawaiian setting, the film is a much more relaxed effort from Payne. A lackadaisical luau score and interstitial shots of the beautiful island landscape bring about a softer side for the director who’s usually unafraid to delve into the acidity of some of his characters. He seems a little more protective of them this time around, perhaps he’s mellowing with age? Clooney is strong here but some of the thunder from this performance may have been stolen by “Up In The Air” which traversed similar territory tonally. There are also some brief but strong performances from the supporting cast which includes Judy Greer, Rob Huebel, Beau Bridges and Matthew Lillard(!) but the real discovery here is 20 year old Woodley who not only proves to be a real screen presence but more than holds her own with Clooney.
After such a long time away from behind the camera, I expected a little more from Payne. The ‘workaholic who neglects his family’ is pretty well-worn territory in filmmaking and I’m not sure the picture adds quite enough edge to the concept to make it entirely memorable. As far as 2011 goes, it’s a strong film but still probably Payne’s weakest effort so far. Here’s hoping for more bite next time around.
