"Nothing just happens." Matt King (Clooney) declares to the man his wife recently slept with.
"Everything just happens." he responds (Brian Speer played by Matthew Lillard).
Ugh! Real people saying real, insightful things. This is the stuff that apparently gets you a best screenplay nomination folks. The theater was so awkwardly quiet during much of Alexander Payne's first film in seven years that others could probably hear me wallowing in my seat frustrated and bored. My eyes were rolling before Lillard's predictable line even came out his mouth.
Now before I lay out my distaste for this lauded film let me at least mention that I like Alexander Payne's work. This is the director of Election and Sideways after all. I love those films for how quick and easy I became invested in the story. The characters are defined and the setting, whether a high school or a slew of vineyards in California, is also a major part of the story. They are also very funny films. The Descendants tries humor, but it fell flat every time. The subject matter doesn't help its chance at being an enjoyable film, yet if any director could manage comedy with the heavy emotional stuff I would have thought Payne would be a fitting filmmaker.
The story is pretty simple. Matt King (Clooney) has to figure out what to do with the land that has been in his family's name for generations. His struggling cousins want to sell it soon, yet he wants to be sure that it goes to the right people. At the same time, his relationship with his wife has faltered and she falls into a coma after a boating accident. A simple premise that expands as the film works to bring both difficult situations to a head. It's all heavy stuff and it doesn't help that the humor is too odd or uninspired. Clooney is likeable as always and I felt his pain when he had to show it near the end. The rest of the film, however, was altogether unmoving.
I believe Payne's pedigree must be the reason for such praise of The Descendants; what many are calling his most mature film. Whatever that means. I guess mature is another way for complimenting a formulaic and drawn-out film that handles depressing, adult-themed issues. The Descendants aspires to say more than his previous films and in that sense its more mature, but the only one really learning a lesson here is Clooney's character. Tragedy brings him closer to more important matters of life. He shows shocking restraint when he finally confronts Brian. It's a sign of a mature individual. Someone who now can look past insignificant actions brought on by anger and unhappiness. He forgives his wife as he does the hardest thing he's ever experienced. Things become much clearer for him after this point and deciding what to do with his land is an easy choice by comparison. It's a nice message, I suppose, I just expected more from a director with shown talent and skill.
Grade: 1 out of 5
Travis Young - I've always found film criticism to be like a fun competition. I love reading other reviews and having discussions on movies. The ability ...
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