The Descendants review

Yesterday, I saw my 1st Oscar contender, besides The Help, this year. The Descendants is about a man named Matt King(George Clooney) whose wife Elizabeth King is now in a coma and has no hope for recovery. He is now in responsibility for his two daughters, Scotty (Amara Miller) and Alex (Shailene Woodley). He soon discovers that she was cheating on him, and he makes it his main goal to discover who he was.


First of all, George Clooney gives a great performance. Instead of just playing himself, he goes deeper then he's ever been, showing the real sides of this man. He deserves an Oscar nomination, and maybe even an win. As for Woodley, I found her overrated. She's great in the beginning, but she becomes increasingly annoying over time. Miller is fine, but there are some strange, unbelievable things with her character.For example, when she gives the finger to the man who was somewhat responsible for her mother's fate and the fact that her father had a councilor tell her that her mother would die. If I was in that situation, I'd feel so much worse that a stranger had told me instead of a family member. That just doesn't work. The standout supporting performance is Judy Greer who should be nominated hands-down. She's so great and heartbreaking as Elizabeth's lover's wife. Anyway, the script is fantastic: Despite some predictable moments, it tells such a wrenching, touching story with some humor along the way. But I would never call this a comedy. The film is so sad, I'm still a little down about the whole thing.

Another really effective aspect of the film is the Hawaiian setting. The scenery is so beautiful, and the music fits it perfectly. I really reccomend this movie, though it did hit close to home because my Grandfather was in a similar situation. I personally wouldn't want to see it again, but I think it has really good chances at the Oscars and it's definetely worthy.