The Descendants

After his wife is rendered comatose following a tragic boating accident, Hawaii resident Matt King (George Clooney) finds himself in turmoil. Forced out of his back-seat parenting role, he must reconnect with his two daughters; he is under pressure from his family and the community to make a major financial decision; and he is in shock after the revelation that his wife was having an affair before her accident.

With his fractured family beside him, Matt must find a way to come to terms with his wife’s past, and to make potentially life-changing choices regarding the future of himself and those around him.

The Descendants is one of those rare films which perfectly balances two genres. Don’t go in expecting a light-hearted comedy with a flimsy emotional undercurrent: instead, expect a tender, beautifully composed drama piece, which happens to contain moments of miraculous humour. The arrangement is masterful: top marks to Alexander Payne, who directed, co-produced and co-wrote the film, based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.

The acting is simply flawless. Robert Forster, Matthew Lillard and Judy Greer all deliver pitch-perfect performances, but honours go to Clooney himself, and Shailene Woodley, both of whom craft fragile characters with real depth. Clooney’s weariness and unfurling anguish is just heart-breaking, and Woodley is wonderful in the role of Matt’s oldest daughter as her strong shell cracks (most affecting in a swimming pool-set scene, which is one of the best of the year).

Ultimately, The Descendants is a film about tragedy, yet it is anything but deflating. In fact, it achieves the opposite, carrying a warm poignancy: a tenderness which refuses to become saccharine or clichéd. Instead, it offers a final message of hope and fortitude, helped along with a delightfully understated vein of humour. Miss it at your own risk.