"Paradise? Paradise can fuck itself."
That's how Matt King (George Clooney), the protagonist of Alexander Payne's "The Descendants," would like to respond to those who think living in Hawaii, as he does, is a permanent vacation. Certainly life is no vacation for Matt. His wife, Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie), is in a coma following a boat race accident and may never recover. Once the "backup parent, the understudy," Matt is now solely responsible for his two headstrong daughters: 17-year-old Alex (Shailene Woodley) and 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller). Things get even more complicated when Alex tells him that Elizabeth had been having an affair and contemplated requesting a divorce.
This is the third straight film from co-writer and director Payne that tells a story of self-discovery. His great "About Schmidt" (2002) had Jack Nicholson as a suddenly widowed retiree making a pilgrimage to stop his daughter's wedding. "Sideways" (2004), about two friends traveling through California's wine country, was good but overrated. "The Descendants" is on par with "About Schmidt." It alternates between big laughs and scenes of genuine emotion without ever losing its focus.
A Different George
Since his breakthrough on TV's "ER" in the mid-90s, Clooney has practically become synonymous with terms like "suave" and "debonair." There's none of that here. His Matt King is a typical overextended parent, unshaven and often appearing tired. Of course, he still resembles George Clooney.
Clooney has several scenes in this movie that are perfectly acted. One is where he first finds out his wife has been cheating: He stays calm and asks questions but is clearly suppressing rage. Another has him confronting two friends who knew about his wife's indiscretions before he did. Two of the best scenes feature him alone with his comatose wife. In the first he launches an angry diatribe against her, while in the second he expresses his love for her.
Young and Old
Outstanding supporting performances come from actors young enough to be in grade school and old enough to qualify for Social Security. Miller is a delight, particularly when she is spouting obscene words and gestures (what can I say, I'm a sucker for that kind of humor). Woodley brings a riveting intensity to the screen as an intelligent but self-destructive girl brimming with resentment. Nick Krause provides some good laughs as Alex's stoner boyfriend, Sid.
The best supporting performance, however, comes from Robert Forster as Matt's unpleasant father-in-law. He has only a few scenes but creates an entire character from them. Forster was "rediscovered" nearly 15 years ago by Quentin Tarantino in "Jackie Brown" and received an Oscar nomination. His performance here makes one wish he'd done more of note since then.
Payoff
Matt eventually discovers the identity of his wife's lover. It turns out he's Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard), a realtor with a wife and two kids of his own. What's more, he's connected to the sale of 25,000 acres of unspoiled land Matt's family has owned since the 1860s.
The climax comes when Matt and Alex visit Brian's home. His wife, Julie (Judy Greer), and children are also there. At this point, we probably think we know where the story's headed. If so, we're wrong. The resulting payoff is both unexpected and satisfying.
Smart Choices, Good Results
Today it might be hard to remember that Clooney's most notable movies once included junk like "The Peacemaker" and "Batman & Robin." (That's not even counting his pre-stardom films like "Return of the Killer Tomatoes!") Working with first-rate filmmakers like David O. Russell, Wolfgang Petersen, Steven Soderbergh, Joel and Ethan Coen, Jason Reitman and, of course, himself, Clooney today has a filmography most actors can only envy. "The Descendants" is his latest, and one of his biggest, cinematic triumphs.
