The Descendents 2011 (Movie Review)


Dir: Alexander Payne
Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller
Dur: 1 hr 49 mins
Genre: Family Drama
Rating: 2.5/5
PG: Occasional use of foul language.

Every family has a story. The story of the ‘King’ family is dramatic. Elizabeth, the wife and mother is in a coma, Alex (Shailene Woodley) the eldest daughter, is away studying; Scottie (Amara Miller), the youngest child is developing behaviour problems and Matt (George Clooney), the father is trying his best to hold the family together. The challenge the King’s face is not so much coping with the loss of wife and mother but with relationships. Hence the thrust of this film is on relationships, especially familial ones. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Kaui Hart Hemmings, who also makes an appearance as Matt’s secretary.
 
The family has grown apart and their responses to circumstances have set them on separate islands. Regaining their identity as a family will require their coming together. As this process gets underway, quite a bit of dust begins to rise and in the midst of this, Matt finds out about a secret that was better left undisturbed. Matt’s family is on the verge of selling a part of their vast inheritance but the last word rests with Matt, who has the ‘power of attorney’. As if there isn’t enough on his plate already, Matt finds himself at the hub of a wheel, with spokes all around.

George and Shailene deliver brilliant performances. The story isn’t very gripping and is quite slow. The drama isn’t very captivating either and so this one need be watched not for the plot but for the awesome performances. 

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