THE DESCENDANTS 4.0***

The Descendants is not a movie that's easily defined. It’s about a man grieving for his wife, who lies in a coma from which she may never emerge, while simultaneously attempting to care for his two daughters, each of whom is a stranger to him because he’s a workaholic lawyer.

Matt King (George Clooney) is the father and the family lives in Hawaii. He has a good life - at least until his thrill-seeking wife suffers a serious head injury during a powerboat race, placing her in a deep coma. Matt's orderly life is no more. He must not only deal with the fact that he may never speak with his wife again, he must also learn an entirely new way of life – being a father to his daughters. As wife Elizabeth's condition deteriorates, Matt must also deal with family and friends and open doors he never knew existed. Just when things can't seem to get any worse, Alexandra , his 17 yr. old daughter, drops a bombshell him… his wife has been cheating on him. Matt is shocked, outraged, and becomes obsessed with finding the man. He goes through anger, sorrow, frustration, and acceptance during all this, and plays the character of a stressed father in such a realistic fashion it's almost breathtaking.

The highlight of the movie is Clooney's unbelievably terrific performance. Clooney quite simply knocks this one out of the park. He is vulnerable, strong, confused, decisive, anguished, angry. But what makes this performance so remarkable is that at no time does he have all of the answers, and at no time does he have no answers at all. It is not the typical role we are accustomed to seeing Clooney play, and I think that is what sells it the most. He is out of his element, much like the character he is playing, thrust into a situation he never expected in a very adult way. From the moment he steps on-screen, you are simply captured by his presence. He will be a strong contender for the Best Actor Academy Award.

Shailone Woodley does a wonderful job as the rebellious older daughter, Alexandra. She captures the anger and hurt of a teenager betrayed by her mother and abandoned by her father. Her relationship with her father is the heart of the movie, and they slowly learn to rely on each other for support and strength in dealing with their mother/wife. Her struggle to find her place and to help her father is the emotional crux of the film. And their relationship and chemistry is amazing,
The Descendants is touching, sometimes dark, and one of the best films of the year. It's a culmination of perfect parts meeting fascinating characters.
Clark