The Descendants

Seven long years after winning an Oscar for co-writing Sideways, director Alexander Payne has returned to the screen with The Descendants. It's sure to sway some Oscar voters, but what about me?

Matt King (George Clooney) is an Honolulu Lawyer and the sole trustee of 25,000 acres of Kaua'i. The land has been owned for years by his family, whose lineage goes back to King Kamehameha. But in desperate financial times, he needs to sell the land to some rich folks.

Matt is also the "back-up parent" to two troublesome girls, Alex (Shailene Woodley) and Scottie (Amara Miller). But now that his wife, Elizabeth, is in a permanent coma after a boating accident, Matt's the only parent.

Thanks to Alex, Matt learns that Elizabeth was seeing someone behind his back. And now, he decides to find this someone, just to let him have the chance to say farewell to her. Yes, it's that awkward.

Originally a novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, Payne co-wrote the script along with Jim Rash and Nat Fraxon. What they've realized on-screen is an entertaining family dramedy. It's not overdone for the Academy's attention, nor is it completely silly. Instead, it's just between its two components and that means it's just right.

In the center of it all is George Clooney, whose performance is tops. As Matt, he's the ultimate failed family man and he knows it and hates it. Even in his most amusing interpersonal moments, we can feel certain pathos for his character. He may not be loud, but he's incredibly close to his audience, as his deadpan narration to Elizabeth can affirm.

For those not interested in the dramedy, there's some fine shots of Hawaii photographed by Phedon Papamichael. But overall, it's the balance of comedy and drama that is this film's greatest asset. And that's why I found it not only worth seeing, but to wait to see it.