From Alexander Payne, set in Hawaii, The Descendants is a sometimes humorous, sometimes tragic journey for Matt King (George Clooney) an indifferent husband and father of two girls, who is forced to re-examine his past and embrace his future when his wife suffers a boating accident off of Waikiki. The event leads to a rapprochement with his young daughters while Matt wrestles with a decision to sell the family's land handed down from Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.
This was a really great movie. The performances were awesome and it all felt very genuine on an emotional level. As twisted as it got sometimes, you believed in the character's decisions and ability to move past situations even with the feelings attached to them. Would this be a favorite for Best Picture in any other year? Probably not. Can I see it being one this particular lame year? Yes.
I would definitely recommend people checking this movie out. It's very well done across the board and is a deserving favorite for most of the year end awards.
