The Descendants - Not My Favorite Payne Movie
11/21/11 02:06 Filed in: Video Vixens
As the critics are just dying to tell you, "The Descendants" is an Oscar
contender. George Clooney is fantastic. Shailene Woodley a starlet in
the making. That may be, but I was not blown
away by this movie. Alexander Payne is a smart
guy - he uses words like "archipelago" and
"reportage" to confirm as much - and all of his
movies are better than your average big studio
fare. But this one, about a lawyer trying to
connect with his daughters after his wife goes
into a coma due to a tragic accident, just kinda
sat there on the screen for me. Certainly there
are things to admire in "The Descendants":
Woodley's scene stealing intensity, Payne's
unique pictorial study of Honolulu, and George
Clooney's understated yet effective performance.
Payne's leisurely pacing is also enjoyable, and
I was never fidgeting. But this film just felt
insular and cold. I guess I couldn't relate to
it. However, that's never stopped me from liking
a film before if it is told in a moving and
interesting way (see "Margin Call"). On the plus
side, the legal phrase "rule against
perpetuities" was used in this flick. I hadn't
heard that since first year law school. Like I
said, that Payne is a smart guy.