Trouble in paradise for The Descendants

By Kensey King     11/16/11 6:00pm

A movie that captures life and its emotions is not an easy feat to direct. Alexander Payne (Sideways) attempts to take on the challenge in his new film The Descendants. Although the film features all-star actor George Clooney (The Ides of March) and gives a realistic look into one family's struggle to stay afloat, it loses momentum with a weak subplot.

The movie opens with an introduction to the Kings, a family marred by tragic events and disconnected relationships. A boating accident leads to the hospitalization of Mrs. King (Patricia Hastie, Princess Kaiulani), a dissatisfied mother and wife. After she falls into a coma, her husband Matt King, played by Clooney, attempts to reconnect with his two daughters Alexandra (Shailene Woodley, "The Secret Life of the American Teenager") and Scottie (Amara Miller). While dealing with his dramatic family situation, Matt also has to decide the future of the family's inherited land in Hawaii. His relationships with his daughters and dying wife worsen when Matt uncovers his wife's secret.

Although this film stars three major actors, it relies heavily on the acting of Clooney, who gives a convincing and ?heart-wrenching performance. Clooney charms audiences to love and relate to his character despite playing a stubborn workaholic. For her first major movie, Woodley gives a commendable performance, especially compared to her ABC Family soap opera-like sitcom "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." At first, her acting is average as she portrays a teenage girl full of angst, but as the movie progresses, Woodley shows that she has the potential to become a well-received, dramatic actress. Another film rookie is the young Miller, who plays the youngest member of the King family. For a child actress, she does a good job connecting with Clooney and bringing light-hearted humor to break up the film. The supporting cast complements the three leads well, but forgettable.

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The film moves slowly at the beginning and spends a good amount of time developing the King family relationships. While establishing the connection between the audience and characters is important for a drama, the movie focuses on it too much, to the point where some parts are boring until about halfway through the movie. The Hawaiian backdrop in the movie is gorgeous in every shot and makes a great juxtaposition with the issue-ridden King family. However, so much of the movie focuses on the King family's internal struggles that the subplot of Matt's efforts to sell the family's vacant Hawaiian lot lacks substance and detracts from the overall ?quality of the film.

Clooney gives an honorable performance, but overall the film tries to accomplish too much in only two hours. In the end, The Descendants proves that just because you live in paradise, life is not always full of flowers and sunshine.

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