Make no mistake, this film takes its time, but the pace is a
strength rather than a weakness. It is understated and cathartic. I did have some issues with the way the plot seemed to stall a bit at the end.
The
performances of the actors form the real core. George Clooney is, as always,
likable and could easily carry the movie by himself. However the most
impressive performance comes from Shailene Woodley. According to my sister,
this is amazing as she stars in the melodramatic The Secret Life of the American Teenager, which has brought us such
lines as "Now we're in trouble, we're gonna be suspended, all because of
oral sex gone bad!" Based on her acting in The Descendants, she has some real talent, so it is comforting to
think that she will have more opportunities to develop her craft as a result of
the film’s success. I suspect she is overjoyed to be freed from the ghetto of
ABC Family. I certainly would be. She might continue her work on Secret Life, but a whole world of
possibilities has opened up for her.
The Descendants won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. It was kind of cool to see Dean Pelton accept an Oscar.
This review is kind of lame. I'm aware of that. If I thought my writing was great, I would not need to write this blog. The important thing is that I'm writing something--I'm not the most disciplined writer.
4/5 stars
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