The Descendants

**SPOILER ALERT** – When I'm supposed to experience a family crisis along with the main character, I don't want to be sighing over Hawaii. George Clooney certainly delivers his performance to the fullest (even though the role of a well-meaning father doesn't really suit him), but this bumpy journey is ultimately disappointing. It's the supporting characters, led by the unsympathetic idiot Sid and, above all, the screenplay that are to blame. I can't engage in suffocating depression when a few seconds later I'm supposed to laugh at absurd situations, and I certainly don't enjoy watching a story that keeps going and going – and doesn't end. Matt doesn't come to terms with his wife's death or infidelity in any way, he merely functions in order to be there for his daughters, and five minutes before the closing credits he whispers the obligatory "Goodbye". It's only thanks to Clooney's brilliantly conveyed emotions that a third star also washed up with the tide. Unfortunately, Alexander Payne's approach to thought-provoking drama is once again not for me. (01/02/2012)

George Clooney was hoping for an Oscar nomination with this film, which he eventually won, but for me, Brad Pitt in "Moneyball" was better last year. George was still good, especially in terms of being relatable. In the last film I saw with him, "The Descendants," he was a bit distant, but here he showed us all the emotions he is capable of. However, he is not the only one leading the film, it's also his children. Actually, his whole family. Alexander Payne and his team absolutely deserved the Oscar because the story they created is truly unique. Strong, complicated, and well-developed. The character development is excellent, some characters are truly one-of-a-kind, none are the same, they are all unique. Someone like Sid is truly a prime idiot. It's worth watching because of the acting performances, and for me, the strong script as well. It's true that I might have expected a little more. I just don't know how to name it. Maybe even more emotions. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/04/diar-milovnika-filmu-c-0002-zajimave.html (14/02/2013)

I would have expected a story with this theme to be emotional, but I didn't feel any emotion for the entire duration of the movie. Perhaps the cumbersome and rather clichéd approach contributed to this. I wasn't too impressed by the occasional overacting of some of the actors, perhaps only George Clooney portrayed his character very believably and without unnecessary affectation. Judy Greer irritated me the most with her acting. (50%) (24/10/2022)

A solid relationship drama, with the novelty of Hawaii at the forefront, delivering a surprisingly distinctive, considerably relaxed atmosphere that contrasts with a tense story about a dying mother and a dysfunctional family. Alexander Payne has reinvented the world with Shailene Woodley, so thumbs up for that, and George Clooney plays his typical likeable character with aplomb. It's a shame about some of the expected second-rate twists, but it maintains good diction in key scenes thanks to a conversational script that's pretty polished. For the author of the renowned Sideways, this may not be entirely a coincidence, but his main weapon. (12/04/2016)

The slow, depressing undertones of simple contemplation of important life values, with an excess of unconcealed emotions and interpersonal warmth. Which is indisputably the greatest certainty of Payne’s films. However, he did a respectable job with the given material, which would have tempted many other filmmakers to engage in (even) greater affectedness.  The film preserves its sense of detachment in relation to the supporting characters, whereas it is more accommodating toward the leads than they deserve.  Of course, I doubt that the members of the Academy will take the same cynical attitude. 70% (11/01/2012)