Clooney gives one of his usual fine performances as a well-off lawyer confronting a couple of major crossroads in his life. His wife is in a coma following a water-skiing accident, his kids are having some problems, and his extended family is about to sell off a huge, stunning waterfront property. When he finds out that his not-so-beloved wife had a lover, for reasons that are never made clear, he wants to meet the guy, and his teenage daughter gets involved in this also. Human foibles, tugs on the heart strings, cheating spouses, smart-mouthed, precocious kids, an extended family, Hawaii . . . I am a big fan of Alexander Payne's work (Citizen Ruth, Election, Sideways), but this, while interesting enough, did not truly ignite for me.
Review of The Descendants
