The Descendants

Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller and Nick Krause
Director: Alexander Payne
Written By: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Rating: 5/5 Unicorns

As apart of my Pre-Oscar ritual I like to watch as many Best Picture nominees as possible. I have been hearing a lot about The Descendants and from watching the previews the film didn't strike me as a film that I would love. I am glad to say that looks can be ever so deceiving.What I came to find out on Friday evening was The Descendants is a funny film with a dynamic group of characters and a whole lot of heart. If I had watched the film earlier it would have made it on top of my list of my ten favorite films of 2011.

The Descendants tells the story of Matthew King (George Clooney) a Hawaiian  land baron who tries to reconnect with his two daughters(Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) when his wife is put on life support after a boating accident. Early on in the film Matthew learns that his distant relationship with his wife was in a worse state than he previously believed. Using the backdrop of "paradise" Alexander Payne tells a great human story; a story about loss, betrayal, connection and most importantly love. It is a film that everyone who has had experienced the heartbreak of life will be able to relate to. I am not someone who cries at the movies but this film made me teary eyed. The entire cast gave outstanding performances which was fueled by an excellent script. One of my favorite moments in the film was Matt looking at the pictures of his descendants. One of his relatives was named Cecil King( My father's name) and another was named Edward King(my brother's middle name).

If you have to see one movie that was nominated for an Academy Award this year I recommend you check out The Descendants. I really hope that they pick up some trophies on Sunday night  because it deserves that level of recognition.