Movie Reviews: The Descendants


Hoping to excite strong word-of-mouth, Fox Searchlight is opening The Descendants, starring George Clooney, in New York and Los Angeles tonight (Wednesday) in advance of a wide roll-out on Friday (against Breaking Dawn).

Early reviews are sterling.





Lou Lumenick gives it his only four-star review of the year.

“It is superbly written, directed, acted, and, yes, Oscar-friendly.”





Betsy Sharkey in the Los Angeles Times says that “This is Clooney’s show,”

“... and he is hands-down terrific.”





Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal contributes his accolades.

“It’s a marvelous performance in a film of quicksilver feelings that pull you every which way.”





Claudia Puig in USA Today writes:

“The filmmakers have created transcendent work. Clooney delivers a superb performance and director Alexander Payne reaches new heights in emotional agility … blending wit and poignancy so artfully it feels like an exquisitely choreographed dance.”





A.O. Scott in the New York Times says:

“Payne has made a movie that, for all its modesty, is big as life.”

-IMDB News