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Hail, hail “The Descendants” – Alexander Payne’s first feature since “Sideways” a hit with critics, and the George Clooney-starring comedy-drama is sure to be awards contender

September 17, 2011 leoadambiga 9 comments

Hail, hail “The Descendants” – Alexander Payne’s first feature since “Sideways” a hit with critics, and the George Clooney-starring comedy-drama is sure to be awards contender

©by Leo Adam Biga

Originally published in The Reader (www.thereader.com)

However you feel about Alexander Payne’s work you must concede the cinema landscape is richer now that he’s back with his first feature since Sideways. That’s certainly the consensus among reviewers who’ve seen his The Descendants.

The September 10 world premiere of the much anticipated comedy-drama at the Toronto International Film Festival officially launched the George Clooney-starring vehicle as a must-see this fall movie season. The film’s screenings in Toronto, where Payne, Clooney and co-star Shailene Woodley appeared, came just a week after a press sneak preview at the Telluride Film Festival.

The next big splash comes in October, when The Descendants is the closing night selection at the New York Film Festival. Payne will be on hand, It’s reminiscent of how his highly lauded Sideways and About Schmidt scored major points at prestige festivals. He will aalso accompany his film at festivals in London, Honolulu, Greece, Turin and Dubai.The Fox Searchlight release opens theatrically Nov. 18. Payne will be at special November screenings of The Descendants at Film Streams. Details coming.

Shot in Hawaii in 2010, the film is Payne’s faithful adaptation of the Kaui Hart Hemmings novel. Clooney’s Matt King is a father-husband forced by circumstance and legacy to face some hard truths, such as his dying wife having cheated on him. This rude awakening propels a journey of revenge and reconciliation.

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George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, and Amara Miller

Payne and cast at the Toronto International Film Festival, ©photo from TorontoLife.com

George Clooney Takes Toronto: Is The Descendants the Next Top Oscar Winner? (time.com)
George Clooney Discusses ‘Descendants’ in Telluride (justjared.buzznet.com)
Marshall Fine: Live from Toronto Film Festival: Wrapping up (huffingtonpost.com)
New Clip From Alexander Payne’s THE DESCENDANTS Starring George Clooney (collider.com)
Telluride Review: Alexander Payne’s New Dramedy ‘The Descendants’ (firstshowing.net)

Categories: Alexander Payne, Books, Cinema, Film, Hollywood, Nebraskans in Film, Writing Tags: Alexander Payne, Film Streams, George Clooney, New York Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, The Descendants, Toronto International Film Festival

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leoadambiga

Author-journalist-blogger Leo Adam Biga resides in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. He writes newspaper-magazine stories about people, their passions, and their magnificent obsessions. He's the author of the books "Crossing Bridges: A Priest's Uplifting Life Among the Downtrodden," "Alexander Payne: His Journey in Film" (a compilation of his journalism about the acclaimed filmmaker) "Open Wide" a biography of Mark Manhart. Biga co-edited "Memories of the Jewish Midwest: Mom and Pop Grocery Stores." His popular blog, Leo Adam Biga's My Inside Stories at leoadambiga.com, is an online gallery of his work. The blog feeds into his Facebook page, My Inside Stories, as well as his Twitter, Google, LinkedIn, Tumblr, About.Me and other social media platform pages.