Showing posts with label shailene woodley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shailene woodley. Show all posts

Monday, October 14, 2024

Ferrari (2023 film)

 

Based on the book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine by Brock Yates, Ferrari is the film about the Italian car manufacturer during a moment in time when his company is facing bankruptcy while mourning the loss of his son and his wife discovering about an affair that yielded another son with an upcoming race being a make-or-break moment for the company. Directed by Michael Mann and screenplay by Troy Kennedy Martin, the film is about a year in Ferrari’s life as he deals with the chaos around him as well as a crumbling marriage as well as trying to save something he had built a decade ago with Adam Driver playing the role of Enzo Ferrari. Also starring Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Sarah Gadon, Gabriel Leone, Jack O’Connell, and Patrick Dempsey. Ferrari is a rapturous and gripping film by Michael Mann.

Set in the summer of 1957, the film revolves around a crucial period in the life of Italian car manufacturer Enzo Ferrari as he deals with his company going into bankruptcy with a race set to start as he also deals with trying to shield his wife over the fact that he has another child in his relationship with his mistress. It is a film that plays into a man who is trying to maintain some control in his life even though his relationship with his wife Laura (Penelope Cruz) is crumbling even though she continues to handle the business end of their company where she would make a discovery about certain finances that have been kept from her. All this plays during a time where Ferrari and his team are trying to refine and perfect their Formula One car for the upcoming Mille Miglia race with the rival company Maserati trying to steal all the attention from Ferrari. The film’s screenplay by Troy Kennedy Martin, with additional work by Michael Mann and David Rayfiel, is straightforward in its narrative as it focuses on this summer of 1957 as it had been a decade since the founding of the company but also one year since the death of Enzo and Laura’s son Dino.

Throughout the film, Ferrari focuses on perfecting his car while he spends time with Laura for business as well as his mistress Lina Lida (Shailene Woodley) and their son Piero (Giuseppe Festinese) who lives in another house away from the city of Modena. The arrival of Spanish racer Alfonso de Portago (Gabriel Leone) would give Ferrari some new blood for his racing team that includes the veteran Piero Taruffi (Patrick Dempsey) and the British racer Peter Collins (Jack O’Connell) though Ferrari is uneasy over the fact that de Portago is dating actress Linda Christian (Sarah Gadon) as he believes that drivers accompanied by women are cursed. The film’s script also play into the drama in a brief flashback montage of Ferrari’s life with Laura early on with their son Dino but also how Ferrari saw Lina just in the aftermath of World War II as he met her during that time. It would play into this drama that would occur where Ferrari considers doing a partnership with either Fiat or Ford to resolve any of the financial matters while also making a deal with Laura over its future.

Mann’s direction is stylish in the way he opens the film with black-and-white stock footage with a young Ferrari driving his car in the race as it plays into a man who was a decent racer but knew a lot about cars. Shot on various locations in the city of Modena and Brescia as well as additional shots in Rome and parts of Northern Italy. Mann creates a film that plays into this crucial period just more than a decade after World War II ended as Ferrari is part of the reason for the post-war economic boom. Yet, Mann would infuse a lot of unique visuals to play into the drama as well as these intense moments during the driving scenes where Mann’s usage of the close-ups and the small details to locations and how fast a car was back in 1957 showcase a lot into what Ferrari wants as well as wanting to push the envelope of what can be done in racing. While there are some wide shots of the various locations including the scale of the races including Mille Miglia. Mann would emphasize close-ups and medium shots to play into the drama and the suspense in the film as it relates to Ferrari’s personal life such as Laura driving up to the home where Lida lives in as well as an opera scene that leads to a montage of flashbacks.

The racing scenes has Mann at his most meticulous where he plays into what the mechanics, engineers, and others do to ensure that not only the car works but also to ensure that nothing goes wrong. Even as the film’s third act that revolves around the Mille Miglia where Mann also goes into detail of the race itself as it is this open-road endurance race that goes on for a thousand miles throughout Italy. There is a key sequence in the film that does play into what happened at the race where it would have Ferrari face a lot of things over what had happened. It adds to the drama of a man that is trying to save his company where it would be Laura who would decide about what to do for the company but also in his personal life as it relates to Lida and Piero. Overall, Mann crafts an exhilarating and somber film about a period in the life of one of the greatest car manufacturers of the 20th Century.

Cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lighting for many of the daytime exterior scenes as well as some unique lighting schemes and textures for the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Pietro Scalia does excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts as well as some montages and allowing shots to linger to create some rhythmic cuts to add some intensity to the drama. Production designer Maria Djurkovic, with set decorator Sophie Phillips and supervising art director Stephan O. Gessler, does amazing work with the look of the home where the Ferraris live in as well as the villa that Lida and Piero live in and the raceway and factory that Ferrari works at. Costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini does fantastic work with the costumes in the suits that Ferrari wears as well as the stylish dresses that the women wear at that time.

Hair & makeup designer Aldo Signoretti does terrific work with the look of the characters from the hairstyle of Ferrari including how he and his wife looked more than a decade ago along with the look of Taruffi with his white-haired look. Special effects supervisor Uli Nefzer and visual effects supervisor David Sewell do superb work with the visual effects from the opening shots of the film to the car crash scenes in the film. Sound editors Tony Lamberti and Bernard Weisner, along with sound designer David Werntz, do incredible work with the sound in the way an engine sounds up close and from afar as well as the way crowds are heard and other sparse sounds as it is a major highlight of the film. The film’s music by Daniel Pemberton is wonderful for its mixture of orchestral bombast along with some somber themes to play into the drama with the rest of its soundtrack featuring the Italian pop music of the time as well as opera music and other score pieces from Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke.

The casting by Francine Maisler is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Benedetto Benedetti as the Ferraris’ late son Dino, Gabriel Noto and Edoardo Beraldi as the younger versions of Dino from the flashbacks, Daniela Piperno as Ferrari’s mother who doesn’t like Laura, Jonathan Burteaux as King Hussein of Jordan who is at the Ferrari offices to buy a car, Ben Collins and Wyatt Carnell as a couple of Ferrari team drivers in Stirling Moss and Wolfgang von Trips respectively, Tommaso Basili as Fiat’s head Gianni Agnelli, Marino Franchitti as a Ferrari driver in Eugenio Castellotti, Valentina Belle as Castellotti’s girlfriend Cecilia Manzini, Giuseppe Bonifati as an executive at Ferrari, Domenico Fortunato as Maserati owner Adolfo Orsi, Lino Musella as car designer Sergio Scaglietti, Michele Savoia as engine designer Carlo Chiti, and Giuseppe Festinese as Ferrari and Lina Lida’s son Piero who begins to understand his identity while also interested in his father’s work as he would eventually become the vice chairman of Ferrari.

Sarah Gadon is fantastic in a small role as the actress Linda Christian who is also de Portago’s girlfriend at the time where she helps bring in some publicity but also a moment that would be remembered in infamy. Jack O’Connell is excellent as Peter Collins as the British driver who works for Ferrari as he is a skilled driver that prefers to keep his own personal life at a distance during racing season. Patrick Dempsey is brilliant as Piero Taruffi as a veteran driver who knows about what to do while also is an eccentric that likes to smoke while driving as Dempsey brings a lot of charm despite the awful hairdo he had to sport. Gabriel Leone is amazing as Alfonso de Portago as a Spanish driver who would join Ferrari as he is someone that knows how to beat the drivers at Maserati while is also determined to prove his worth despite having Christian around him. Shailene Woodley is incredible as Lina Lardi as Ferrari’s mistress whom he had met back in World War II as she is also the mother of their son Piero as she is concerned with her son being called Ferrari while also making sure that Enzo remains grounded despite not having met Laura.

Penelope Cruz is tremendous as Laura Ferrari as Enzo’s wife and business partner as she is a woman that manages and oversees all the business and financial transactions for the company while becomes unhinged over discovering some transactions she did not know about as it would lead to her discovery of Lina and Piero. Cruz’s performance is full of fire as a woman still consumed with grief over the loss of her son as it is a performance of immense intensity while also trying to figure out how to save the company where she would make a deal that would save the company but with a condition as it relates to her own life. Finally, there’s Adam Driver in a phenomenal performance as Enzo Ferrari as the car manufacturer who is dealing with a lot in his life while still reeling from the loss of his eldest son Dino a year ago as well as losing his own company. Driver’s performance displays a lot of nuances of a man that is trying to devote time to his other son but also his business as it is one of his finest performances of his career so far.

Ferrari is a sensational by Michael Mann that features great performances from Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz. Along with its ensemble supporting cast, intoxicating visuals, immense sound work, and study of a man facing grief and impending loss of everything. It is a film that does not play by the rules of the bio-pic while also being a study of a man trying to maintain some control despite his back against the wall as he tries to salvage all that he has left. In the end, Ferrari is a spectacular film by Michael Mann.

Michael Mann Films: The Jericho Mile - Thief (1981 film) - The Keep - Manhunter - L.A. Takedown - The Last of the Mohicans (1992 film) - Heat - The Insider - Ali - Collateral - Miami Vice - Public Enemies - Blackhat – (Heat 2)

Related: Ford v Ferrari - The Auteurs #73: Michael Mann Pt.1Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2024

Saturday, September 07, 2013

The Spectacular Now




Based on the novel by Tim Tharp, The Spectacular Now is the story of a high school senior who faces reality after being dumped by his girlfriend as he meets another young woman who would change his idea about living in the now. Directed by James Ponsoldt and screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, the film is a coming-of-age story of sorts that revolves around high school life where a young man doesn‘t think about the future as he prefers to live in the now. Starring Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Kyle Chandler, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The Spectacular Now is a charming yet engaging film from James Ponsoldt.

The film is about this young man named Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) who likes to live in the now as he likes to drink and party while being cool with everyone. Yet, his longtime girlfriend Cassidy (Brie Larson) dumps him as Sutter thinks she’ll come back until he meets another schoolmate named Aimee (Shailene Woodley) who is different from other girls. There, Sutter not only finds a young woman he might want to spend his time with while she challenges him to face the real world as he doesn’t think about the future at all as he just wants to live in the moment. Even as he has to deal with who he is as well as the fact about his parents split up as he lives with his mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh).

The film’s screenplay is largely told from Sutter’s perspective as he is this guy that loves to party with the people in his school, he loves to drink despite the fact that he’s only 18, and he loves to work at a men’s clothing story where he’s also buzzed most of the times. Yet, he’s also quite flawed as he often thinks about himself and being the guy that ladies love where he would often think about Cassidy who has a new boyfriend. Even Sutter’s friend Ricky (Masam Holden) thinks that Sutter won’t do the right thing to Aimee as he knows that she’s just a really good girl who could get hurt.

Fortunately, Aimee is able to hold on to her own while she doesn’t mind taking a sip of alcohol as she has some issues at home. Still, her time with Sutter would help make some decisions of her own about her future while she would be the one to push Sutter to find out about his dad (Kyle Chandler) whom he hadn’t seen for many years. Yet, that would be a moment in the third act that would force Sutter to think about where he might go if he continues to act the way he is. Notably as he also has to get answers from his mother and his older sister Holly (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) about why they don’t talk much about his dad.

James Ponsoldt’s direction is quite straightforward as he doesn’t really go for anything that is over stylized as he just wants to keep the presentation simple. Shot in location in Athen, Georgia, Ponsoldt does manage to create some unique compositions and scenes that is filled with some humor but also some low-key drama. Ponsoldt knows how to put the camera into a frame and how to create an atmosphere in a scene where it is all about telling a story as Ponsoldt also has a few montages to play up Sutter’s own sense of misadventures where he might have no idea about what he did. Still, Ponsoldt does create some tension in some scenes such as the eventual meeting between Sutter and his dad which showcases some chilling realities that Sutter might face. Even as the third act would have Sutter face things about himself as well as how it would impact his relationship with Aimee. Overall, Ponsoldt creates a very tender yet exhilarating film about a young man dealing with a possible future with the help of a young woman.

Cinematographer Jess Hall does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to play up the gorgeous look of the daytime scenes in Athens to some more-low key yet stylish lights for the scenes at night. Editor Darin Navarro does nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward while it has a few montages and some methodical cuts for some the dramatic-suspense that occurs. Production designer Linda Sena and set decorator Jess Royal do terrific work with the set pieces from the look of the school the characters frequent at to Aimee‘s room that displays her unique personality.

Costume designer Peggy Stamper does wonderful work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual with the exception of the prom dresses the girls wear. Visual effects supervisor Matthew Bramante does superb work with the film‘s minimal visual effects where it plays in only one scene that is very dramatic as it‘s one that is very unexpected. Sound editor Ryan Collins does marvelous work with the sound to play up the atmosphere of the parties as well as some of the smaller moments in the film. The film’s music by Rob Simonsen is fantastic for its low-key score that is a mixture of indie and ambient music while music supervisors Gabe Hilfer and Season Kent create a fun soundtrack that is a mix of country, hip-hop, electronic dance music, and indie music.

The casting by Angela Demo and Barbara J. McCarthy is brilliant for the ensemble that is featured as it includes some notable performances from Masam Holden as Sutter’s friend Ricky, Andre Royo as Sutter’s math teacher who is concerned about his future, Dayo Okeniyi as Cassidy’s new boyfriend who feels threatened by Sutter’s presence, Kaitlyn Dever as Aimee’s concerned friend Krystal, and Bob Odenkirk in a terrific standout performance as Sutter’s boss who appreciates Sutter’s help but has concerns for his well-being. Mary Elizabeth Winstead is excellent in a small role as Sutter’s holder sister Holly who becomes concerned about Sutter’s questions in relation to their father where she eventually gives him an answer. Brie Larson is wonderful as Sutter’s ex-girlfriend Cassidy who has a hard time trying to move on while revealing her frustrations towards Sutter.

Kyle Chandler is superb as Sutter and Holly’s estranged father Tommy who seems like a nice guy but reveals a lot of flaws that would eventually make Sutter realize what he might become. Jennifer Jason Leigh is amazing in a small yet crucial role as Sutter and Holly’s mom Sara who is concerned with Sutter’s life and behavior while being very cagey about his father as she does have this great scene where she talks to her son about why she hid the truth.

Finally, there’s the duo of Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller in remarkable performances in their respective roles as Aimee and Sutter. Woodley brings some wit and energy to her role as a young woman who is an outsider but also someone that is very engaging as Woodley makes Aimee a very unique character. Teller adds a sense of charm to the role of Sutter as someone who seems un-likeable for his lack of ambition and such but makes up for it by playing it cool while later dealing with his flaws. Teller and Woodley make a great pair in the way they interact as well as bring some realism to the situations they encounter.

The Spectacular Now is a phenomenal film from James Ponsoldt that features riveting performances from Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley. The film isn’t just a tender yet engrossing coming-of-age film but also one that explores the world of youth and how they try to live in the now unaware that there’s a whole world ahead of them as it’s told by a lost young man. In the end, The Spectacular Now is a sensational film from James Ponsoldt.

James Ponsoldt Films: (Off the Black) - Smashed - The End of the Tour - (The Circle (2017 film))

© thevoid99 2013

Monday, December 05, 2011

The Descendants



Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemming, The Descendants is the story of a man dealing with a boating accident that put his wife in a coma. While taking care of his two daughters he barely knows, he deals with revelations about his wife while facing the possible loss of land that he’s inherited for many years in Hawaii. Directed by Alexander Payne with an adapted script written by Payne, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash, the film marks Payne’s return following a seven-year gap since his last film with 2004’s Sideways. Starring George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Matthew Lillard, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges, and Robert Forster. The Descendants is an extraordinary yet witty comedy-drama from Alexander Payne.

After learning that his wife Elizabeth (Patricia Hastie) has been in a boating accident that’s left her comatose, Matt King (George Clooney) is in shock as he has to take care of his 10-year old daughter Scottie (Amara Miller) whom he doesn’t see very much due to his busy work as a lawyer. Matt is also dealing with land he’s inherited for many generations as it’s set to expire in seven years where his cousins are interested in selling it to a developer. Matt and Scottie travel to another part of the Hawaiian islands to retrieve Scottie’s 17-year old sister Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) from boarding school about the news of Elizabeth’s accident. When Matt learns from a doctor that Elizabeth might not make it, Matt tells Alexandra the news where she reveals something more startling that Elizabeth has been having an affair.

After confronting a couple of life-long friends in Mark (Rob Huebel) and Kai Mitchell (Mary Birdsong) about Elizabeth’s extramarital affair, Mark reluctantly reveals that the man she’s been seeing is a real estate agent named Brian Speer (Matthew Lillard). Upset over what his wife has done and overwhelmed with plans for the 25,000 acres of land he might be selling. Matt decides to tell friends and Elizabeth’s father Scott (Robert Forster) about Elizabeth’s status as the only that doesn’t know is Scottie. With Alexandra’s boyfriend Sid (Nick Krause), Matt takes the girls to Kauai for a vacation while he and Alexandra try to find Brian Speer. Matt also shows the girls the land he’s been trusted to for many years as he meets his cousin Hugh (Beau Bridges) who reveals some information about who might get the island if the sale will happen.

After finding Speer and learn he has two sons and a wife named Julie (Judy Greer), Matt and Alexandra try to figure out what to do to tell Speer about what happened. With only Scottie to tell about her mother, Matt faces some big decisions about his own life as well as what to do with the land that’s been passed down to him for generations.

What happens to a man when his life as a trustee to 25,000 acres of land is set to expire while learning that his comatose wife has been cheating on him? Well, that is essentially the situation that Matt King is going through as he’s a man that is being pulled in every direction while having to take care of the two daughters he’s not really close with. Eventually, he starts to bond with them as they deal with their mother’s comatose state while being joined by the eldest daughter’s boyfriend in these adventures to tell the news to family and friends about his wife. Then another adventure occurs when he takes his daughters and Sid to the land he’s been trusted to while hoping to confront the man his wife has been having an affair with.

Alexander Payne and his co-writers create a story that is about a lot of themes as well as characters who are more than what they’re expected to be. Yet, it all centers around Matt King’s revelation about himself as he’s faced with what to do about 25,000 acres of land and taking care of his daughters for his comatose wife. King is obviously a flawed man as he’s an absentee father of sorts who has no idea how to deal with the rambunctious Scottie as he asks his more troubled teenage daughter Alexandra to help out. Yet, she is dealing with her own issues and the guilt over the fact that her last moments with her mother weren’t very pleasant. For Alexandra, she and her father figure out how to tell Scottie the horrible news while dealing with the fact that her mother did cheat on her father.

While there is a lot of drama as well as great character development for both Matt and Alexandra while the characters they surround themselves with like Sid are more than just caricatures or a form of comic relief in the case of Sid. Sid, Brian Speer, Matt’s cousin Hugh, and other minor characters do get a chance to show a complex side of themselves in how they react to the news or help out in the situation. While it’s clear that the ending over Elizabeth’s fate is inevitable, it’s all about what Matt, Alexandra, and Scottie had to endure and deal where they all find some form of closure and learn to become better people in the process.

Payne’s direction is truly engrossing in the way he presents this drama about a man and his daughters while making it a whole lot more than what the story suggests. Since the narrative is told from Matt’s perspective through some voice-over narration about his own world and his faults, Payne always make sure the camera follows King in everything he’s doing. Notably a scene about the revelation of his wife’s affair as he runs to the home of his friends to confront about what they know. It’s done with a great sense of precision and framing in the way King reacts and to how the camera is placed in where he’s running to. Payne’s direction has a great degree of style for his presentation that includes a lot of light-comedic moments as well as dramatic moments.

The scene where Alexandra reacts to the news about her mother’s possible fate as she is underwater in a swimming pool is told in a very simple manner in what she is feeling. Payne doesn’t make it into something overly dramatic by just using sparse sound work to capture that moment. While the intimacy of these dramatic moments and how he presents some comical moments show the wide range of ideas that Payne can do as a filmmaker. He’s also known for making locations be part of the story as he shot the film all on location in Hawaii where he doesn’t just show the grand beauty of the island landscapes. He also shows that there’s parts of that place where it looks like a typical American city. For the scene where King shows his daughters and Sid the acres of land he’s been trusted to, it is shown with a grand style that is jaw-dropping to watch. Overall, Payne creates what is truly a mesmerizing yet heart wrenching film about a man trying to find peace in his troubled family life.

Cinematographer Phedon Papamichael does a brilliant job with the film‘s photography as he gives Hawaii a look that isn‘t meant to be just beautiful. Since some of it is shot on rainy days and partly-sunny weathers, Papamichael is able to use the landscape to set the mood of what the characters are dealing with some great exterior shots while utilizing some wonderful interiors to help create tense mood such as the scene where Alexandra and Matt confront Brian. Editor Kevin Tent does a terrific job with the editing as he brings a lot of style to the editing such as a few transition wipes and dissolves to keep the pace lively and methodical as well as a few jump cuts to play up some of the comic moments of the film.

Production designer Jane Ann Stewart, with set decorator Matt Callahan and art director T.K. Kirkpatrick, does an excellent job with the look of Matt‘s home with all sorts of pictures and maps as well as Elizabeth‘s hospital room and the hotels and cottages Matt and his daughters visit in Kauai. Costume designer Wendy Chuck does a wonderful job with the costumes used in the film such as the casual yet colorful clothing that Matt wears along with the youthful clothing that Alexandra and Scottie wears. Sound designer Frank Gaeta does a great job with the sound work to emphasize the crashing waves that surrounds Hawaii to the intimate scenes where the sound work is low-key yet effective to play up its dramatic elements.

Music supervisor Dondi Bastone does a phenomenal job with the film’s soundtrack as it’s mostly carried by an array of Hawaiian folk music. Featuring contributions from performers like Gabby Pahinui, Ray Kane, Keola Beamer, Lena Machado, Sonny Chillingworth, Jeff Peterson, and Reverend Dennis Kamakahi. The music plays up to some of the emotions of the film with simple yet melodic-driven ukulele pieces as it’s definitely a major highlight of the film.

The casting by John Jackson is superb as he creates an ensemble cast that is definitely flawless. Featuring notable small yet memorable roles from Milt Johnson as Elizabeth’s doctor, Rob Huebel and Mary Birdsong as Matt’s friends Mark and Kai Mitchell, Beau Bridges as Matt’s laid-back cousin Hugh, renowned pro surfer Laird Hamilton as Elizabeth’s boat driver Troy, and Patricia Hastie in an incredible silent role as the ailing Elizabeth King. Matthew Lillard is very good as Elizabeth’s lover Brad Speer as he tries to deal with Matt as well as the fact that his affair might ruin his marriage. Robert Forster is excellent as Elizabeth’s father Scott who is upset over what happened as he tries to make Matt and Alexandra feel guilty over their issues with Elizabeth.

Nick Krause is very funny as Alexandra’s laid-back yet helpful boyfriend Sid while Judy Greer is wonderful as Brad’s caring wife Julie whom Matt and Alexandra feel sorry for. Amara Miller is terrific as Matt’s 10-year old daughter Scottie whose energetic performance brings a real complexity to a girl that seems lost without her mom while doing all sorts of things that confuses her father. Shailene Woodley is magnificent in a real break-out performance as Alexandra as Woodley brings a real maturity to a girl filled with guilt as she tries to help out her father with the news that she revealed to him.

Finally, there’s George Clooney in a tremendous performance as Matt King. Clooney strays from the charming persona he’s been known for by giving a much more serious and frantic performance as a man dealing with lots of issues. Clooney does bring some light-hearted funny moments in the film while he also proves that he can be a fool and show the anguish of frustration that his character is going through. Clooney’s best scenes are with Woodley and Miller in how he’s trying to deal with their issues while being the caring man that is just trying to be the best father he can. It’s definitely one of the best performance Clooney has given in his career.

The Descendants is a fantastic yet compelling film from Alexander Payne featuring a great ensemble cast led by George Clooney. Along with wonderful supporting work from Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, and Judy Greer. It’s a film that has Payne delving into the world of loss and redemption while creating characters that are very real and engaging. The film definitely ranks up there with some of Payne’s best film proving that he is one of the most unique voices in American cinema today. In the end, The Descendents is an amazing and heartfelt film from Alexander Payne.

Alexander Payne Films: Citizen Ruth - Election - About Schmidt - Sideways - Paris Je T'aime -14th Arrondissement - Nebraska - (Downsizing) - The Holdovers - (Tracy Flick Can't Win) - Auteurs #5: Alexander Payne

© thevoid99 2011