GENRE: Drama/Comedy
RATING: 14A for language and sexual references
RUNTIME: 1 hour and 55 minutes
STARRING: George Clooney (Ides of March, Up in the Air)
Shailene Woodley (The Secret Life of the American Teenager)
DIRECTOR: Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election, About Schmidt)
WRITERS: Alexander Payne (Jurassic Park III, Election)
Nat Faxon & Jim Rash (newcomers)
PLOT: A father tries to reconnect with his two daughters when his wife is in a coma, only to find out his wife cheated on him.
FIVE OBSERVATIONS:
1 This film is superbly written. The lines and voice-overs are pitch perfect. The pace is a little slow but it kind of needs to be for this kind of story. The plot is interesting and keeps you invested the whole time.
2 Clooney deserves the Oscar nomination and possibly the win for his fantastic performance. So much emotion, so vulnerable, so amazing.
3 Some great comedy is mixed in with the heartfelt emotion. Clooney running in loafers in good stuff but Alex’s friend Sid (Nick Krause) brings some much needed lightness to the proceedings. His comments in the car are priceless.
4 Serious moments and speeches in Hawaiian shirts seem odd for some reason. It seems darkly funny. I hope Payne intended this.
5 Welcome back Matthew Lillard, haven’t seen you in a while. I think you were playing Shaggy in some Scooby Doo films back then.
RECOMMENDATION: Wait for the DVD
UPCOMING REVIEWS: Best of 2011 & 2012 Previews
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