It’s going to be a very busy fall for George Clooney. He started things off in Venice where he unveiled his latest directorial effort “Ides Of March,” swung into Telluride to help premiere Alexander Payne‘s “The Descendants” and now he’s in Toronto this week with both films continuing their journeys into the awards season. And we’ve got a new look at one of them.
Based on the book by Kaui Hart Hemmings and co-written by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants” follows the story of Matt King (Clooney), a wealthy Hawaiian man who takes his daughters (Shailene Woodley and Amara Miller) on a road trip to find the man his wife has been having an affair with, after a boating accident leaves her critically injured. It has been a while since the trailer dropped this spring but courtesy of Fox Searchlight, we now have an exclusive new clip from the movie giving us a fresh glimpse of what Payne, Clooney and company have in store. The scene is right in the familiar Payne wheelhouse that has served him very well so far, imbued with equal measures drama and humor, as Matt meets Sid (Nick Krause), his daughter Alexandra’s boyfriend.
It’s a promising preview of what looks to be a strong return by Alexander Payne after being away for far too long. Reviews out of Telluride were very positive with our own correspondent calling it “subtle and effective, combining universal themes (the loss of a loved one, the love for a child, the emotional pull of familial obligations) with the quirkiness that viewers have come to expect from an Alexander Payne film.”
“The Descendants” will play for TIFF audiences both this weekend and next, but if you can’t make it, not to worry: the film will start rolling out into theaters on November 18th.
