Matt King (George Clooney) is descendant from Hawaiian royalty. And he must decide on what to do with his inheritance of a large tract of land. His daughters have no respect for him. And his wife Elizabeth is on life support after a boating accident.
There is something about his wife that he doesn't know at first. It is an emotional punch to the gut. This does lead to a very powerful scene at the end. Clooney stretches out his acting skills that he doesn't usually use. He is at times a pathetic loser. Director/writer Alexander Payne is pulling something out of this that George is not known for. For a long time now, he's been this suave sexiest man alive. He isn't that guy here. It's both good and bad. It's nice to see him stretch. But it's disconcerting to see him against type. Shailene Woodley does a good turn as an opinionated teen.
There is something about his wife that he doesn't know at first. It is an emotional punch to the gut. This does lead to a very powerful scene at the end. Clooney stretches out his acting skills that he doesn't usually use. He is at times a pathetic loser. Director/writer Alexander Payne is pulling something out of this that George is not known for. For a long time now, he's been this suave sexiest man alive. He isn't that guy here. It's both good and bad. It's nice to see him stretch. But it's disconcerting to see him against type. Shailene Woodley does a good turn as an opinionated teen.