EC82

Like he's done in his previous movies, Alexander Payne takes a man at a crossroads and makes his predicament feel vital, relatable and real. "The Descendants" is better than "Sideways" because its protagonist lives in our world (though, granted, he's about to cash in on $100 million or so), and because it treats its characters not as oddities, but as genuine people trying to deal with the problems of life that, for them, at least, have no precedent. Wonderfully involving, splendidly acted.

What it lacks in revelation it makes up for in sheer gut-punching emotion, proving that just because a movie is a documentary doesn't mean it can't be as involving and as utterly compelling as the best fiction.