Alexander Payne is one of my favorite living directors.  I finally had a chance to see his new film, The Descendants. His early films all took place in his home state, Nebraska. In Sideways he ventured all the way to California. In the new film, Payne takes us to Hawaii, deploying the natural beauty of the island to a great effect. The Descendants is considerably darker and sadder than About Schmidt. But Payne uses the healing power of the beautiful Hawaiian landscape to tell another deep story about the human condition. This is art. Don’t miss it.