"If you were interviewing Stanley Kubrick, would you ask him about his gaps?" Sitting in a London hotel suite, Alexander Payne is a little put out that I've just questioned why it's taken him so long to bring us his new film, The Descendants. Admittedly, the hiatus between this and his last movie, the Oscar-winning 2004 film Sideways, doesn't compare with the 12 years between Kubrick's last two films. Still, the last thing fans want is to see one of America's most talented directors go missing in action.
Since making his debut with 1996's acidic satire Citizen Ruth, Payne has steadily built an impressive reputation. Election (1999) was a marvellous antidote to the American Pie-style high-school comedies of the time. About Schmidt (2002) saw Jack Nicholson deliver one of his most heartfelt turns of the decade as a retiree estranged from his daughter. While Sideways - which saw Payne and his co-writer Jim Taylor take an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay - was a pathos-fuelled tale of middle-age failure.
His CV is certainly why George Clooney wanted to join forces for The Descendants. "We had dinner in Toronto," recalls the actor, "and then he said 'I'm going to be sending you a script.' I thought I'd do it no matter what the script was. Quite honestly, I haven't seen him miss yet as a filmmaker. And then I read the screenplay and thought I was very lucky." Based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, the film sees Clooney play Matt King, a lawyer living in Hawaii whose wife slips into a coma after a jet-ski accident.
With no hope of her pulling through, King must break the news to his two daughters - 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller) and 17-year-old Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) - who he's barely connected with. But matters become even more emotionally wrought when King discovers his wife had been cheating on him. Yet, against his better judgement, King sets out to track down his wife's lover (played by Matthew Lillard) to tell him she's dying, and allow him to say his goodbyes.
"One of the reasons I wanted to make this book into a film was that," says Payne. "I was very touched by that. It's very gracious - an act of love. You can talk about forgiveness. And it's messy, too. He still wants to murder the lover. But still that feeling is there - I like that."
Clooney has his own perspective. "It's kind of a coming-of-age film," he says. "Unfortunately, the person who is coming of age is a 50-year-old man." Curiously, both Clooney and Payne were born in 1961 - just three months apart - making them the same age as King.
Not that the Nebraska-born Payne will admit The Descendants is a particularly personal film. "Not really," he shrugs. Or particularly emotional. "Is a surgeon emotional when sewing up a patient? No - it's a job." Still, like King, he's suffered his own woes since Sideways. Knee surgery, together with a divorce from the actress Sandra Oh, meant his personal life had to take precedence over his work. It didn't help that he and Taylor spent two years writing a sci-fi script about shrinking, only for the global economic recession to make such an expensive project untenable.
"I was so desperate to shoot a movie," he recalls, "I said, 'Is that Descendants thing still available? OK, I'll take it!'" At the time, his Los Angeles production outfit had hired two writers, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, to adapt Hemmings's book, with Stephen Frears lined up to direct. When Frears dropped out, Payne jumped in. "It was a little bit more outside my wheelhouse, with respect to the satirical and comic characteristics of the other films," he admits. "This one plays it a little bit more straight, and I was maybe a little bit more afraid of it."
At its heart, The Descendants feels like an emotional cry for family unity, seemingly far more commercial than Payne's previous work. Yet, as Clooney points out, to get to this point, King must come to terms with issues of grief, infidelity and, most importantly, the consequences of his own actions. "Matt is equally responsible for a lot of things that have gone wrong - the loss of his family in general, his wife's infidelity, all those things. It's about forgiving yourself eventually for it. And finding forgiveness, not just of her but for her. And I found that was a big theme all the way through the film - releasing that kind of anger."
As the title suggests, the film also deals with what we inherit - emotionally, psychologically, financially - from our ancestors. It transpires that King is the sole trustee of hundreds of acres of family land, the sale of which will net him and his numerous Hawaiian cousins (led by Beau Bridges) millions of dollars. Never mind that they all wear shorts and floral shirts. "Some of the most powerful people look like bums and stuntmen," says King, in his cutting voice-over.
A line taken directly from the book, this sideways glance at Hawaiian society was another element that tickled Payne's interest in adapting the novel. "Rich people don't have to dress up for anybody," he laughs. "I remember years ago, Jim Taylor and I were walking down the street in New York, and we were hungry, and he said: 'Let's go in here.' I said: 'Nah, it's too fancy a place. Look how we're dressed.' He goes: 'They'll think we're big shots!'"
Now, with their production company behind films such as The Savages and Cedar Rapids, they could be considered such. Thanks to his time out from directing, Payne has a raft of projects lined up "for the first time in my career". First, there's the black-and-white father-son road-trip movie Nebraska, which he's looking to shoot next May. Then, with that sci-fi film still jostling for attention, he also wants to shoot Daniel Clowes's own adaptation of his graphic novel Wilson, about a middle-aged misanthrope loner. Don't expect another gap like before. "I'm 50 now," he says, "and raring to go."
For a Q&A with the actress Shailene Woodley, visit www.thenational.ae/national-blog/scene-heard
artslife@thenational.ae
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20(2022)
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
More from Armen Sarkissian
PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Prophets of Rage
(Fantasy Records)
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia
THE CARD
2pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
2.30pm: Handicap Dh 76,000 (D) 1,400m
3pm: Handicap Dh 64,000 (D) 1,200m
3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m
4.30pm: Handicap 64,000 (D) 1,950m
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
