This week there are four exceptional performances to check out. Two were Oscar nominated (George Clooney in “The Descendants” and Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”) and two could well have been (Kirsten Dunst in “Melancholia” and Charlize Theron in “Young Adult”).
The lights came up after the gala screening of The Descendants at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, and Alexander Payne and his star, George Clooney, trotted onto the stage – greeted by an especially rapturous standing ovation.