Director : Alexander Payne
Cinematographer : Eigil Bryld
Genre : Drama
Country : USA
Duration : 133 Minutes
🔸An air of loneliness looms large over the characters and settings of the movie 'The Holdover' from start to finish. The presence of this unspoken loneliness is so large that occasionally we feel it as some sort of character or even a plot point that can't be avoided at any cost. The Holdover begins as some sort of a comfort film but slowly reveals the pain underneath in a spectacular fashion. Set in a boarding school during a cold isolating Christmas break period, the movie tells the story of three characters who somehow get intertwined due to their own story and the loneliness that drives them during this festive season.
🔸None of the characters in the movie are likeable, atleast not when we meet them, but the director gives them room to exist and collide on each other. They have their imperfections, and it is due to these imperfections only that the bond which is formed between these characters feels so authentic and beautiful. Apart from loneliness, the feelings of guilt, remorse and regret are portrayed very beautifully and that's why we feel rewarded once the movie hits the final portions.The three main characters have their character arcs rewarded, let it be the strict teacher or troublemaking student or the cook who suffers from a personal loss, everyone has a story to tell, and all these stories are treated amazingly well along with the over arching narrative.
🔸The one thing the movie Holdovers have as a negative is the thing that cannot be avoided for these kind of movies and that is predictability, yes the story is predictable to its core and any person who have watched movies in any language can predict where all these things are going. But sometimes it's not the destination, but the journey itself that can be an amazing experience, which is true in all sense for this movie. In the end, The Holdovers doesn’t aim for emotional release or closure. It understands that some connections are temporary, formed not by choice but by circumstance. What lingers is not the warmth of the holidays, but the quiet relief of being seen, even briefly. The film leaves its characters where it finds them as imperfect, carrying their burdens but slightly less alone than before.
Verdict : Very Good
DC Rating : 4.25/5
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