Movie Review - The Holdovers

Director: Alexander Payne
Genre: Drama/ Comedy
Runtime: 133 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randall, Dominic Sessa, Carrie Preston, Naheem Garcia
 
Description: A cranky history teacher (Paul Giamatti) at a prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a grieving cook (Da’Vine Joy Randall) and a troubled student (Dominic Sessa) who has no place to go.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 25: A COMEDY FILM 

Review: Director Alexander Payne and actor Paul Giamatti were responsible for the success of the film “Sideways” in 2004. Payne is also known for his films “About Schmidt”, “The Descendants” and “Nebraska”, that all perfectly combine comedy with drama. It’s been a while since Payne brought us something really good. But he’s back with “The Holdovers”, where he succeeds again.

In “The Holdovers”, Giamatti portrays history teacher Paul Hunham, who still champions old-fashioned teaching methods at a remote boarding school for boys. He has no use for excuses and any excuses made by a student, should not be met with any kind mercy. And in his eyes the principal is a rookie, who he himself taught.

The parents of the rich students have no need for their sons and let them stay during the Christmas holiday. Paul is forced to stay behind with these students, which eventually is only the one student named Angus and the school’s cook Mary.

Set in 1970, “The Holdovers” features the usual story arc of two opposites who eventually come to appreciate each other’s company. It is primarily the performances of Giamatti and young antagonist Dominic Sessa that provide an uneasy but ultimately engaging chemistry that floors any kind of predictability. Giamatti plays a multi-layered character who harbors an undeniable tragedy beneath the comedic exterior of an old-fashioned teacher. Da’Vine Joy Randall plays Mary, a cook at the boarding school who is still grieving her son’s untimely death. She is the perfect addition to the two opposites.

Payne also masterfully manages to capture the timescape. The snowy New England region of the United States fits seamlessly with the emotions and developments of the characters. It is desolate, but also hopefully familiar. And the most impressive thing about “The Holdovers” is that it doesn’t bring anything new, yet manages to deliver a unique film. This is mainly in the unique dynamic between the three characters and the way layers of their personalities are slowly peeled away.

I absolutely loved every minute of Alexander Payne’s newest film, that transcends the period of the year in which it is set and is a true gem when it comes to layered characters. Definitely a favorite for 2024.

Rating: 5/ 5

Book Review - The Guest by B.A. Paris

Title: The Guest
Author: B.A. Paris
Genre: Thriller
Published: 2024
 
Description: Iris and Gabriel have just arrived home from a make-or-break holiday. But a shock awaits them. One of their closest friends, Laure, is in their house. The atmosphere quickly becomes tense as she oversteps again and sleeping in their bed, wearing Iris’ closthes, even rearranging the furniture.
 
Laure has walker our on her husband – and their good friend – Pierre, over his confession of an affair and a secret child. Iris and Gabriel want to be supportive of their friends, but as Laure’s mood becomes increasingly unpredictable, her presence takes its toll.
 
Iris and Gabriel only respite comes in the form of a couple new to town. But with them comes their gardener, who has a checkered past. Soon, secrets from all their pasts will unravel, some more dangerous than they could have known
 
Review: I had never read from B.A. Paris before and I do have another one of her books on my physical TBR. Starting with her newest novel “The Guest” might not have been the best idea.
 
When Iris and Gabriel return from a holiday, they discover someone has been in their house. It’s their friend Laure, who has fled her husband, after finding out he had an affair and a child as a result of that. At first, Iris and Gabriel want to support Laure, but soon they get enough of her presence.
 
For a thriller to be a thriller, it should at least be thrilling. It is not. I found “The Guest” pretty boring. The book dragged and nothing interesting happens for a long time. And the book is also very repetitive. Sometimes when a characters talks about something or explains something, they later repeat it and this happens on several occasions in the story. This is very unnecessary, because it’s not something that is so complex they need to over explain it.
 
I didn’t like the characters. I felt like Iris was being very mean to Laure. Her friend is dealing with a difficult time in her life and I understand that you eventually wish they would leave, so you can have your house to yourself again. But Iris felt that very early on during Laure’s stay. She didn’t show a lot of empathy. It’s understandable for Laure to be upset. Gabriel and Iris’ relationship also felt flat. The way they talk to each other, is not the way a married couple is supposed to talk. At least not the ones I know. There is no love between the two, whatsoever. Esmee I did like, at first, but even she got annoying as the story moved on.
 
As for the plot itself. All these people kept secrets, many of them that had no reason to be kept. And the story was very predictable. In the end, there is this epilogue that gives us a final twist and explains everything to us. But I couldn’t care less. At this point, I didn’t care at all, not about the characters, not about the mystery, not about anything. The ending is not credible at all.
 
This book was boring, uninspiring and I just didn’t enjoy this book. I can’t believe I actually finished it.
 
Rating: 1/ 5

Movie Review - Miller's Girl

Director: Jade Halley Bartlett
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 93 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Martin Freeman, Jenna Ortega, Bashir Sallahudin, Gideon Adlon, Dagmara Dominczyk, Christine Adams
 
Description: A creative writing assignment yields complex results between a teacher (Martin Freeman) and his talented student (Jenny Ortega).

Review: Jonathan Miller is a writer whose debut novel wasn’t a huge success and now hides out as a creative writing teacher at a Tennessee high school. His marriage to a successful writer is odd to say the least.

Meanwhile, his student, 18-year-old Cairo Sweet, manages to peak Miller’s interest with her writing talent. You know, from their first meeting, that things won’t end well.

In her feature debut, director Jade Halley Bartlett opts for easy-going effects, barely fleshed-out characters and an ending lacking inspiration. This film was very boring, too cliché and a waste of great talent. Jenna Ortega is such a talented actress, but she never really convinces as the young temptress she becomes. And Martin Freeman really feels out of place in his role. Miller wife, portrayed by  Dagmara Dominczyk, delivers a terrible performance. She is such a caricature, she doesn’t feel like an actual person.

I paid to see this film, don’t make the same mistake. This is a boring, uninspiring, cliché film and I would not recommend.

Rating: 2/ 5

Book Review - Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

Title: Listen for the Lie
Author: Amy Tintera
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Published: 2024
 
Description: After Lucy is found wandering the street, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone things she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.
 
But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie”, and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one who did it.
 
Review: “Listen for the Lie” is one of the books I was most looking forward to in 2024. It had a lot of elements I love in a mystery/ thriller. An unreliable narrator, a podcast/ mixed media element, a small town mystery, different timelines. All things I really enjoy. With that, the book got mainly good reviews and I had 5-star vibes from just reading the synopsis. Man, was I disappointed.
 
We meet Lucy. Five years ago, her best friend Savvy was found dead in their small Texas town. Lucy was found wandering the streets, covered in Savvy’s blood. She doesn’t remember anything that happened that night and everyone in town believes Lucy killed Savvy. But there was not enough evidence to proof that and no one was every convicted for the crime. Lucy returns to her hometown, to celebrate her grandma’s 80^th birthday. But true crime podcaster Ben Owens is also there, shining a light on the unsolved mystery.
 
Such a promising story. I enjoyed the fact that Lucy (and us as readers) has no idea whether she has committed the crime or not.  But she also constantly has murderous thoughts, in the form of a voice in her head. Which I found very annoying. And sometimes she even sees Savvy, which I didn’t really like either.
 
I was ready for some really good twists and reveals, but I was let down on this front as well. Most of the reveals were about people cheating on their partners or having a sexual relations with someone in the Texas town. I was not surprised or shocked by any of the reveals. And the eventual outcome of the mystery was also anti-climactic. Not surprising at all.
 
And Lucy is not a likeable character that you easily root for. That was not author Amy Tintera’s intention, but I never really cared for Lucy. The only character I actually liked was the grandmother. I loved her and wouldn’t mind reading a complete book about her.
 
The podcast element was okay, but these chapters were way too short. They never really go that in depth and it felt like they were leaving things out. And some characters are introduced into the story, where they reveal a certain thing, but it’s never referred to again.
 
It happened before, that a book doesn’t live up to my expectations. But most of the time, I can understand why other people have enjoyed it. For “Listen for the Lie” I just don’t understand how so many people are giving it a 4-star or higher. This was a huge let down and I feel so sad about it.
 
Rating: 2/ 5

 

Book Review - The Measure by Nikki Erlick

Title: The Measure
Author: Nikki Erlick
Genre: Science Fiction
Published: 2022
 
Description: Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice.
 
It seem like any other day. You wake up, pour a coffee, and head out.
 
But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live.
 
From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. Is an instant, the world thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise?
 
As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: do they which to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?
 
Review: If you could know how long you will live, would you want to know it? And if you knew the answer, what would you do with that information? This is the dilemma that the characters in “The Measure” have to deal with. One day, each person , 22 and over, receives a box. Within this box is a single string. The length of this string is different for everyone. This string tells you how long your life is.
 
At the start of the story, know one know what the strings mean. And nobody is forced to look at the inside of the box. But people are curious by nature, so most people do. And quickly society is split in two: the ones with the long strings and the so-called ‘short stringers’.
 
Author Nikki Erlick tells the story through several different perspectives. And this way you get to see how different people are dealing with a similar situation. Much like John Marrs’ books “The One” and “The Marriage Act”. For instance, we meet someone who finds out their string is short and how they try and cope with that information. We read from a couple where one of them gets a short string and the other doesn’t want to know. And also a long string politician, who is using it to his advantage for his campaign as a presidential candidate.
 
Many political, societal and ethical themes are touched upon. Like the aforementioned political candidate using it to gain more votes, for his opponent is a short-stringer. The army that doesn’t allow short-stringers, to up their odds. Mass shootings become even more ‘normal’, people breaking up with their partners because they don’t want to live with someone that will die within a few years and people with short strings that are denied health care.   
 
“The Measure” is a unique premise that gives you a lot to think about, raises questions and makes you try to put you in the position of the characters. What would you do if you received the box? Would curiosity win? This book was so amazing, it’s thought provoking, unique and interesting to read from all the different perspectives. How something that is brought upon an entire society makes everyone respond to it so differently. A book I would recommend. For sure!
 
Rating: 5/ 5

Rewatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 28

I decided to rewatch my 100 favorite movies of all-time. What those are, you can check HERE. I watch them in random order, there is no rhyme or reason there, just watching those movies I love so much.

92/ 100: Atonement (2007)
Working class boy Robbie (James McAvoy) is falsely accused of rape by his girlfriend’s thirteen-year-old sister Briony (Saoirse Ronan). His relationship with Cecilia (Keira Knightley) is on the rocks, but on the battlefield around Dunkirk, Robbie’s longing for great love proves not a fraction lessened. The acting is excellent by McAvoy, Knightley and especially Ronan is the strongest part of the film. Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, which is also a favorite  of mine. And it’s very true to the book. The way the story I told is very unique and why this movie is on my favorites list. Check HERE for my full review.
 

93/ 100: Psycho (1960)
Still, after so many years, the film gives me (and a lot of people with me) chills. The film was very ahead of its time for so many reasons. One of Alfred Hitchcock’s best film ever made. HERE you can read my full review.
 

94/ 100: Thunderheart (1992)
A thriller set on an Indian reservation. FBI Agent Ray Levoi arrives there to investigate a murder and discovers there is more to it then meets the eye. I never, ever, heard anyone talk about this film. I literally know no one who has seen this movie, let alone love it as much as I do. It’s one of the most overlooked films and I think it deserves more praise. See my full review HERE.
 

95/ 100: You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Two opposites in everyday life discover each other through an anonymous correspondence. Tom Hanks plays Joe Fox, who is opening a large book store (think Barnes & Noble size) and Meg Ryan play Kathleen Kelly, the owner of a small children’s book shop called The Shop Around the Corner. This film is a favorite because of the vibe, the natural charm of Meg Ryan and of course Tom Hanks, who can do no wrong in my eyes. I want to be Kathleen Kelly, I identify with Kathleen Kelly, she lives the life I would love the live myself. HERE is my full review.
 
Still to watch: 5

Oldies Movie Review - Sunset Boulevard

Director: Billy Wilder
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 110 minutes
Year: 1950
Starring: Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olsen, Fred Clarke, Lloyd Cough. Jack Webb

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 25: A MOVIE FROM THE 1950s
 
Description: A screenwriter (William Holden) develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star (Gloria Swanson) determined to make a triumphant return.

Review: Hollywood used to be shown as a paradise of glamour. Stars always lookd perfect and their status was maintained by the press courtesy of the powerful studio bosses. Anyone who worked in Hollywood knew that this world might be so beautiful on the outside, but was way darker behind the scenes. Director Billy Wilder created a portrait of this with “Sunset Boulevard”.

William Holden plays screenwriter Joe. He meets the once celebrated star of silent film, Norma Desmond. She disappeared from the Hollywood stage when the sound film took over. Living in a delusion herself, she thinks she is making a comeback. When Norma hears Joe is a writer, she wants him to help her with her comeback. He is allowed to live with Norma and she develops feelings for him. But it’s not mutual. And when Joe gets involved with a woman his own age, tensions run high.

Wilder used many authentic details, such as real names and cameos of illustrious Hollywood icons. And he used real locations. And Gloria Swanson herself, who plays Norma, was one a big Hollywood star in silent movies who became passé when the sound film came along. And casting her was the best choice.
Although Norma verges on madness, Swanson manages to make her a wonderful character who is not one-dimensional. She may be extremely theatrical and ill at ease, but she also has a charm that comes out.

There is a reason why “Sunset Boulevard” is on so many “best films of all time” lists. Wilder’s directorial work, the script, the casting, the authentic details and cinematography make the film a masterful classic.

Rating: 4/ 5