The Holdovers avoids being derivative with sincere wit, heart, and detail. There's steady exposition, sharp dialogue, callbacks, structure, tension, versatile relationships, earned arcs, and a bittersweet ending. The characters are developed, synergistic, flawed, dynamic, relatable, and complex. Its pitch-perfect acting has authenticity, subtlety, chemistry, humor, vulnerability, physicality, range, layers, growth, intensity, release, and restraint. This all deepens themes of neglect, grief, disobedience, family, history, mental health, perception, empathy, moving on, sacrifice, loneliness, and expectations. Thus, The Holdovers overcomes predictability through love for its subjects.
Technically, The Holdovers is nostalgic. The cinematography uses lenses, framing, stable movement, natural lighting, focus, and some composition. Its music establishes the era, moods, seasons, and motifs. The production design adds senses of location, time period, characters, and culture. Its cast isn't particularly famous, but offers tremendous skill and exceptional fit. The editing has spotty momentum, purpose, and length, but utilizes emotional pacing, dissolves, montages, inserts, and smash cuts. Its sound provides split cuts, quiet, and emphasis. The effects are nonexistent besides a couple of minor stunts. Ultimately, The Holdovers is a well-executed crowd-pleaser.
Writing: 9/10
Direction: 9/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Acting: 10/10
Editing: 8/10
Sound: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 8/10
Production Design: 8/10
Casting: 8/10
Effects: 6/10
Overall Score: 8.1/10
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