January 11th 2024

The Holdovers

The Canterville Ghost

With the Golden Globes over, I realise there's a lot I need to catch up with. Fortunately I've just seen one of the Golden Globe winners. Also this week there's a cute animation to keep the littlies amused over the school holidays. For those who missed my top films of 2023, you can pick them up on Peter Krausz's Movie Metropolis interview with me at https://youtu.be/VRS_582O2ZU

The Holdovers

Dir: Alexander Payne

Length: 138 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhKLpJmHhIg

© Universal - deeply moving with Giamatti's
best performancer since Sideways

Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) has been a teacher at the same New England school for most of his life. He's considered old-fashioned, authoritarian, grumpy and boring by his students. When the Christmas holidays roll around, a handful of students have nowhere to go, and Paul is assigned the task of looking after them. But soon only one is left, troublemaker Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa). The teacher, the resentful student and the school cook Mary (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) must find a way to rub along together. This could so easily have been one of those films that became either sentimental or totally predictable, but it doesn't. Although it feels like something out of the past, the film works beautifully on a deeply humane level. It walks the fine line between humor, pathos and charm, with the three main characters working in perfect sync with each other. Each has their own deep-seated griefs and fears which are only gradually revealed, helping them connect, making them better people. Definitely one of the top "teacher" films, and also one of Giamatti's stand-out performances which has just won him a Golden Globe along with a Best Supporting Actress award for Randolph. In fact the film has an astonishing 76 awards! 

4.5 - highly recommended

The Canterville Ghost

Dir: Kim Burdon & Robert Chandler

Length: 89 mins

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0NZDzd-1KQ

© Rialto  - an Oscar Wilde story animated
with Stephen Fry set to entertain the small fry 

Canterville Chase has been haunted by the ghost of Sir Simon Canterville (Stephen Fry) for 300 years. Every person who has tried to live in the old house has been driven nuts, or has shipped out. But now five brash Americans, the Otis family, buy the property and the ghost has more than he can contend with in trying to get them out. Based upon an Oscar Wilde story, this is in fact quite a fun offering for the school holidays. With Stephen Fry in the lead, it's certainly off to a good start. Add to the mix Hugh Laurie as the Grim Reaper, Imelda Staunton as the housekeeper, Freddie Highmore as the Duke of Cheshire, and Emily Carey (from House of the Dragon) as the feisty daughter Virginia, and you have some top-shelf British acting talent voicing the roles. There's nothing cutting edge about the animation, but the story moves along at a good pace, with an endearing plot and a strong female protagonist. It should prove an  entertaining diversion for the youngsters, and indeeed even an old cynic like me was entertained!

3 - recommended