Dead Poet’s Society (1989)
Father figure not just for The Holdovers.
Presentation:
When stories were honest and filmmaking’s primary purpose wasn’t to try and impress you, stories like this one really shined and it’s why directors today are harkening back to movies like this one with love letters like The Holdovers. I’d even go as far as to say this is one of the films that it’s directly trying to emulate. This film is all about the script, characters and their relationships. Ethan Hawke looks awkwardly supple as a young teen and Robert Sean Leonard looks like he has barely aged. You then have Robin Williams whom always delivers the surrogate father figure juxtaposed by Kurtwood’s Smith conservative sergeant-like personality. The dynamic works very well and is believable that makes it feel like real life rather than fabricated acting. You could totally imagine this happening to you if only the setting was different.
Conclusion:
A great film particularly targeted toward men, which is one of the few films that could speak to us on such an emotional level. Even if you don’t directly have a relatable strict military father, it’s presented so genuinely you feel as though you do for 2 hours. It speaks to young men whom often have to forego passion for duty, giving an emotional outlet for the dreams many wish they could freely pursue. The band of brotherhood is also a nice touch, however there are parts that feel a bit cliché for the sole purpose of stirring an emotional payoff, which clashes with the intimately personal details from the rest of the movie. A moving drama back in the day, but should probably only be watched once.
Recommendations
Mood piece for romantics of Taipei cinema.