Holiday (2018) Movie Review - A Warm Vacation
Cast - Victoria Carmen Sonne, Lai Yde, Thijs Römer, Michiel de Jong
Directed By - Isabella Eklöf
Genre - Drama, Crime
There is a scene in Holiday where Sascha (an impressive Victoria Carmen Sonne) goes to the police after committing a crime. She leaves the station when unable to find the words to describe her situation. This is exactly my reaction to anyone who would ask me about this film. It might be complicated to me because of the very complex relationship between Sascha and the drug dealer Michael (a scary Lai Yde). They are in an abusive relationship where he beats and even rapes her, and yet; she sticks around without being a damsel in distress waiting for the rescue. My upbringing and beliefs clash with the situation, but I admit it was fascinating to see something like this in an age when the films are mostly black and white coded. I may not completely understand Sascha and her motives, which left me bewildered in the end, but I do appreciate that a relationship like this is portrayed with such control and confidence.
Holiday kind if reminded me of Sebastián Lelio's irresistible Gloria Bell. Both these movies follow a woman undergoing difficult situations and coming out victorious in love with themselves. There is a slight difference, though. Gloria Bell followed her protagonist faithfully, putting her in every frame while Holiday makes an exception in a scene or two. Of course, that doesn't take away the spotlight away from Sascha, and it still remains her story. Even with these similarities, both Gloria Bell and Holiday are poles apart. Their protagonists reside away on two opposite ends of the spectrum.
Sascha enjoys luxury. If she wants an expensive necklace, all she has to do is point towards it, and Michael's fat wallet would bring the object of her desire. It's easy to label her as a gold-digger, but then, she doesn't go around seeking rich people. She remains with Michael. But our human heart wants her to break away from him, and so that's why when Thomas (a charming Thijs Römer) comes into her life, a part of us wants her to run away with him. Thomas is decent and well-mannered. He is seduced by her but also has respect for her. When they are alone on the beach, he controls his hands from crossing the line while she rests her head on his lap.
But what makes the film different from any other traditional run-of-the-mill story are it's characters. The choices they make are unexpected yet real. Written and Directed by Isabella Eklöf, Holiday feels like a semi-biographical account of a tortured relationship which has so much truth in it. You come up with a story like this with experience and Isabella Eklöf channels those experiences with steady camerawork and Nadim Carlsen's gorgeous cinematography. There are some superb scenes of tension handled with brilliant subtlety like the one where four characters have a conversation on the boat. There is another one where two characters stare at the same sight through a glass window. They are positioned almost identically.
Much like it's characters who go on vacation, Holiday remains calm and mostly lies back enjoying the warmness of the sun. It is mainly in a mellow mood, and so when something harsh happens, it has a shocking effect. The film requires the viewer to be patient and to go with the flow. If you don't like your movies to be slow and methodical in there approach, I don't think you will find Holiday engaging but nevertheless, I think you should give it a try and let it soak inside you.
Rating - 3.5/5
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