The master of film narrative Alexander Payne is well known to the fans of American independent cinema, and his works "Nebraska", "Sideways", "The Descendants" were awarded with many prestigious awards and the love of the audience around the world. A new story directed by Payne from a screenplay by David Hemingson, "The Holdovers" takes viewers into the recent past and introduces them to colorful characters. Chief among them is the "nerdy opinionated weirdo, a history teacher nobody likes" - played by Paul Giamatti, who has already won a Golden Globe and a US Critics' Choice Award, and his performance has been nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA. And since his character has no one to celebrate Christmas with in 1970, the schoolmaster is left to "supervise" the students who can't go home. His task is limited to a 15-year-old mischief-maker named Angus (newcomer Dominic Sessa). The two misfits are joined by the school's cook (the passionate and emotional Da'Vine Joy Randolph, with a Golden Globe for this role), who recently lost her son in Vietnam. The three form an odd Christmas "family" and have hilarious misadventures over the course of two snowy weeks in New England. With five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, over 100 awards and nearly 200 nominations worldwide, "The Holdovers" will be a festival hit for audiences here in March.
The new project by cult director Ethan Coen, co-written with his wife Tricia Cooke, is called "Drive-Away Dolls" and will evoke the thrill of cinematic adventure familiar from classic action films of the 1990s. Coen himself tells Variety that it's "a chase intrigue movie. In one word, it’s a comedy." Cook adds that they were happy to make a film that was "fun, playful and didn’t take itself too seriously." The story follows Jamie (played by Margaret Qualley, the 28-year-old daughter of Andy McDowell), a free-spirit who is mourning yet another break-up with a friend, and her much more reserved companion Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), who is desperately trying to be more frivolous in life. In search of something new and exciting, the two suddenly hit the road to Tallahassee, however the situation quickly gets rough when their paths cross with a group of criminals... In addition to the two young ladies, the film also stars Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp, Pedro Pascal and Matt Damon. "Drive-Away Dolls" promises great entertainment for the Bulgarian audience in the programme of the 28th Sofia Film Festival.
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