Written and directed by Margaret Kane-Rowe, caught between childhood and growing up, eleven‑year‑old Claire learns how to move forward when her father helps her to face the changes she fears most. Starring: Francesca Europa, Clare Monnelly, Declan Reynolds and Gerry Herbert.
A lot of the time, people underappreciate how difficult it is to create genuine, wholesome, family cinema in today’s world, it’s so often saccharine or artificial, or even blatantly commercialised depending on the size of the budget. So, to build something that has heart and sincerity while keeping an all ages simplicity to allow it to be accessible but authentic is tricky, but Margaret Kane-Rowe rises to that challenge with Holly. Something that’s well complemented by the quality of the aesthetic, it’s got great colouring to it, and strong cinematography and they really help to boost the sincerity.
You’re straight away hit with the feel of the era, the way that it’s shot, the tone, the score, it all quickly evokes the 1980s. Again, that’s something which isn’t always done well today, with many filmmakers who were born decades after trying to tap into the era and falling short, so being able to achieve that organically and convincingly deserves a decent amount of credit. Especially when you’re not simply employing the popular music or fashion of the era. Capturing that feel then goes a long way to setting the atmosphere of Holly, it’s humble, sweet and honest.
The story which Margaret Kane-Rowe is telling is simple and meaningful. Throughout your childhood, there are so many choices, behaviours, and interactions with your parents and other influential adults which shape who you are, how you think, and how you see yourself. So, to have at the very least that one person who treats you in a way that gives you self-confidence, assuredness and comfort in your mind and body, holds an importance which cannot be understated. Kane-Rowe does a wonderful job of portraying that in Holly through the relationship between Clare (Francesca Europa) and her father, Anthony (Declan Reynolds).
However, she then takes that a step further and also explores a few other issues of the day. Particularly when it comes to Clare Monnelly’s Barbara, and her mental health, in Monnelly’s brief moments, she’s able to say so much about undiagnosed issues and the lack of awareness. It’s a big part of Clare’s story and has a poignant touch but it’s also very well handled to not take the focus, or add in unnecessary conflict. It adds to the tension of Holly and its emotional layers but doesn’t shift the tone, it remains in that wholesome place. Monnelly’s performance is a big part of that, a lot of it is in the eyes and her body language, she’s wonderful at giving understated, relatable and impactful performances.
Especially in how she, alongside Francesca Europa, communicate that strained relationship between mother and daughter. The love is there beneath the surface, but the other issues make it difficult for them to connect. Whereas Francesca Europa and Declan Reynolds have this immediate chemistry, that classic father-daughter link where all it takes is a look. Europa creates a familiar, sympathetic lead, it’s easy to understand what Clare is going through.
While Reynolds does the same with his character, translating the struggle and how Anthony makes the effort to put focus on caring for his daughter and making sure she has what she needs. It’s also just lovely to showcase a father supporting his daughter through her first period. We’re still desperately in need of progression in that respect, and continuing to move away from it simply being something for women to talk about, when men so clearly need to have that awareness both simply in general for educational purposes, and also when they have daughters.
Holly sends a meaningful message about supporting children, providing them a person in their life that will give them stability, self-confidence and secure mental health. Adolescence is such a turbulent time, even more so today, so having a reminder of the importance of that support is always a great thing. Margaret Kane-Rowe puts together this short in a thoughtful way, it’s wholesome and shows a clear understanding of how to keep things simple enough while quietly adding layers in the background. Making it so that it can be emotional without being sentimental, and have tension and conflict, without losing that wholesome identity. It’s filled with humble performances which nicely reflect the tone, it’s sweet, heart-warming and touching.
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