Dominic Sessa – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

TONY – Review by T.J. Callahan

August 16, 2026August 16, 2026 T. J. Callahan Anthony Bourdain, antonio banderas, biopic, Dominic Sessa, Emilia Jones, Kitchen Confidential, Leo Woodall, Matt Johnson, Tony

Tony is about chef and author Anthony Bourdain before the restaurants, the books, the television shows and, most importantly, the worldwide fame. The film takes place before Tony became “toney”, if you will. The coming of age docudrama follows the entitled antics of 19 year old Tony while on summer break from college at Vassar in 1975. After being turned down for a writing fellowship, Bourdain heads to Cape Cod to chase a girl, but his misbehavior forces him to work off his debts in a restaurant kitchen where the chef, played charmingly cheeky by Antonio Banderas, and his rag tag cooking crew develop a recipe that changes the main course of Tony’s life.

Festivals Reviews

TOW (Tribeca 2025) – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

June 16, 2025June 18, 2025 Valerie Kalfrin 1991 Toyota Camry, Ariana DeBose, Corbin Bernsen, Demi Lovato, Dominic Sessa, octavia spencer, pro bono lawsuit, rose byrne, Simon Rex, Stephanie Laing, Tow, Tribeca 2025, truth-based

A 1991 Toyota Camry is easy to dismiss, much like its owner in Tow, a star-studded David and Goliath story about homelessness that unfortunately spins its wheels in spots. Based on a true story, the film sees Amanda (Rose Byrne, Physical) living out of the car in Seattle while she hunts for a job as a veterinary technician. During one of her job interviews, someone steals the Toyota, which winds up on a private towing lot.

Reviews

THE HOLDOVERS – Review by Susan Granger

November 20, 2023November 21, 2023 Susan Granger Alexander Payne, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David Hemingson, Dominic Sessa, paul giamatti, The Holdovers

Set at Christmastime in 1970 at prestigious Barton Academy, a rural Massachusetts prep school, The Holdovers revolves around Paul ’Walleye’ Hunham (Paul Giamatti), the cynical, curmudgeonly classics instructor forced to supervise the unfortunate boys unable to return home for the two-week holiday break. When a rich kid’s dad arrives in his helicopter, he offers to take them all skiing – if their parents give permission. That leaves only arrogant, angry Angus Tully (newcomer Dominic Sessa) whose honeymooning mother and stepfather have abandoned him and cannot be reached. Screenwriter David Hemingson devises such distinctive, compelling backstories for each of these three lonely, sad souls that their traumatic misadventures turn out to be therapeutic, yet director Alexander Payne never succumbs to sentimentality.

Reviews

THE HOLDOVERS – Review by Diane Carson

November 2, 2023November 4, 2023 Diane Carson Alexander Payne, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David Hemingson, Dominic Sessa, paul giamatti, The Holdovers

Director Alexander Payne has demonstrated a rare skill in mining complex personalities, the façade presented to others as well as the hidden depths of that mask. In exploring identities, Payne reveals the agonizing elements, coping strategies, and positive aspects of his characters. Through all this, he maintains an affectionate, incisive approach to the human condition. The Holdovers is as profound as it is enjoyable, a world to embrace.

Festivals Reviews

THE HOLDOVERS (Middleburg FF 2023) – Review by Leslie Combemale

October 30, 2023November 3, 2023 Leslie Combemale Alexander Payne, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Middleburg FF 2023, Middleburg Film Festival, paul giamatti, The Holdovers

The Holdovers, aka Grumpy Professor has a Change of Heart (that’s not a spoiler. It’s telegraphed in the trailer) aka Sideways Part Deux is more charming, poignant and sweet than director Alexander Payne and lead Paul Giamatti have any right to be, but that’s no surprise for the duo that brought us Sideways. It may be the holiday movie you never knew you needed. None of the lead characters have family that make them feel safe and loved during the holidays. This is the story of them finding each other, as damaged and full of baggage as they all are.

Festivals Reviews

THE HOLDOVERS (TIFF 2023) – Review by Emma Badame

September 20, 2023September 21, 2023 Emma Badame Alexander Payne, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David Hemingson, Dominic Sessa, paul giamatti, The Holdovers, TIFF 2023

Filmmaker Alexander Payne’s latest offering is not particularly original in any of its elements and doesn’t attempt to break any new ground, but as it transpires, that’s not at all a bad thing. Well-acted, lovingly directed, and sharply written by David Hemingson, The Holdovers is a warm, nostalgic hug of a film that harks back to a specific and beloved era of filmmaking. Payne sets the film in the early ‘70s to allow for a showcase of his vintage favorites. From the soundtrack to the color palette, he immerses his film in everything of the era and it truly works in the film’s favor.