CINEMA REVIEW: THE HOLDOVERS (2023)

Directed by Alexander Payne

Written by David Hemingson

Produced by Mark Johnson, Bill Block & David Hemingson

Main cast: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Carrie Preston, Gillian Vigman, Tate Donovan etc.

Cinematography: Eigil Bryld

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

The Holdovers (2023) is the latest film from director Alexander Payne. Over the last, coming up to nearly thirty years, Payne has made eight films, often collaborating with writing partner, Jim Taylor. While hardly prolific Payne clearly favours quality over quantity of film product. He tends to gravitate to literary adaptations that are driven by strong characterisations and universally identifiable themes. His films often focus on every-men and women, outsiders, eccentrics, losers and underdogs of society. Such characters may have a certain middle-class privilege, yet they are never alpha-heroes. Payne’s collection of teachers, writers, actuaries, lawyers and therapists are never too far away from career, personal, financial or mental breakdowns.

This directorial facet is prevalent in The Holdovers (2023) with Paul Giamatti cast as classics professor, Paul Hunham. He teaches at New England private school, Barton Academy, where he once attended with a scholarship. Giamatti is absolutely perfect as this arrogant and often brutally honest teacher. Linguistically and intellectually superior to those around him, he is pretty much despised by most of the pupils and especially his own boss, the ineffective Principal. Only Carrie Preston as Lydia Crane, another staff member, shows him any warmth. Having cost the school an important donor Hunham still will not compromise his ethics. Thus the Principal forces him to manage the “holdovers”, pupils who cannot, for significant reasons, get home for the Christmas.

The theme of being held over is more than just being trapped in a virtually empty school amidst the wintry landscape of 1970’s New England. The characters of curmudgeon Hunham, troubled student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), and grieving head cook, Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), are also held over by their respective career, familial and emotional conflicts. This trio of memorable characters contain so much feeling within David Hemingson’s often hilarious and moving screenplay. Initially being confined gives way to a road movie of sorts as the narrative carefully builds discord, humour and ultimately a sense of community and understanding between the three.

The Holdovers (2023) is a nostalgia film of the highest quality. For me it’s as if Hal Ashby had directed The Breakfast Club (1985). Ashby’s 1970’s films were certainly an influence on the genre, story and rich cinematographic style present here. Moreover, the fantastic trailer and marketing clearly privilege the 1970’s styling, including the font used. However, Payne’s rendition is not as darkly themed as Ashby’s work, even though in Mary Lamb’s character there is a suggestion of social commentary in respect of her son’s death in the Vietnam war. While Payne takes less creative risks, that is unsurprising given the critical and box-office failure of his last film, the highly original but frankly disappointing, Downsizing (2017). Finally, with a terrific screenplay and Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph on sterling form, The Holdovers (2023) is a sophisticated comedy-drama that stimulates the brain, strengthens the rib muscles and warms the heart.

Mark: 8.5 out of 11