The Wayback Machine - https://web.archive.org/web/20231107231740/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-holdovers/
X
Close Ad
In Theaters Now
2023
R
Focus Features
2 h 13 m
2023
R
Focus Features
2 h 13 m
SummaryA curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them -- a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) -- and with the school’s head cook, who has jus...
SummaryA curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them -- a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) -- and with the school’s head cook, who has jus...
Filmed in subdued tones of burnished browns, The Holdovers might best be described as the movie version of that favorite pair of corduroys that miraculously still fit: stylish, if a little worn in places, softened by time and made more generous by the life lived inside them.
Pure cinematic nostalgia. I was reminded of a time in life; my version of these events. Payne makes coming-of-age stories about grown ups. As if there were an important basic childhood lesson that was missed, which creates a hole that needs to get smoothed over. Since this movie is set over the holidays, we have our Scrooge character and then we have various archetypes, or values, presented by other characters. Do we have more in common with others that we thought? Are we missing out on friendships right under our nose? Is life about adjusting to certain discomforts or radically rejecting them until we achieve satisfaction? There are some profound moments in the film, and they are all deftly handled with a lot of organic breathing room given to the actors to feel out the scene. The beautiful production design (including the choices of camera, film (?), color) sets the stage for the actors to really step into the shoes of the characters. All the performances are good and memorable down to the smallest part. That’s all I would need to say about the direction. The script is fantastic. I haven’t read it, but it feels brought to life accurately. I can feel the script in the film but not in a stuffy way. It has structure, pathos and great little moments that are brought to life through creative interpretation. It feels like a well considered film, neither too far a drama or a comedy; as Dramedies go I’d say it’s 50/50. Many moments are fun and poignant at the same time. I expect The Holdovers to be even more poignant on second viewing now knowing the characters’ full arcs. What impresses me so much about the characters is that they arrive fully formed, they are fully formed throughout, and it ends with them fully formed. Yes there is character growth, but it’s that character growing, not being re-written into someone they weren’t already to begin with. The actors are given a lot of bandwidth to continually bring out different aspects of their characters so nothing feels out of place later whether it’s an aggression or a kindness. Someone can be harsh in one moment, and nice to someone in the next. That’s what life is like. There’s not a firm line between “hero” and “villain” like in many works of fiction. Everyone is the “hero” of their own journey, but sometimes they took an arrow without realizing it. And not until they stop blindly moving forward (or half blind?) for a holiday break can they realize where damage was done, pull out the arrow, and make the necessary adjustments to turn the next page of their hero’s journey. The Holdovers is a beautifully story, well told, and a reminder that the scope of a film can be epic even in small moments as long as we understand who the characters are and their choices have weight. 9.5/10
The Holdovers is a warm blanket on a sad day – an unconventional Christmas movie that finds reasons to move forward even in the hardest of times. And while students of the dramedy may anticipate its every narrative turn, there’s something magical about a film that encourages empathy, especially when it asks much of us.
There are a couple plot threads I found weird — particularly in the final push — that don’t land as powerfully as they intend to. But the resolution is immensely satisfying regardless of a few blips. It’s Payne’s finest work in years.
There’s a reason 70s cinema is so revered for astounding character studies. In this age of superheroes, it is nice to have a throwback that lets us see some normal humans working out their differences the old-fashioned way — by being stuck together.
The fact that characters are provided with statutory secrets, to be disclosed at nicely timed intervals—as happens with Hunham, Angus, and Mary—does not guarantee any intensity in the revelation. The leading players here, however, bring force and grace to the task.
In this latest offering from director Alexander Payne ('Election', 'Sideways', 'The Descendants', etc.), set in the 70s, a grumpy and contentious college history professor (Paul Giamatti) finds himself stuck on campus watching over the handful of young men unable to return home for the holidays for various reasons, and finds himself unexpectedly bonding and sympathizing with a particularly troubled young student (Dominic Sessa in an incredible debut). First of all, I didn't have too high of expectations going into this one, because truth be told, I've never really been all that big on Alexander Payne films. They've typically never been my cup of tea, as I find them a little too straightforward, pedestrian, or simply not funny or memorable enough. Most people seem to love his sophomore film 'Election', which I always found incredibly overrated and populated with nothing but unlikable characters. 'The Descendants' was cute and at times emotional, but also mostly forgettable in my eyes. And 'Nebraska' was simply boring and too understated. The only film of his I've ever truly loved is 'Sideways', which was full of wit, humor, and heart. Coincidentally enough, this was the only other time him and Giamatti worked together, that is until this film of course. And after watching this one, I've come to the conclusion that both of these men collaborating together creates pure onscreen magic, because I absolutely adored just about every minute of this funny, heartwarming, and charming little film. And yes, this is largely in part thanks to Giamatti and his brash yet yet compelling and humorous performance, but his chemistry and onscreen charisma and presence, particularly with newcomer Dominic Sessa is also the film's biggest highlight by far. However , Davine Joy Randolph also gives a superb supporting turn here as well. In addition, the screenplay and dialogue is witty and heartwarming in all the right places. Overall, this is a surprising yet very welcome return to form for Payne, and a long overdue reunion between him and Giamatti. I also now consider it the only other truly great film from Payne besides 'Sideways', which to me says a lot. I'm certain it'll charm and delight the pants off of most folks like it did me.
