The Holdovers Review: Alexander Payne And Paul Giamatti Reunite For This Marvellous Film [TIFF 2023]
Alexander Payne has long been one of the most respected American directors, tapping into unique stories of the human condition. From high school elections ("Election"), the abortion debate ("Citizen Ruth"), or even wine tasting ("Sideways"), Payne has a way of finding humor and heart in everything he directs. His work never really faltered until his last directorial effort "Downsizing" in 2017. While I was higher on it than most, it lacked much of Payne's signature charm that makes his movies, often about unbearable people, so irresistible.
Speaking of unbearable, one of his most prickly and obnoxious characters yet takes the lead in "The Holdovers." Paul Dunham (Paul Giamatti) teaches ancient civilizations at Barton Academy, a top-tier boarding school in the 1970s. His course is the greatest love in his life — Hunham references various points in ancient history more than he blinks, bringing an immense knowledge of his subject matter that's unrivaled. But he's an unbearable teacher, constantly befuddling his students with a teaching style that they're unprepared for, hitting them over and over with creative insults. Hunham is anything but the nurturing, even-mannered teacher that kids away from home at a boarding school would yearn for: he's aggressively by the book, tough as nails, and completely unwilling to change.
Hunham is looking forward to a quiet Christmas holiday in complete solitude — the place where he's happiest. But he's been given a task he's completely unsuited for, responsibility for the holdovers — a group of students unable, for various reasons, to go home over the winter break. Forced to take on these students, Hunham has one method of dealing with them: making them suffer as much as he does. Amongst the students is Angus (Dominic Sessa), whose mother canceled their holiday plans at the last second to go on a honeymoon with Angus' new stepfather. He's the smartest kid in Hunham's class, but also a grade-A pain in the ass, a constant thorn in Hunham's side who's been kicked out of a number of schools. If he gets booted from Barton, military school looms next.
Taking place in the early 1970s, "The Holdovers" is gorgeously conceived, looking like a lost relic from the decade, complete with period-accurate opening logos, and a beautiful, grainy texture that brings you immediately back to how movies looked then. It's wonderful to see a film look like it was shot on, well, film — even if it was done digitally, albeit with period-accurate lenses. Cinematographer Eigil Bryld's work effectively evokes the natural lighting and textures of '70s classics, capturing the audience in a warm glow of nostalgia.
A Trio Of Perfect Performances
"The Holdovers" is a wonderful movie. It plays with our expectations, giving both Hunham and Angus as unpleasant a first impression as one can get. But the more time we spend with both characters, the more we get to know them, understand them, and love them. That's also true of Mary (a sensational Da'Vine Joy Randolph), the head cook at Barton whose son was recently killed in the Vietnam War, just one year after graduating. Granted, Mary doesn't leave a negative first impression, and Randolph does such intricate work with her character that you are deeply invested in her journey.
The script, written by David Hemingson, is brilliantly layered, smartly building our understanding of these characters, while also being one of the funniest films in some time. Hunham has laser-sharp insults that are impressive in their creativity and curt nastiness. The film is delicate in its handling of sensitive subjects while maintaining a warm sense of humor, and it never stops being interested in probing the humanity of the characters.
Nobody peels back a**holes quite like Payne, and I found myself loving every second spent with these difficult people. I felt what they felt, and was overcome by emotions on multiple occasions, impressed by how natural and realistic every interaction and moment felt. Mark Orton's score is lovely and never cloying, assisting emotional beats without being overbearing. And the soundtrack perfectly evokes the era, especially the use of "The Wind" by Cat Stevens.
With the wrong actors, "The Holdovers" would not be the magnificent film it is. Giamatti may be the best he's ever been — ever reliable, Giamatti is outstanding as a hardened professor with a softness hidden within a labyrinth. He carries much of the film through his charm (or lack thereof), and that's nothing short of magnetizing. Sessa may be the find of the year — in a rather serendipitous twist, Sessa is a senior at the school where the film was shot. He provides a perfect emotional and comedic foil to the hardened Hunham. And both are brilliant alongside Randolph, who balances humor and heartache with gusto.
"The Holdovers" breezes through its considerable 135-minute runtime with ease, and it would be easy to imagine spending another few hours with this fascinating bunch of characters. Not enough movies are made like this anymore, and "The Holdovers" is proof that we need more thoughtful, studied, loving, and irresistible human stories on screen. It certainly helps, however, when Alexander Payne is at the helm.
/Film Rating: 9.5 out of 10