Title: The Holdovers
Year: 2023
Director: Alexander Payne
Country: US
Language: English
On Twitter The Holdovers has been compared to the films of Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude), Indeed they both have a love for Cat Stevens' music and a similar interest in misfit youth who take a journey in self discovery. Payne purposely evokes Ashby - starting from the opening titles- and gives us a picture that drips of nostalgia.
A cranky history teacher (Paul Giamatti) at a remote prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student (Dominic Sessa) who has no place to go.
Cinematographer Eigil Bryld uses a repertoire of long zooms, fades and extreme close-ups to make The Holdovers look like a film made in the 70's. The score- which is an addictive weekend listen- the set design, and the costuming immerse the audience further into this time period.
The screenplay is remarkable, giving us very complex characters who develop tremendously throughout the runtime. It has a good balance of comedy and drama - allowing us to feel a variety of emotions for each character. The acting, particularly by Giamatti, is remarkable. I have rarely hated and loved a character so deeply.
The Holdovers is simultaneously arthouse and mainstream. I can't quite let myself consider it to be a masterpiece, but it is a great film and I hope it wins Best Picture when the Oscars arrive.
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