I will be the first to admit that there are some directors I still struggle to appreciate fully, and Alexander Payne would be on that list. Let me be clear; I don’t think his movies are bad, but out of the three I have seen before The Holdovers (Election (1999), The Descendants (2011) and Downsizing (2017)) I almost loved the first one and liked the other two. But I never “got” why is he so admired, although there are some of his well-known movies I haven’t seen yet. Luckily, I am happy to report that after The Holdovers, I will try to fill in the Payne gaps, as I adored this movie.
Everyone and their mum says the same thing about this movie – it feels like a cosy blanket. Even myself, just look at the title of my review, I am no different! However, what I appreciated about this film was how much more there is to ponder, how real some of those moments and scenes felt and how this movie showcases one important thing – you can’t get cosy without being uncomfortable first. Many movies that want to be like this forget that if you don’t show us the uncomfortableness and sad scenes, the cosy ones are not that impactful.
This film realistically stands on three performers – Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa. All three very different performances, actors and pieces of puzzle that ultimately created the bigger picture. The chemistry they formed within this group worked brilliantly, and each performer contributed in their unique way, which was just a joy to watch.
For Dominic Sessa, this is his feature debut. I can’t imagine doing any better job with this role than what he did. His character had to be on the verge of a charismatic prick, where he slides towards the charismatic in some scenes, only to go to the “prick” part later on. However, throughout this movie, we start to understand him and like his character. And if you can hold your own in a scene with Paul and Da’Vine, you know you will make it big, and I can’t wait to see how his career will look in ten years.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a multifaceted performer, and the world is finally catching up with her. Her character has one big scene, but where she truly shined for me were those quiet moments of suffering. Mary (her character) is still mourning her son, who, despite being a student at this prestigious school, is the only one from his class to go to fight in the Vietnam War and dies there. That’s not a spoiler; we are introduced to that fact quickly. We then watch Mary struggle with grief and try to move on, and Da’Vine nails this performance. It’s no secret that she is as sure of a lock in her category, so soon, we will get to write “Oscar-winning actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph” and I, for one, can’t wait. As I said, dramatic scenes are always fun to watch, but if you grasp us in those quiet moments/scenes, that is when you know you’ve got something special on your hands.
This statement might be weird to write, but stick with me here – Paul Giamatti is still one of the most underrated mainstream actors alive. For some bizarre reason, we all seem to agree that he is a star, we all seem to love him, and yet, this is his only second Oscar nomination! What’s more bizarre is that this is his first leading actor Oscar nomination! So, if we judge him on these criteria, he is brutally underrated. Luckily, in this movie, he shines so much it’s hard to ignore, as with his other two co-stars, he is a mixed bag. You can see the warts and all with this character, who can be is pretty unlikeable, smelly guy. But, as it happens, when you get to know him and dig deep underneath the surface, you will get the heartbreaking story of his time as a student, his rough family moments and, realistically, his entire life up until this winter break we see in this film. There is a scene involving him at a party, where his character finally feels like he can lower his shields after such a long time, only to be brutally hit the very next moment, and his reaction is… gut-wrenching. Like Da’Vine, he knows how to master these quiet moments and give us so much with so little.
Ultimately, that’s what The Holdovers is all about – three unlikely strangers get stranded with each other over Xmas. Nobody wants to be there; they all have their pains and look for their tribe. They all have scenes where they shine, and despite knowing how this movie will end, I couldn’t help but get in touch with my emotions. Several scenes hit you hard, but when you leave the cinema, you will mostly remember the unlikely friendship these three have formed. Not because the rest of it isn’t any good (it’s all excellent), but you will remember it because that bond feels real.
What I also admired about this film is how it doesn’t give us any definitive answer to any of our characters, respectively, whether they’ve changed because of this winter. Sure, we hope they would, and some seem to be on the right path, but the movie never does the “winning” montage. Without going into spoilers, the film ends one way, and it’s up to us to decide whether they all have learned anything from what they have been through or go back to their old selves. I can see one or two characters not being “fixed” and taking a bit more time with their issues, but I won’t tell you which ones because you might see them completely differently, and that’s the beauty of this film. It gives you a proper ending without tying everything with a bow.
Overall, The Holdovers is one of the best movies of 2023. The rawness, humanity, and social commentary that go hand in hand with this story, everything works here. On top of that, we get three brilliant performances, two of which are Oscar-nominated, and one is a sure winner. But even if this had zero nominations, it’s still a brilliant movie and my first Alexander Payne I can say I am fully on board with. I can’t recommend it enough.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke