Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

The Holdovers 

This is a return to form for Alexander Payne! After the lackluster reaction to his 2016 film downsizing he comes back in full swing with this drama/ comedy the Holdovers. From Paul Giamatti who gives a career best performance to newcomer Dominic Sessa the performances are top notch with fantastic characters you’ll grow to love within minutes of meeting them. It is very much in the same vein of his past works like the Descendants and Nebraska. He loves focusing on the outcast characters and studying the human condition and he taps into that beautifully once again with his work on this film.

Firstly, This film delves head first into the setting it takes place in. Down to the way the film is even formatted it makes you thrust back into the 1970’s and Paynes attention to detail is amazing. As the film is set back in the 70’s the way the picture is all grained and pixelated to suit the era it’s set in was brilliant. Even the way the colour of the lettering was done was fantastic it made you feel transported back to that time and that it’s a film that could have been released 50 years ago. That’s a detail to this film that he didn’t have to do but he did just to make the environment of the film feel that much more authentic which really stood out to me so I had to mention it. And then you have the story which is so rich and incredibly layered In such amazing character depth. As the film chronicles the story of 3 emotionally battered people who are forced to interact with each other over holiday break. You have an alcoholic, hard ass professor who many dislike for his teaching style then you have a student who has a attitude problem and hates everything about the way the teachers give authority to him and lastly you have a cook who’s lost her son and has to deal with that loss over her first Christmas without him as a mother. Then he takes all 3 of those characters and explores their inner demons and lets us see their hearts bleed as we think their just what we see on the surface but theirs so much more going on underneath and Payne explores that inner conflict so well. He’s always been so good at showcasing human connection through his body of work it’s one of his strongest suits as a filmmaker another director that does that so well is Cameron Crowe. He blends the dry witty humour with such great dramatic weight without pulling it in one direction instead it’s able to explore both tones so damn well without it being one note. The film takes its time making you feel the environment and getting you into each of the characters arcs and then once that’s established the electric chemistry among the three actors really shine brilliantly. What is so great of the Holdovers in terms of storytelling is his ability to make you understand each of their reasons for being who they are and he explores their hearts in a way that doesn’t totally explain everything about them but just enough that we know that’s why they have become the person they are and it’s told in such a witty and heartfelt way that really affected me deeply. He’s not trying to make this a repeat of his past work does he incorporate some of his signature themes for sure but he’s able to go places with these characters and show new creative things we haven’t seen Alexander Payne explore before. He tackles themes of regret, family, friendship and love and the way he is able to make the screen come alive with his take on this professor being left to look over students over winter break in such a moving and smartly written way was amazing. 

Secondly, The performances are outstanding! I have been saying for so long Paul Giamatti does not get the recognition he deserves when it comes to his work as an actor. Here he gives what is his greatest onscreen performance with his take on the grumpy yet lovable Paul Hunham. Who’s character  has a very cynical look on the world but we learn over the course of the film why he’s become that way and it’s from the sheer brilliant emotional honesty Paul Giamatti provides through his performance that truly makes him stand out. Then you have Da’Vine Joy Randolph giving a truly gut wrenching performance that is subtle and yet so brilliant. She plays this mother who’s grieving  the loss of her son over Christmas break which would devastate anyone into pieces yet she tries her best to stay strong for the sake of the kids and for her own mental state but even though she does her best their are moments she emotionally cracks and it’s presented in such a raw way that will have you moved to tears she’s incredible. Then you have newcomer Dominic Sessa who’s never acted in any film ever and has to essentially go toe to toe with Paul Giamatti which is no easy feat and he holds his own in a solid supporting performance that is both witty and emotionally powerful in his execution of this sharp student that just wants a good winter break. All three actors all give incredible performances whom bring special qualities to each of their characters that make them stand out in their own way the entire cast is fantastic. 

Lastly, The Holdovers is one of Alexander Payne’s best films in years and one of the best films of the year with his exploration once again on the human condition but told in a way that remains fresh and exciting. the Holdovers packs great amounts of witty humour while also making you  tear up a little due to the incredibly sincere emotion coming through from the performances onscreen. This is one of the best acted, written and directed films I’ve seen this year and a truly spectacular triumph for Alexander Payne delivering one of the best films of the year. I recommend everyone go see this film it’s not a massive big scale epic but even though it’s a smaller more intimate film dose not mean it’s not worth seeing on the big screen you won’t regret it. 

This film centres around a cynical tough as nails professor who is given the responsibility of watching over students who have no place to go over Christmas break

Rated R : Some Drug Use|Language|Brief Sexual Material

Paul Giamatti : Paul gives his greatest onscreen work with his role in the Holdovers and it’s truly remarkable! Now as I mentioned Paul is a truly underrated actor for his efforts in the films he does a lot of the time his fantastic talent goes totally under the radar and I don’t know why. Now with his work in more recent things he’s done like the show Billions and even Barney’s Version he’s always been a character actor that usually played supporting characters but in more recent years he’s been taking on leading roles which I think is great because he is definitely leading man material. Here he plays this cynical grumpy professor who is very much by the book and has constant conflict with his students and just people in his life he comes in contact with in how he carries himself. He very much has cut himself off from any form of relationship and that’s in any regard friendship, romantic and the people who he thinks like him such as his work peers all despise him but he has no idea because he likes to think some people like his blunt approach of teaching. Now his character is also very well educated on the topic of history and many of his interests that bring him joy most find very dry and or boring to learn he has a lack of forming positive connections with people and the sad reality is he is very much unaware of that fact until later on when a student opens his eyes. Giamatti is able to tap into that hard shell of a human being and explore the humanity he has within his heart. He can be very witty and harsh in getting his point across but he means well at the end of the day and Paul’s approach at taking on a very cynical character was brilliant as he was able to show such an evolution over the course of the story. We see why this man is so socially disconnected from the world as we learn more about him and why he is so opinionated when having conversations with others. The hurt he has faced over the many years of not just being a teacher but from his life has hardened his way of thinking and in many ways closed him off from enjoying the simple things in life. There is a student that challenges him constantly within the classroom but confronts him head on of why he cannot turn off being a teacher for one minute and just be a person who can be in the moment. Giamatti breaths such a sincere wave of truth through his soul into this character that makes him feel so lived in and genuine in his delivery of his dialogue. When he says a line it is laced with humour but unapologetic honesty that also can be very blunt at times when getting his point across  and the way he can just wrap himself up in each line with the perfect emotion for each scene was genius. What I mean by that is he took the perfect approach in how to deliver each line that best suited the emotional climate of the moment at hand. Their is never a moment you feel he is going to hard into the dry humour but it also never feels too heavy in heavy drama either he balances both in such a perfect way that you see the peak into this mans soul with his ability of using humour to protect his heart while hiding the heartbreaking sadness beneath. As he constantly butts heads with this kid that constantly gets under his skin he can’t help but respect him in a way of challenging him to open up his heart more and at a certain point you can see this father son type relationship blossom over the course of the film. He is able to finally talk about his hurt and pain as well as his interests with this young man because he’s one of the few that keeps him on his toes but if he admits it or not he gravitates towards because he probably sees a lot of his younger self in him. Giamatti can bring a fist of emotion to your jaw with a monologue that will have you in tears but then be able to have you smiling with his perfectly timed humour that explodes in the scene. I think this is honestly the best work he’s ever done as an actor as its a perfect performance from him in many ways as its a character that is so greatly written by Alexander Payne so he has the playground to explore each depth of this human being. Then on top of that he can show that great wit we know him for while also balancing it with amazing dramatic weight all at once and its a performance that very much is among the best I have seen all year. By the last twenty minutes of the film you see his character come to a beautiful arc that is very fitting and Paul Giamatti truly is remarkable in a performance that crackles in charisma and raw emotional truth that will have you drawn into his character the moment you see him Paul Giamatti is electrifying in what I think is his career best performance! 

Da’Vine Joy Randolph : Da’Vine is heartbreakingly brilliant in this film! She first got on my radar when she delivered an amazing breakout performance in Dolemite is my name. Which I still think she should have gotten awards recognition for as she was incredible in that so I am very glad people are sitting up and taking notice of her great work in the Holdovers. She delivers a gripping performance of a mother going through such emotional hell over Christmas. She plays this sweet cook for this big school where her time there is very much under appreciated. She very much is subtle in her approach to how she expresses her heartache. She keeps the peace between Paul and Dominic’s character whenever the tension gets to high and reminds them to be civil to one another as her mother instincts kick in. She may be dealing with her own emotional stress but she will not let the two of them tear at one another over Christmas especially after the recent tragedy she’s gone through. You can see the joy in her eyes to make Angus happy as since her kid is gone it’s a way of her healing by keeping this kids spirits up during the holidays. She brings such a softness and loving quality to the character you can’t help but gravitate towards. Randolph taps into the fragile bits of her heart that are shattered throughout the film but does her best not to cry in front of the kids or even the faculty but in the midpoint of the film she just feels everything in her body come crashing down and has a emotional breakdown in front of many people but at that point she does not care she’s been strong for so long and cannot deny herself the sadness she’s shoved down for so many days and weeks. It’s a gut wrenching moment felt in such genuine emotion that will bring you to tears as she’s expressing herself in a way that comes from such a honest place when you see her present her lines onscreen. It’s a performance that’s both heartwarming and loving but her heart is breaking in silence it’s truly a outstanding performance by Da’Vine Joy Randolph that is the best work she’s given of her career. It’s a tremendous performance that will stay with you Randolph is a triumph! 

Dominic Sessa : Seasa delivers a fantastic breakout performance that is one to take notice of! Now people need to understand this is his first ever film he has very little to none prior work experience as a screen actor. Now seeing him go toe to toe with Paul Giamatti as a screen partner was amazing to watch as they have great chemistry and bounce off one another verbally so well. As he plays this very quick witted but also emotionally distant kid who has his guard up due to always being not taken care of properly in the way he should be. Now the way he brings this character to life onscreen was so thrilling to watch as you see his arch from this sarcastic to what we think is over privileged kid to this very emotionally abandoned kid who just wants to be loved and not have his feelings discarded. As Paul’s character in the beginning constantly is annoyed by how easy this kid has had life so he thinks it’s always been smooth sailing for him so he refuses to spoon feed him in his class as he’s probably had his ego boosted so much and that’s the reason for the chipy attitude. But we the audience for a certain extent can see the case for that but once we learn more about who he is not just as a student but as a human being theirs so many layers pulled back of him that is more tragic then the last of why he’s so easily snappy with others due to how much he’s been walked over his entire life. Dominic brings that tragic hardness to the surface emotionally in such a sincere way that has your heart shattered for him. As you can see how he constantly has to justify his feelings and why he lashes out the way he does because of the unfortunate situation that has fallen onto him time and time again both to him and his family. When I say it’s a great breakout performance like it’s honestly so damn impressive the fact he’s never done a film before will blow your mind as he’s such a natural with his co stars and has such a great screen presence that never at all felt like it was his first ever screen credit. He’ll have you believe he’s been doing this for years due to his natural ability at commanding a scene. Once he verbally stops wrestling with Paul’s character we see an understanding of their personalities because he and his teacher even the cook all have trauma and hurt and they may not be the same but they can all connect through their collective pain and understand why they act the way they do. Seeing that unspoken understanding through his and Paul’s onscreen dynamic was outstanding as it goes beyond like a mentor type role they play off one another like a father son dynamic. He is the only person that also will call out Paul’s character for being such a stubborn and rude man and ask him why he the way he is and for his blunt approach to asking why he’s so tough on him not only does he learn more about his professor but he gains his respect in the process. Sessa is able to use his humour as a shield what I mean by that is you see that he uses his fast witty comments at protecting his heart from all the hurt that’s going on with him in a way of numbing himself. When he finally talks about his family and opens up over the course of the film we see he’s had to take on such mature and tragic things at such a young age that would have such a effect on anyone’s heart and Dominic showcases the emotional sincerity so well through his performance that will bring you to tears. It’s a performance perfectly presented onscreen by him that will amaze you and want to see what else this actor has to offer after blowing you away with his work on this film. Dominic Sessa is truly remarkable in a supporting performance that is powerful. 

Alexander Payne : Payne brings a return to form with his work on the Holdovers! Now this man is one of the best directors who can explore the human condition through hard events. The descendants was about a man trying to keep his family together after finding out his wife was unfaithful and so I guess what I’m saying is he knows how to write such interesting characters piece films. As with his work on the Holdovers he takes a cynical professor who many dislike and explore why he is such a cynic then he throws a kid who challenges him and lastly a cook who is breaking inside. character wise it is the strongest he’s ever been narratively he goes into territory we haven’t seen from him before which was so exciting. Since the film takes place around 1970 so it also is a period piece and he delves head first into the landscape of the time so perfectly down to each detail capturing the feeling of what it was like to be transported back to that time. His dialogue for each of the characters is so perfect and fitting for every moment to express he also is able to explore the sadness and heartache of these three characters in such devastating and honest ways that make you feel for them. It never feels sappy or over dramatic but always grounded and he explores the hearts of these three characters all having their moment to shine about their own personal struggles their going through. It’s the best narrative work he’s done as theirs so much going on with these three characters and he has the audience also be able to see themselves in the characters we are watching onscreen. It covers themes of loss, love, friendship, family and kindness and these are things he sure has touched on before in past works but not like this though. The way he fleshed out the characters and just really gave them such rich arch’s among a simple but yet solid story at the centre of it really kept you gripped the whole way through. It is both comedic and dramatic without one out doing the other theirs a great even balance he walks with the tone he sets with this film and not only is it so strongly well written but incredibly well directed Alexander Payne delivers career defining material with his work on the Holdovers.