The Holdovers (new Alexander Payne)

[Noodle Lizard]

Well this was great, I thought. Perfect for this time of year, and a return to form for Payne whose work I've either disliked or ignored since Nebraska. This feels far more like Sideways or Election, using as it does several of his key tropes - Paul Giamatti's disillusioned academic may as well be the protagonist from both of those movies in a different timeline - but more importantly it captures the warmth and focus on humanity of those films without ever really feeling cloying or overly sentimental. It drifts close to that at points, and I suppose it's full of clichés in many ways, but there's nothing necessarily wrong with that if it's done well, which it is.

If I had to criticise it, I'd say that Da'Vine Joy Randolph's character is perhaps a bit underserved. She gives a great performance, and the character isn't underwritten, but her depth is almost too obvious and it feels like it didn't lead to anything all that satisfying compared to the journey of the two male protagonists. I imagine this is more a case of Payne being able to relate more to those characters, whereas Randolph's character is there as a sort of counterpoint to them. Still, it was a fair attempt to say something about class differences, and in less considered hands that character could easily have been comic relief and not much else whilst leaving the blatant class issues an elephant in the room - although there might be a case to suggest that the topic of race remains an elephant in a film set where it is when it is.

I also thought there was more to mine from the other group of holdover students, especially the dynamics between Sessa and the younger kids, but that gets cut off fairly abruptly. Understandable, the film's primary plot doesn't begin in earnest until about 45 minutes in as it is, and perhaps it's better with a lot left unsaid about them. There is an admirably understated payoff with one of the characters towards the end, which I thought was very effective without saying anything at all.

It also nails the atmosphere, with far more striking cinematography than I've seen from anything else of Payne's. There are sections early on which give me the same feeling as the early scenes in The Shining, almost cosy in a barren, desperate sort of way. The music is also a highlight, both diagetic and non-diagetic, drifting as it does from choral Christmas hymns to more contemporary songs. It's almost on-the-nose with its relevance to the film's themes - indeed there's a scene where one character expounds upon the musical appreciation of the two different generations central to the story - and it works in the background in a way I didn't notice until perhaps the halfway point. One for the film schools there.

Overall, good stuff. One of the better things I've seen this year. I don't know if it's out in the cinemas across the pond, but it should be "available" by now anyway. Recommend it.

[sevendaughters]

Trailers have been in cinema recently so can't be far away. Looking forward to it, had similarly lapsed on Payne too.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I saw this was available but thought I'd wait for the reviews. I've only ever seen Election and About Schmidt, do you (or anyone else) know if Sideways is still considered worth checking out, or if it has aged badly?

[non capisco]

Yeah, I thought this was wonderful. It's probably hard for anyone to make a film about the redeeming power of kindness without it becoming unpalatably sentimental but Payne completely nailing that tone is impressive.

Spoiler alert

The dad in the mental hospital greeting his son with the glowing, grateful words "Hello, sweetheart" and then immediately lapsing into impenetrable paranoiac thought patterns was a scene I found incredibly emotionally affecting

[close]

[sevendaughters]

I saw this was available but thought I'd wait for the reviews. I've only ever seen Election and About Schmidt, do you (or anyone else) know if Sideways is still considered worth checking out, or if it has aged badly?

I can see why Sideways might be viewed as a bit passe being as it is about i. an existential crisis of a middle aged man ii. who is a wine enthusiast and iii. the film is delivered in a relatively light tone - but I think it is a genuinely good film aimed at sentient adults who have been a bit bruised by expectations of life not panning out. Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church have a really good chemistry; you can believe that these two very different men retain a thread of a friendship. Also the bits that are meant to be funny actually are.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I can see why Sideways might be viewed as a bit passe being as it is about i. an existential crisis of a middle aged man ii. who is a wine enthusiast and iii. the film is delivered in a relatively light tone - but I think it is a genuinely good film aimed at sentient adults who have been a bit bruised by expectations of life not panning out. Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church have a really good chemistry; you can believe that these two very different men retain a thread of a friendship. Also the bits that are meant to be funny actually are.

Thank you for that, I only knew it as a film about friends who drank wine (which sounds reductive, but my memory is appalling) and that does sound like something I'd enjoy, so I'll definitely obtain it and watch it soon.

[Noodle Lizard]

Sideways is great, and more than holds up for me at least (depressive white guy who likes wine). I rate About Schmidt very highly too.

[Bad Ambassador]

I find Payne's work almost intolerable. Comedy without humour, just depressed middle-aged men.

[Butchers Blind]

Comedy without humour, just depressed middle-aged men.

Welcome to CaB.

[Bad Ambassador]

Arf.

[kitsofan34]

Just read a puff piece on the BBC website about how Giamatti hopes this becomes a new Christmas classic. It's release date in the UK? January 19th.

[Noodle Lizard]

Just read a puff piece on the BBC website about how Giamatti hopes this becomes a new Christmas classic. It's release date in the UK? January 19th.

Ah that's incredibly annoying. It's already on streaming over here, so therefore "available", should you want it. I wouldn't say it was something that needs to be seen in a cinema, but Giamatti's right in that it feels like the sort of "Christmas film" we haven't seen in a long time, not entirely unlike a film that might have come from the era in which it's set (indeed, it opens with the old Universal logo and a 70s style title card). The first half an hour or so is clearly taking cues from If..., for instance, and the main thrust of it has the requisite elements of It's A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, although it's nowhere near as boring or derivative as that comparison makes it sound.

[Better Midlands]

I didn't realise it was the same director as Sideways when I watched this, nice little film.

I enjoyed Sideways but can't remember much about it apart from Paul Giamatti and wine, I should watch again as it will probably hit different to a 20 year older me.

Edit: just looked on IMDB & Sandra Oh was in it, don't remember that either.

[paddy72]

This is a late addition to my films of the year. Loved it.

As has been said here and elsewhere, it could have been terribly mawkish and cloying in the wrong hands. It isn't though, testament to the writing/direction/performances.

Paul Giamatti is always watchable, and especially excellent here.

Baffling scheduling in the UK though, given that it's not officially released until January. I suspect it might be kicking around at the Oscars.

[sevendaughters]

Sandra Oh was in it, don't remember that either.

oh she's great in it! kicks the shit out of Thomas Haden Church.

[sevendaughters]

in fact because of this thread I rewatched Sideways and it really stands up.

[Whug Baspin]

I love Sideways, there are certain slapstick moments are the hardest I've laughed in a cinema and seem to get better when I revisit them. @Noodle Lizard  thanks for mentioning this, it might have passed me by.

[dissolute ocelot]

I've come to really hate Sideways as it's epitome of the sort of movie worst-human-being-ever Peter Bradshaw adores. But yeah, I enjoyed it at the time, and About Schmidt and Election are both great (Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt redeems decades of shit performances). Nebraska was a bit dour, without being as fundamentally bleak about human nature, so I didn't like it as much (too mature for me?). This sounds as if it might go the same way, but is maybe better?

[Small Man Big Horse]

I really enjoyed this, Noodle Lizard's opening post puts it better than I could, but while I'm a sucker for films featuring absent fathers and those who step up to fill their roles, there's a fair few other things going on here that were explored in a very thoughtful way. It might not have been the most subtle of films but I thought it was genuinely heartfelt, and the finale had me welling up. 8.4/10

[QDRPHNC]

Watched this last night, and while I didn't dislike it, I also didn't find it as charming and wonderful as the critical acclaim would suggest. Thought it was quite a cold film in a way — as if someone had typed in "indie bittersweet coming of age comedy drama directed by Alexander Payne" into ChatGPT, in the sense that it felt very rigidly structured, secrets and emotional moments delivered on cue whether or not the timing was organic to the story overall and ultimately it all just felt a bit surface-level. I think if this had been made 15 years ago, before the majority of popular films became multiverses, sequels and soft reboots, it would have been received much less generously.

A review described it as both underwritten and overwritten, and I agree with that. Characters are constantly telling us how they feel about each other, while the story rockets through a checklist of moments that need to happen in a film like this to get to the end of a film like this (grumpy teacher softens, rich kid is humbled, depth of grieving mother's grief is revealed) without ever laying the proper groundwork for any of them.

[finnquark]

I loved this, really helped me think more about a few things to do with teaching I've been grappling with recently.

Favourite bit was the brief ice skating scene. Giamatti stood watching the lad skate with a pipe, that little chat they had at the edge of the rink, great stuff. Captured the enjoyable connection you get between different generations and the ways you gradually connect with students in a very short scene.

[Wet Blanket]

Really enjoyed this too. Doesn't break any new ground at all but is utterly charming.

I loved the touch of opening with the 1970s BBFC certificate. Have they done one of those for every region?

[Blue Jam]

I loved the touch of opening with the 1970s BBFC certificate. Have they done one of those for every region?

I hope so. That was indeed a lovely touch.

Absolutely loved this. Could watch Paul Giammatti being a cynical, world-weary curmudgeon all day. Also appreciated the little cameo from "Dollar" Bill Stern.

[AngryGazelle]

Saw this today and I loved it. The tone was just right and all the performances were fantastic.

A solid adult drama with just the right amount of sentimentality.

Mr Giamatti is awesome.

[Tiggles]

Adding my voice to those who enjoyed this. I think @Noodle Lizard has captured pretty much everything I felt about it. A lovely film, coming-of-age drama that shows coming-of-age happens at different times in our lives (and maybe more than once)?

Cracking performances, and just the right side of sentimental. Will definitely watch it next Christmas if I can!

[sevendaughters]

I enjoyed this a lot, switched off my brain for the entirety and let the waves of lived-in prestige cinema wash over me. I don't think it coalesces into anything mighty, and I probably prefer the summery tones of Sideways to this bleak midwinter. But a return to form, a good film, all those things people are saying are essentially true.

[paddy72]

It just sneaked in as one of my films of the year when I saw it a few weeks back.

Just as an aside, Giamatti was excellent on the WTF podcast recently. And off the back of that, I discovered he has his own podcast about weird stuff with guests such as Bruce Campbell and Billy Bob Thornton. It's like I dreamt it, but it actually exists.

[Mister Six]

Really enjoyed this too. Doesn't break any new ground at all but is utterly charming.

I loved the touch of opening with the 1970s BBFC certificate. Have they done one of those for every region?

The US got one of those, yeah.

[Sebastian Cobb]

I really enjoyed this, helped the cinema was packed and the people around me seemed to find it funny too.

Spoiler alert

The bit where Giamatti tells the guy in the cinema to fuck off had me in bits, it's up there with Gleason in trading places.

[close]

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I liked this a lot. As others have said, it really doesn't matter that you can more or less predict where it's heading, as the journey and denouement are handled so well. It hits familiar story beats with loads of wit, charm and earned emotion.

And it really does capture that Hal Ashby-esque feel it's going for. I quite like Wes Anderson and his film, but Payne understands that Ashby in his '70s pomp wasn't wholly defined by his styistic quirks and deadpan whimsy. There was an underlying sincerity, some actual emotional depth and heartfelt social satire, to every film he made.

Anyway. Yes. The Holdovers is very good. And it inspired me to watch Being There again last night, which is an actual masterpiece.