Rating of
3/4
The Holdovers - Review
Matthew Brady - wrote on 12/31/23
"Life is like a henhouse ladder. Shitty and short."
From start to finish, I had a goofy smile while watching The Holdovers. It’s sweet and thoughtful that despite taking place in the snowy Massachusetts, USA, it has a warm and welcoming feel.
It’s a holiday season type of movie starring three characters who could not be more different from each other but “found” each other in complicated times. One is a cranky and stick-in-the-mud history teacher named Paul Hunham, who smells fishy. The other is an African American woman named Mary, who is the cook for the school but is dealing with her grief after losing her son to the Vietnam War. And lastly, a troublemaking student named Angus, who is a colossal pain in the ass you will ever meet, but deep down, a good kid who needs love and understanding. All three remain on the school campus during the Christmas holidays. They have no family or friends to go to. They don’t have anything.
Paul Giamatti is excellent as Paul Hunham, as Giamatti masterfully balances the humour and drama so effectively. After so many years, he continues to amaze us. His scenes with Newcomer Dominic Sessa were dynamic, hilarious, and moving. Speaking of which, I cannot believe this is the film debut of Dominic Sessa, especially when playing a character with an emotionally/mentally complex trait, but Sessa shows star power by nailing the part on his first go.
However, the film's heart belongs to Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Mary, who is dealing with grief, expressed in quieter moments. The real battle is happening on the inside. The pain is raw and will be for many years to come. But even in the darkest of times, we still can find happiness in the things we surround ourselves with.
I love how this was shot like a movie in the 60s/70s. The colours, the audio, and the titles are spot on. It captures the feeling and looks well, whereas other throwback movies fail to do the same.
The film has a story structure that isn’t new, and we know what will happen next. Two people who at first don’t get along, but when they spend a lengthy period with each other, they begin to warm up and change as people. You have seen this before. However, I don’t see this as a bad thing, as it never was sent out to be challenging or new, but a throwback to those types of stories you want to a happy ending. While watching the film, you know what will happen but want it to happen. I mean, how do you want this to end? Nobody gets along, the characters learn nothing, and nobody changes for the better. Who wants to see that? Are you trying to subvert expectations? Are you trying to be a smart ass? Who am I talking to here?
A predictable story can be annoying, but weirdly enough, it works here.
It is one of those movies that, as soon as the movie ends, you miss the characters. Director/writer Alexander Payne may not expect this to be a potential holiday classic, but he should embrace it! The Holdovers is a feel-good movie.
