The Holdovers (2023) Dir: Alexander Payne
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My anticipation for this film skyrocketed after I saw the trailer, and even more after the wonderful reviews that followed its United States theatre release. Alexander Payne's comedy drama looked like a throwback with modern flair, and I couldn't wait to watch it.
The first thing I need to mention is the cinematography if Eigil Bryld. Although the film was shot digitally, it was made to look as though it were shot on film, through artificial grain and faux scratches. This, along with the work done by colourist Joe Gawler, allowed the film to look remarkably authentic.
What was evident from the off was the sentimental love that Payne had for the early 70s. Aesthetically speaking, the film felt very true to the era, at least through my young eyes. It was so clear to see that Payne and Co had put in a lot of effort to comprise that retro, nostalgic feel.
However, as much as I'd love to sing the praises of the film's aesthetics, they weren't the best thing about the film. The story and the acting were even better. The emotional suckerpunches I received from the story have never been so gratefully and unexpectedly received as they were here.
I thought the narrative was wonderfully character-driven, and expertly did the narrative heavy-lifting implicitly, rather than through the bane of every critics life; exposition. This subtle storytelling was delivered excellently by a talented and varied cast, who clearly bought into the vision of Payne.
I can't express truly how much I adored the narrative work in the film. The two main arcs, following that of the two main protagonists, were brilliantly crafted. The only wish I'd have to improve the film, would be to give a little more time to the third protagonist's arc, because it was beautifully sad.
Paul Giamatti felt authentic, and he grew throughout the film, both in character and performance. His facial expressions and body language felt genuine, and it was esdy to forget he was an actor playing a role - instead he became the man he was portraying. There has been plenty of Oscar buzz surrounding his performance, and it was very clear to me as to why that was the case.
Dominic Sessa was immensely entertaining in the second protagonist's role. He had some wonderfully emotive facial expressions, and I found him absolutely hilarious at times. That said, he also absolutely nailed the more serious, heartfelt scenes too. It was all-around a brilliant performance.
Da'Vine Joy Randolph had some marvellously acted scenes with some powerful body language, that really drove home the emotion of her storyline. I found her extremely easy to watch and very endearing. She was simply lovely, and possibly my favourite character by the end of the film.
I also appreciated the performances of the likes of Brady Hepner, Carrie Preston, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost and Naheem Garcia. I was particularly fond of Garcia, despite him having pretty minimal screentime. He left a very good impression on me.
Overall, I was so unequivocally delighted by this wonderful film. I think it had heart, character and uniqueness - all of which made it an incredibly heartwarming, memorable and well-rounded story. Rarely do films make me laugh and cry as much as this one did.
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