In a bizarre bit of scheduling, the Christmas based film, The Holdovers has been released here in mid-January. Paul Giamatti stars as Paul Hunham, an uptight professor at a New England boarding school who has to supervise the ‘holdover’ students left on campus for the Christmas period.
The Holdovers is set in 1970 and director Alexander Payne does a great job at recreating the period. At times, it felt like I was watching a film from the early 70’s, such was the gritty but free-wheewling feel of the movie.
David Hemingson’s screenplay is both insightful and very funny, with Paul delivering some hilariously scathing insults and home truths. Giamatti is utterly brilliant in the part, making a prickly character sympathetic from the start without ever having to lapse into over sentimentality.
In supporting roles, Da’vine Joy Randoloh is excellent as the school kitchen manager trying to cope with the loss of her son in the Vietnam War and Carrie Preston brings warmth to the part of an admin assistant who sees the good in Paul.
Sad, funny, and with something to say about the gap between the rich and poor in America, this is amongst Payne’s finest movies.
Rating: 9 out of 10