Genre: Film
Grade: A-
Notable People: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa Directed by: Alexander Payne
Title: The Holdovers
Review: Wonderfully done Christmas movie from the always excellent Alexander Payne, was a boon for me in my fist theater experience since last spring. Me and four wheelchair bound blue hairs in the dark matinee room- how is that not grace? If you like Giamatti, you will love this; if you’re not a fan, you may find his role a bit familiar, but the film is good enough to go see any way. Lifetime, isolated academic, Giamatti, gets left behind at prestigious New England boarding school to stay with the five kids whose parents don’t want them me for Christmas. All but one eventually get rescued leave but one, and the mayhem pursues. Sessa is a total revelation in his first role and Randolph completes the movie’s big three with aplomb. The film was surprisingly emotional- but not in a cheap sort of way, and nearly as predictable as you would think, given the concept. Best praise I can give is that I found myself thinking a lot about it two days later. Very well done period piece for 1970 with quirky cultural inclusions of Vietnam, Little Big Man, the Newlywed Game (a metaphor?), the resurgent Jonathan Edwards, Librium, and great hairdos. Very well worth an afternoon in the dark.