February 19, 2024 · Watch the official trailer
Showcasing isolation in cinema doesn’t always have to be about one actor alone on-screen languishing in a world devoid of togetherness.
Filmmaker Alexander Payne does a remarkable job of creating isolation in grief, resentment, and abandonment with his Academy Award nominated drama “The Holdovers,” which saw some success in limited theatrical release and now featured broadly on the Peacock streaming service ahead of the Oscars ceremony next month.
His vintage take on life at a boarding school for boys feels entirely ripped out of another time in cinema both in production design, but more so in the overall aesthetic and style of filmmaking that Payne employs to make the film practically as if it had been filmed decades prior and left on a shelf to be released in 2023.
From an Academy Award nominated screenplay from David Hemingson, “The Holdovers” follows an unlikely trio of erstwhile compatriots stuck in a snowy New England boarding school for the Christmas break, each dealing with their own traumas enhanced by the isolation and loneliness of an icy winter.
Veteran character actor Paul Giamatti reteams with Payne for the first time since 2004’s “Sideways” to give perhaps a career-defining performance as curmudgeonly schoolteacher Paul Hunnam, whose disdain for the world and exacting moral certainty place him at odds with everyone around him from students to fellow staff members.
While his Paul is possibly an alcoholic as portrayed in the film, Giamatti does not let this define the whole character, rather accent and nuance the layered man within. The subtle ways he’s able to soften an almost Scrooge-like heart over the course of two hours is challenging to pull off without feeling overacted or forced, yet Giamatti always is firmly in control of his emotions and his almost mentorlike chemistry with first-time actor Dominic Sessa as Angus develops well beyond audience expectations.
This isn’t to say anything diminishing about Sessa’s performance, which feels equally classically trained and Angus evokes shades of a character that might be better placed in an early Richard Linklater film. However, the ease to which Sessa is able to hold his own against Giamatti’s gravitas and showcase both characters as equals rather than natural rivals leads to the film’s stirring conclusion.
Perhaps the strongest performance in the whole film and the one most likely to win an Oscar this year, Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the school’s head chef Mary is fierce on the surface.
But as she’s able to reveal Mary’s inner pain, Randolph delivers the film’s most important, poignant moments with bittersweet sadness that is magically showcased, especially in one scene set in the school’s chapel where no words are spoken only quiet facial expressions carry the weight of the moment.
As a trio Giamatti, Randolph, and Sessa perfectly balance each other out and although they are not all on screen together as much as some audience may prefer, Payne masterfully guides the actors as they navigate through the subtle complexities of the screenplay.
From a filmmaking perspective, “The Holdovers” keeps in line with Payne’s more reserved, standoffish directorial style where scenes are allowed to breathe with little camera movement or editing to highlight the terrific acting on display more completely.
While “The Holdovers” is certainly a middle of the pack Best Picture nominee, it’s unlikely that it will overtake more popular frontrunners such as “Oppenheimer,” “The Zone of Interest” or “Poor Things” and could only receive a win for Randolph for supporting actress out of its five nominations.
Regardless, as one of the year’s best films, “The Holdovers” is certainly well worth seeking out for an at-home viewing on Peacock for audiences wanting to finish watching all the best picture nominees or simply looking to spend an evening at home with a quality drama.
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