TH E HOLDOVERS 15

★★★★★ OUT 19 JANUARY CINEMAS

Angus and Mary are less than thrilled by Paul’s idea for Christmas

Laughing through the Payne…

Rebounding from the muted reception to 2017’s Downsizing, Alexander Payne goes back to basics with his latest comedy drama.

Set in the 1970s, The Holdovers sees strict Classics professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) stuck at a New England boarding school over Christmas on babysitting duty, supervising students who are unable to return home during the holidays. One particularly rebellious student, Angus (Dominic Sessa), is giving him grief, but sure enough the pair soon connect.

Yes, it’s a familiar story that riffs on undeniable cliches, but that doesn’t prevent it from being a triumph. Arguably Payne’s best since the Oscarwinning Sideways, it thrives upon the writer/director’s reunion with that film’s leading man. Giamatti’s Paul is a man of tradition in every sense of the word, frustrating colleagues with his refusal to adapt to modern school politics.

Viewers might also find the character exasperating, were it not for Giamatti’s delicate performance; there’s an immediate warmth to him. Though he continually dismisses his students with unique insults such as ‘hormonal vulgarians’, you can’t help feeling that, deep down, Mr. Hunham does care about the boys of Barton Academy. Beneath the bravado are several vulnerabilities, which Giamatti slowly reveals as we grow closer to his reserved character.

DIRECTOR Alexander Payne STARRING Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner SCREENPLAY David Hemingson DISTRIBUTOR Universal RUNNING TIME 133 mins

The film’s other protagonists are responsible for Paul coming out of his shell, notably student Angus (newcomer Sessa) and cafeteria manager Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Despite this being his screen debut, Sessa seems more than comfortable going toe-to-toe with Giamatti; his performance is superb. Like Paul, Angus is also in emotional pain, but chooses to cover it up with an abundance of swagger. He too could have been an off-putting character, but Sessa’s charm renders him endearing.

Though the film ostensibly centres on the dynamic between Angus and Paul, it’s arguably Mary who is the beating heart of The Holdovers. Mourning the loss of her son, who was a student at the school, Mary chooses to stay there over Christmas to feel close to him. However, she doesn’t want any pity, only letting her grief show after several drinks at a Christmas party as her son’s favourite record plays: a heartbreaking scene that has ‘awards-show clip’ written all over it.

There’s something comforting and soothing about watching these three strangers become a found family, despite their differences and difficulties. The Holdovers is a loving testament to the power of the human spirit, albeit one that favours subtle, melancholic grace notes over any need to shout.

THE VERDICT Alexander Payne doesn’t put a foot wrong with a charming comedy drama that finds him on Sideways-rivalling form.