The Holdovers<\/em> made it look like it was going to be one of those smaller, quirkier comedies that rarely get wide releases anymore. What I definitely did not expect was to step into the theater and be transported back to 1975. But that is exactly what Alexander Payne\u2019s latest film does; in both tone and style.<\/p>\nEverything from the script, to the locations, to the film grain has a vintage sheen that evokes classic films from previous eras. The story is simple and character driven too, revolving around the central trio of characters to allow for an intimacy of storytelling that also feels completely out of date. It never hits the highest of highs, and sometimes I think the most emotional and affecting moments are cut short, almost as if Payne was worried that going too deep into the story would distract from the style. But, the movie creates a timeless connection that certainly has been key to it\u2019s place as a frontrunner in several categories for this year\u2019s Oscars.<\/p>\n
As far as the Oscar ceremony goes, The Holdovers<\/em> may not be helping the beleaguered telecast draw in viewers (though if there are a whole lot of Da\u2019Vine heads out there who are going to tune in, I want to meet them all), but that doesn\u2019t seem to be hurting its chances in several of the categories. All the film\u2019s five nominations are in major categories\u2014Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing\u2014and the film seems to be a strong contender in several of them.<\/p>\nIn Best Supporting Actress, Da\u2019Vine Joy Randolph is the absolute runaway favorite to take home the award. Her performance as grieving mother Mary Lamb absolutely anchors the emotional side of The Holdovers<\/em>. The undeniable power of the silences and moments of erupting pain play on Randolph\u2019s face no matter what the character is doing. The character could have seemed pretty stereotypical and lifeless with a less vivid performance, Randolph avoids that and makes every moment that Mary is off-screen a moment the audience longs for her return.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
For Best Actor, the race seems to have boiled down to Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer<\/em> vs Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunnam in this film. Both have done amazing work in these parts and are deserving of recognition. Giamatti famously somehow wasn\u2019t nominated for his previous film with Payne, Sideways<\/em>, for a performance many thought could have won that year. I\u2019m not sure which way the race will go, but Giamatti is at his absolute best in this part. Hunnam is equal parts sage, mentor, sad-sack, and jerk, and Giamatti is able to keep hitting all the notes throughout. It\u2019s the type of character and performance that certainly feels like it has existed forever, and the archetype surely has\u2014that is both the great strength and real weakness of the entire film\u2014but the way Giamatti brings the character to life still feels fresh.<\/p>\nThe Holdovers<\/em> had also been gaining a lot of momentum in the predictions for Best Picture, but that momentum seems to have come to a screeching halt after Payne missed out on the Best Director field (though at least that means he wasn\u2019t the cause for someone else being pushed out). Also sadly missing out on what I think would have been a well-deserved nomination was Dominic Sessa. The newcomer, who had never acted in a film before, plays Angus Tully, who is basically the co-lead of the movie with Giamatti. Sessa has a lot of deep and introspective material and constantly has to share the screen with Giamatti and Randolph at their best, and he absolutely nails the performance. The Oscars were probably never going to give a nomination to a teenager in their first film, but it would have been a deserved nod if they had.<\/p>\nIn the end, while The Holdovers<\/em> was certainly not the flashiest of the Oscar contending field. It was clearly exquisitely crafted and I personally am always a sucker for a small character study of a film. We keep hearing that movies like this can\u2019t and aren\u2019t made anymore, and for the most part they aren\u2019t. Yet The Holdovers<\/em> is exactly that.<\/p>\nIt is astounding not only that it was produced in the first place but that it was also pretty successful and is the frontrunner, or at least strong contender, for two major Oscar wins (and David Hemingson\u2019s screenplay is a dark horse contender for Best Original Screenplay as well). The Holdovers<\/em> probably won\u2019t drive viewers to the telecast, but I think more movies like this would help get more people back to theaters.<\/p>\n