The Holdovers
Gideon Patrick

Review by Gideon Patrick Patron

The Holdovers

2023
★★★★

Watched 11 Nov 2023

What a pleasant surprise. Honestly I wasn’t expecting much out of The Holdovers, despite the praise from trusted critics, simply for my previous dislike of Alexander Payne’s films. Despite the obvious—the wonderful blending of cold depression and warm comedy, snow and whiskey, studying by the fire— I really loved how this played for an audience. I had a full theatre that laughed the whole time, and I brought a couple friends who aren’t necessarily predisposed to “higher brow” fare that adored the film. The shot where Paul walks out of the front the school and it snap zooms out to reveal nothing there but snow got a massive laugh, which weirdly gave me such a feeling of hope: That in 2023, audiences are still laughing at jokes that are told visually and take advantage of the medium. 

I cried several times. I laughed throughout. It deals honestly with difficulties but still leaves you comforted by the end. A future Christmas classic?

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