The Holdovers (2023)

Alexander Payne’s period piece is a profoundly nourishingly funny and moving film, his best since Sideways. The critic praises Paul Giamatti’s awards-worthy performance as the curmudgeonly teacher and the impeccable period style that feels like a dispatch from 1970s cinema.

The review hails the film as feeling like a lost ’70s classic that reunites Payne with Giamatti for a generous portrait of flawed characters. It singles out the humane exploration of class, race, grief and the lead performances for praise.

The film is described as a warm, humanist portrait of the need for gentleness that mellows from a grating start into nuanced explorations of trauma, privilege, and connection. The central trio's layered performances and Payne's avoidance of sentimentality are highlighted as strengths.

Alexander Payne’s bittersweet nostalgia trip is a highly skilled, sharply intelligent comic drama dressed up as a gooey heartwarmer. The critic singles out Paul Giamatti’s standout performance as the grouchy teacher who makes an old lesson feel new.

An excellent Christmassy dramedy with witty repartee and strong turns from the leads in a boarding-school holiday lock-in. It avoids saccharine excess thanks to Randolph’s grounded presence amid the privileged setting.

The spirit of the American New Wave lives on in this curmudgeonly Christmas drama with a big heart. Giamatti, Sessa and Randolph complement each other wonderfully in a slow-burn charmer channeling Hal Ashby and Bob Rafelson.

The review praises the finely tuned tale of misfits stranded over the holidays and the force and grace brought by the leading players. It singles out the director’s conclusion of the fable with a handshake rather than a hug.

Payne has directed his strongest movie since Sideways, a funny and moving tale of a cranky teacher and pupils marooned over the holidays. The critic calls it a great big warm hug of a movie, immaculately executed and worthy of awards, anchored by Paul Giamatti’s never-better performance.

A delightful, loveable answer to The Breakfast Club and an unexpected Christmas gem with a genuine glow. The review singles out Giamatti’s curmudgeonly yet rootable performance and the film’s jaded hopefulness and 1970s texture.

The critic praises Giamatti's standout performance as a prickly teacher whose vulnerabilities and compassion emerge over time. They highlight the film's generous portrayal of its characters without sentimentality.

The critic praises the reunion of Payne and Giamatti as a hilarious yet melancholy return to form and a new Christmas classic. The performances, especially Giamatti's, and the finely tuned 1970s period detail are singled out for their charm and engagement.

The critic describes the film as a charming and disarming heart-warming dramedy that works brilliantly as comedy while offering subtle social commentary. Giamatti's unlikeable-yet-engaging teacher and Randolph's soulful performance are highlighted as the heart and soul of the story.

The critic calls the film a clunky, phony white-elephant gift that feels diagrammatic and self-satisfied. He singles out the patronizing treatment of the Mary character and the script’s overstatement for complaint.

A wistful 1970-set character study that reunites Payne with Giamatti for a crushingly wistful tale of unhappy characters forming uneasy bonds. It praises the lead performance and the bittersweet tone familiar from the director’s best work.

The critic calls it a nostalgic, funny, moving and thought-provoking film that evokes mid-1970s Hollywood cinema and may be Payne’s finest. Strong praise goes to the lead performances, especially Giamatti’s, and the warm yet bittersweet tone.

A warmhearted throwback and leisurely character study saved by strong performances that prevent pure sentimentality. Giamatti, Sessa, and Randolph are praised for their chemistry and insights, with the film attuned to class constraints on its outsiders.

Alexander Payne delivers a terrific, bittersweet throwback to 1970s American cinema about misfits stranded together over Christmas at a boarding school. The critic highlights the achingly sharp performances, especially Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the grieving cook, and the film’s bracing astringency beneath its melancholy humour.

The critic finds the film an engaging but uneven comic drama that builds to a satisfying conclusion. They praise the strong performances, especially Giamatti's, and the understated emotional depth in the final third.

The review highlights Giamatti's magnetic performance as making audiences love an obnoxious character and calls the film magical and affecting. Payne's deft blend of comedy, pathos and meticulous 1970s recreation is praised as awards-worthy.

The critic finds Alexander Payne’s film crackling with pungent life as it strands three sad souls at a 1970s boarding school over Christmas. He singles out the director’s emotional finesse and the sharpness of the comedy and characterizations.

The critic finds it a delightful, redemptive story of personal growth, friendship and sacrifice that skilfully navigates the human condition. They single out Paul Giamatti's career-defining, cantankerous performance as a man hiding from his feelings.

The critic calls it a marvellous, wonderful movie with perfect performances and a brilliantly layered script. They single out the gorgeous period-accurate look and Giamatti's outstanding lead turn.

The Holdovers is one of Alexander Payne's warmest and most big-hearted films, a charming yet melancholy Christmas tale with a great trio of performances. The critic singles out Paul Giamatti's brilliant, deeply felt portrayal of the cantankerous teacher as perhaps his best yet.

The critic calls it the best film of the year and a huge, sweeping waft of cinema. They single out the achingly good story, three standout performances, and how it feels like a nostalgic, unapologetically cinematic movie from another era.

Payne delivers one of his best with this warm, funny and poignant story of three lonely people forming an unlikely family over Christmas break at a boarding school. The critic singles out Paul Giamatti’s perfectly cast, brilliantly delivered lead performance as the curmudgeonly teacher.

The film balances retro fun with harsh emotional realism and succeeds while critiquing privilege. It centers on the relationship between a sarcastic teacher and a troubled student, with standout performances from Giamatti, Sessa, and especially Randolph as the grieving cook.

The critic sees it as prestige comfort food that is genuinely funny with well-rounded characters and spot-on '70s nostalgia. They single out the aesthetic collaboration evoking a lost relic from the decade.

The review finds the film a sweet, good-looking throwback that is familiar and occasionally schmaltzy but wistful and heartwarming, with a pleasingly inviting period style and strong emotional arcs. It singles out Randolph's stirring performance as the film's best element and the cozy, grainy 1970s aesthetic.

The critic praises the film's shift toward sincere, nuanced nostalgia and its well-developed screenplay that balances comedy and drama. Strong performances from the lead trio, especially the natural bond between the jaded professor and the troubled student, are highlighted as making the story feel earned and cozy.