The Holdovers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		5.0

The Holdovers Blu-ray Movie Review

Not at all like a hen house ladder.

Alexander Payne's 'The Holdovers' makes its debut on Blu-ray disc courtesy of Universal. In keeping with the 1970s aesthetic of the film, the 1080p transfer is accompanied by a DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 (LCR) track. A short list of supplemental features includes an alternate ending, deleted scenes, and a few "behind-the-scenes" features. The Blu-ray disc comes packaged with a slipcover, a DVD disc, and a Digital Code.

Back in 2004, when Director Alexander Payne delivered Sideways many film fans and critics alike swooned over the clever script and impressive performances from Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church. That film was a story about two somewhat broken middle-aged men at a crossroads in their lives on a quick trip to wine country: Giamatti's Miles, a recently divorced struggling writer and middle school teacher who drinks far too much wine and cannot move on with his life; and Church's Jack, an actor with a waning career and an impending marriage who is looking for a final fling. That film, both funny and heartfelt, addressed the personal tragedies and struggles of both men, who were at their core unlikable. Payne made us care about them deeply, anyway, and Giamatti delivered the finest performance of his career up to that point. 2023's The Holdovers displays Payne's growth as a director who can expertly craft very human stories and Giamatti turns in a performance that easily surpasses his acclaimed work in Sideways.

Similar to Sideways, The Holdovers is filled with broken people. Giamatti's Paul Hunham, an ancient civilizations teacher has an "occular imparment", a rather unfortunate medical condition, and a massive chip on his shoulder, all of which conspire to keep him alone and at odds with students and faculty alike. While we occasionally get glimpses of the human underneath it all, the wall he has spent a lifetime building is highly effective at keeping everyone out. Student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) also keeps everyone at arms length. His abrasive personality and random acts of rebellion are likely resultant from his unbearable family situation, and he seems to be unmoved by the threat of military school. Food Service Supervisor Ms. Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Dolemite is My Name, The Lost City) is isolated and alone as well, her situation brought about by her heavy drinking as a result of the loss of her son in Vietnam. While damaged, each has a relatively upright moral code, but each is incapable of enacting necessary (and potentially lifesaving) changes on their own.

Set in late December at Barton, a boarding school for wealthy college-bound boys, Paul Hunham, who has incredibly high acedemic standards, no desire or intent to play politics, and no family is informed that he is obligated to stay on campus over Christmas break and supervise a small group of students who don't have anywhere to go for the holidays. This is punishment, it seems, for failing a senator's son and costing him his admission to an Ivy League college. With him is the emotionally untethered Mary Lamb, mother of the school's only soldier lost to Vietnam to date. While initially consisting of five boys, four are quickly able to leave with one of the parents who has a change of heart and whisks them off for a ski trip, leaving only Angus Tully behind for a rather bleak break. Tully is in dire straights of his own after having been expelled from several previous schools. Barton, his mother says, is his last chance before getting sent to a military academy and then, inevitably, Vietnam. This unlikely trio has a number of adventures in and around the school and nearby Boston which will test them and change them, hopefully for the better.

Truth is a central theme in The Holdovers. "Barton men don't lie" is a mantra that we hear both Hunham and Tully repeat on numerous occasions. But the truth is quite different. Barton men do lie. And, as it turns out, they lie very easily and very well. Tully's initial lies are about his parents. First he is unable to say that his parent's aren't together, then he states that his father is dead, and eventually we discover the truth is something else. Later we watch him craft an effective lie in the hospital to protect Mr. Hunham's job. He summons forth an impressive amount of emotion in his voice and tears even well in his eyes as he doesn't just say the words - he performs them; and the nurse believes it all. Afterward, rather than casting the lie as something negative or improper, Tully actually states to Hunham that he "did something nice for you", and with a crooked smile, asks for a simple "thank you" for this good deed. Hunham is also able to quickly fabricate a story to save face when he needs to. While in Boston, he and Tully encounter one of Hunham's former classmates from his time at Harvard. Rather than tell the truth, Hunham weaves a lie about teaching overseas in an attempt to impress. Tully, standing right next to him during this exchange, even joins in with obvious glee, adding details and elements that force Hunham to adapt and embellish his story on the fly. Without going into an exhaustive accounting, suffice it to say more lies from these two men, both big ones and small ones, continue to arise throughout the film.

Contrarily, it is the Barton women who don't lie. Ms. Lamb is very candid about the loss of her son. She does not shy away from the completely utilitarian reason she took the job at Barton, and she is forthcoming about the factual reason why her son Curtis was unable to attend college and went into the military instead. She does not try to spin anything to make herself and her situation look better though most people would, nor is she embarrassed, though some people might be. Both are reasons to conceal and embellish her story, but Lamb opts for the simple and unvarnished truth every time. Ms. Crane (Carrie Preston, The Good Wife, True Blood) also consistently chooses honesty. She is unafraid to tell Tully and and Hunham what they need to hear, and confronts their historical revisions and mistruths with gentle words and a smile in way that is impossible for the two men to argue with or refute. While the women's kindness, encouragement, and/or guidance all have a direct and observable influence on the men's behavior, the women's strict adherence and dedication to the truth clearly does not. And while the men may help each other in various small ways throughout the film, with a kind word or a thoughtful act or what have you, the single most important thing they do for each other is lie.

As a film, The Holdovers succeeds on every level. It begins with a decidedly 1970s vibe that is evident from the very first moment that the film rolls and we are presented with old Universal logo, damage and debris and all. When we get to cinematographer Eigil Bryld's opening establishing shots, which are so completely indicative and emblematic of that era, we are instantly transported back to that time. The use of slow dissolves is another nice touch. The costuming is spot on, not only in regard to color but also fabrics, especially the preponderance of corduroy, and pipes. Sets are dressed with trendy appliances and products of the day, and characters even spout ad slogans from time to time. Once we reach New Year's Eve, we are treated to vintage ball drop footage complete with a graphic welcoming 1971. The cast, small though it may be, is excellent. Giamatti excels in a role that Payne admits was written for him, delivering some of the most literate barbs and insults ever committed to film. His portrayal of Hunham is incredibly vulnerable as he fights to maintain his position and authority in an environment where he doesn't have any friends or allies. With only a limited amount of stage experience to draw on, Sessa is outstanding as a damaged teenager who is alternately callous, kind, full of bravado, and afraid, able to switch emotions with ease. But perhaps the most shattering performance is that of Randolph, whose every word and action emanates loss until the point where it all boils over in a moment that, while brief, is remarkably powerful. The ending, while not quite as ambiguous as that of Sideways is still somewhat open to interpretation. We can believe what Ms. Lamb says, as she has never done anything but tell the truth. But Hunham and Tully are gifted fabricators. The entire film has born witness to that. It's going to take some additional consideration and perhaps an additional viewing or two to sus out how they're really going to end up. And each repeat viewing will be a treat.

The Holdovers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Holdovers' transfer is quite solid. Viewers will immediately notice it's slightly desaturated color palette which further aids its intended goal of transporting us back to the 1970s and making this look like a product of that era. Although the movie has a filmic look very much in line with products actually from that time, Eigil Bryld shot the film on an ARRI Alexa Mini and then worked with a colorist to create the film's vintage appearance. There are no bright or garish primaries to pop or dazzle. Instead, we are treated to a steady barrage of muted yellows, golds, browns, and oranges that those who lived through 1970s will instantly recognize. Though the image can be a tad soft at times, detail levels are high, affording us the opportunity to inspect the school's many rooms. Wood grain and wear are visible in the dining hall, age and dirt are easily picked out in Mr. Hunham's apartment, and years of use are evident in the kitchen and the pipe-lined corridors under the school. Ms. Crane's home is also resplendent with many opportunities to explore and pick out vintage products, decorations, and furnishings in her front room, kitchen and basement. The film's greatest asset, Paul Giamatti's highly expressive face, also exhibits high levels of detail, from his typically well-groomed mustache to the worry lines around his eyes. Other facial close-ups yield similar results, with Sessa's sadness supplemented with tears visibly welling in his eyes, and an excess of lipstick transferred to Preston's teeth in an intensely awkward but authentic moment. Black levels are adequate and I did not notice any defects or anomalies.

The Holdovers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Given the 1970s sensibility that permeates and is evoked from every aspect of the The Holdovers, it would have seemed positively anachronistic to layer a groovy Dolby Atmos track over these slightly less than festive holiday events and outings. Instead, the film sports a much more appropriate English DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0 track that is more than enough for what the film calls upon it to do. Dialogue is crisp, clear and precise throughout, and is consistently well prioritized. Music provides some of the soundtrack's most ambitious moments and is occasionally allowed to dominate (though in a very measured and controlled way) as it does early on with Damien Jurado's "Silver Joy" which plays out over the opening shots, working with the cinematography to cast a pall of melancholy over what should be a very happy time filled with anticipation and excitement, and to a degree, foreshadowing much of what is to come. The more raucous "Time Has Come Today" by The Chambers Brothers sits just above the chaotic scene in the dormitory's hallway as the boys prepare for their last morning at school before the break and again aids in cementing the viewer in the film's era. Although the volume of the music is amplified, the boys' conversations are still perfectly audible. Sharp-eared views will also pick out other gems in the background of later scenes like Shocking Blue's "Venus" and Tony Orlando and Dawn's "Knock Three Times". Indeed, the 3.0 track is quite sufficient for what is generally a quieter, more intimate film. English SDH Subtitles are also available.

The Holdovers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

A number of special features are included as follows:

The Holdovers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Touching, funny, literate, and bitter-sweet, The Holdovers, thanks to a high level of craftsmanship, draws us into December 1970 and takes us on a journey through what is probably the most impactful holiday season in these broken characters' lives. Paul Giamatti puts on an exhibition, inhabiting Paul Hunham with such humanity that we love him as much for his flaws as we do for the decent person hiding deep down underneath them all, even if, at times, we're taking that last bit on faith. The story itself is a simple one, but it is made complex and rewarding due to the efforts of an incredible cast who were gifted with an excellent script. While it may not be a Christmas movie in the traditional sense, some elements, like the Dickensian "people can change for the better" notion could certainly put it in that bucket, but I will simply include it in my annual holiday viewing due to its setting, its quality, and it's "rewatchability". The Holdovers absolutely deserves a spot in every Blu-ray collection and earns my Highest Recommendation.