Film: The Holdovers
28 May | 8:00 pm
Tickets €5.50 (plus €1.50 booking fee per ticket)
Access cinema | Alexander Payne, USA, 2023, 133 mins, 15A
Christmas, 1970. Paul, a fastidious and curmudgeonly teacher at a New England boarding school, has the least desirable job on campus: looking after five students who are unable to return home over the festive break. Aided only by cafeteria manager Mary, Paul vows to run a tight shift. That puts him on a collision course with Angus, a reluctant ‘hold over’ student who’d rather be anywhere else over the holidays.
Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers is a delightful attempt at crafting a 1970s style comedy-drama for the 2020s. With three superb and widely-acclaimed turns from Giamatti, Randolph and newcomer Sessa, this is a charming, funny and bittersweet film proving that, occasionally, Hollywood really can make ‘em like they used to. Starring: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa