THE HOLDOVERS (2023)

November 9, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. We’ve all had that teacher. You know, the one with an evil streak who just seemed to thrive on making students miserable. Throw in a staff and administrators who feel the same way, and the casting choice for the teacher becomes obvious.  Enter the always great and perfectly curmudgeonly Paul Giamatti. This is the first time Giamatti has worked with two-time Oscar winner Alexander Payne since their brilliant SIDEWAYS (2004), and it’s clear these two share a wavelength for comedy and drama, even in throwback form.

Paul Hunham (Giamatti) is a long-time professor at Barton Academy, an all-boys private prep school located in the snowy northeast. It’s December 1970, and an early scene exemplifies how he relishes the failing grades he bestows upon desperate students so afraid to disappoint their rich parents. In the final class before the holiday break, the student-teacher banter doesn’t go so well for the boys, and they head to break with an extra workload. Hunham is easily manipulated into babysitting the titular holdovers – students stuck at school over the break, while most others spend time with family, often on exotic trips.

Initially there are five students, but after a certain development, what remains is Hunham, smart but troubled Angus Tully (first timer Dominic Sessa) and the school’s head cook, Mary Lamb (a divine Da’Vine Joy Randolph, DOLEMITE IS MY NAME, 2019). Hunham is perpetually annoyed and has a weakness for booze. Angus is frustrated that his mother left him at school so she could travel with her new husband, and Mary is grieving over her son who was killed in Vietnam. Watching these three struggle to bond is a case study in psychology, yet of course we know they will ultimately form a family of misfits, depending on each other to offset the loneliness.

The genius tagline for the film is “Discomfort and Joy”, and initially the first overshadows the latter. Isolated from the world in their own way, the three characters begin to influence each other, showing broken/wounded people need and deserve love and friendship as much as anyone else. “Entre nous” (just between us) becomes a kind of calling card for this trio, and a Christmas party thrown by an eternally optimistic staffer (Carrie Preston) is a turning point.

Giamatti is master of this material and only goes over the top a time or two. It’s painful and humorous each time he is so anxious to infuse his breadth of ancient civilization facts into even the most mundane conversations. Newcomer Sessa possesses star potential and nails a complex first role. Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s Mary is the heart of the film, doling out advice to Hunham and comfort to Angus. Depression is a vein running through these characters and it’s acknowledged, though not the focus.

This is Alexander Payne’s first film since the disappointing DOWNSIZING (2017), but his brilliance has been proven in ABOUT SCHMIDT (2002), SIDEWAYS (2004), THE DESCENDANTS (2011), and NEBRASKA (2013). This time he’s working from a screenplay by successful TV writer, David Hemingson, and though there is never much suspense about where the story or characters are headed, we enjoy the ride immensely. Cinematography from Eigil Byrld (IN BRUGES, 2008), perfectly complements the emotions (shot on digital, graininess added in post), and the soundtrack is period-specific, including the great Cat Stevens. Pay attention to the retro opening credits and logos, and enjoy a smart and funny film (an Alexander Payne trademark).

Opening in theaters November 10, 2023

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

NEBRASKA (2013)

November 24, 2013

nebraska1 Greetings again from the darkness. Director Alexander Payne has proved yet again that he has a remarkable eye for characters, and no need to bury those characters deep in plot. About Schmidt, Sideways, and The Descendants provided us with characters we could laugh with, cry with and feel with. His latest is his first film which he did not write, but it’s clear that he and screenwriter Bob Nelson are similar type people watchers.

What you notice immediately is that this film and its characters move at their own pace. There is no rushing or urgency. They do nebraska2things and say things in due time. Or not. What you also notice is that the camera does the same thing. Filmed in stark black and white, the camera is exceedingly quiet and still … just like the characters and landscape. We can thank Director of Photography Phedon Papamichael, who also worked with Payne on Sideways and The Descendants. Even the score is a bit offbeat. The blending of trumpet and guitar is rare, yet seems to fit just right.

Bruce Dern is 77 years old and in his sixth decade of acting. While I have liked him quite often – and really liked him in The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) – this may be his best performance and best role yet. Dern’s Woody Grant is an alcoholic, nebraska4and hard of hearing, and crotchety, and isolated. More seriously, he seems to be in the early stages of dementia given his insistence on walking to Nebraska to collect his “winnings” from a mass marketing mailing similar to Publishers Clearing House. With minimal dialogue, we “get” Woody. That’s thanks to Dern’s physical performance and ability to emote through simple gestures. We feel his quiet desperation in the search for meaning in a life that is slipping away. He just wants to be somebody before the end.

The delivery mechanism is a road trip shared by Woody and his very patient son David (Will Forte). We sense David looks at the trip as an opportunity to connect for the first time with his dad, and maybe even get some life questions answered along the way. On the trip, other family members join in, including Woody’s other son Ross (Bob Odenkirk), and Woody’s colorful wife Kate (June Squibb). The trip takes them to Woody’s hometown where they cross paths with other family and old friends.

nebraska3 Woody’s insistence that he is about to be a millionaire brings out the “true self” in those whose paths they cross. Many of his old friends are truly happy for him and wish him nothing but the best. Others aren’t so kind. True colors can be hard to watch, especially as shown by Woody’s old partner Ed Pegram (Stacy Keach), and other family members who are just after “their fair share” of the loot. The movie excels in these moments … watching a fiery Kate put these vultures in their place, while defending the husband she has spent the whole time badgering is priceless.

Ms. Squibb delivers the film’s funniest lines, but she also gives a depth to Kate that adds the level of realism. Will Forte is surprisingly effective given his “Saturday Night Live” background, but we never lose sight of Bruce Dern (and his hair). The characters we see are grounded rural midwesterners who live their life from day to day, depending heavily on family and friends. Their interpersonal skills are quite different than what is found in metropolitan areas, and those born and raised in heavily populated areas may struggle to relate.

The film should garner Oscar nomination consideration in multiple categories, and Mr. Dern is probably a shoe-in for a Best Actor nom. So slow down and share this trip from Montana to Nebraska … while I can’t promise a prize of one million dollars, you will definitely be rewarded.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you enjoy character driven dramatic comedies based on people you might know (if you know people in the rural midwest)

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: your sense of humor is more likely to parallel that of Adam Sandler or Will Ferrell than Sideways or About Schmidt.

watch the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT5tqPojMtg

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE DESCENDANTS

November 19, 2011

 Greetings again from the darkness. Ahh … finally! I was beginning to wonder if 2011 was going to produce a film that I could whole-heartedly recommend to both cinephiles and casual movie goers. Writer/director Alexander Payne has delivered a gem. And in a giant surprise, it stars George Clooney as a guy going through real life stress, and in his own words, “just trying to keep his head above water“.

Clooney plays Matt King, a lawyer in Hawaii who is also the trustee of a family land trust. Only this is no typical family land trust. It involves thousands of pristine Kauai acreage that has been left untouched for hundreds of years. The endless stream of “cousins” want him to sell to a developer for enough gold to make them all filthy rich. The locals don’t want him to sell as they believe in the spiritual nature of land, not the green backs of hotels and beachfront homes. And Matt only wishes this was his biggest problem.

 Matt’s fun-loving wife has been injured in a speed boat accident. She is in a coma and the prognosis is not bright. She also has a living will that states no life-support, which is another of the problems Matt must face. Additionally, he must re-connect with his two daughters. See, Matt has been the workaholic attorney that has left the child-rearing to his wife. The two daughters prove to be more than a hand full for the clueless Matt. Scottie (Amana Miller) is the youngest and is struggling with how to react to the state of her mother. Alexandra (Shailene Woodley) is off at boarding school in hopes that she can be tamed from her wild ways. These three must come together and really bond for the first time.

 Those three problems would be enough for any one man to handle, but Matt receives one more bit of information. Turns out his wife was having an affair at the time of her boating accident. So, “having a bad day” seems a little insufficient for Matt’s situation. At this point, the movie takes a sharp left turn turn and almost becomes a mini-road trip movie. Matt, his two daughters and Alexandra’s odd friend Sid (Nick Krause) take on the mission of informing friends and relatives, while also tracking down the “other guy”.

It may seem like I have given away much of the story, but in fact, all of that has been discussed in one of the trailers. What sets this film apart is how this web of stress is handled by Matt and daughters. The story is based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings, and the screenplay is co-written by Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Watching Matt as he struggles through each decision and situation makes us pull for him, even though he really isn’t anything special … he’s not all that friendly or charming (a rarity for a Clooney character), and certainly not a polished parent.

 Alexander Payne has given us About Schmidt and it’s been 7 years since his last feature, Sideways. Both of those excellent films, and this one, give us a character on the brink … full crisis mode. Some of his characters lash out (Paul Giamatti in Sideways), while others turn to introspection (Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt). Here, Clooney’s character seems to have many decisions to make, but the biggest one is reconnecting with his own soul and being the kind of man he needs to be, for himself, his daughters and the sacred land.

 In addition to Clooney’s fine work, I was very impressed with Shailene Woodley as his oldest daughter.  Veteran Robert Forster turns in a macho role as Clooney’s father-in-law, who harbors some resentment towards him.  Matthew Lilliard and the underrated Judy Greer play the crucial roles of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Speer. Beau Bridges plays the leader of the cousins, which also includes Michael Ontkean (from The Rookies in the 70’s).  You might also recognize surfing legend Laird Hamilton as Troy, the driver of the boat when Clooney’s wife is injured. The other two key characters are the beautiful state of Hawaii and the pitch perfect guitar and island music throughout.

The characters and story are so effective that you will find yourself tearing up in the same scene where you laugh out loud. And that will happen more than once. Few filmmakers can walk the high wire between comedy and drama better than Payne. We connect with these character as they are real people … we KNOW these people. And we know excellent filmmaking when we see it.

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you enjoy a multi-faceted script with realistic characters and dialogue that sounds like something any of us might actually say OR you would like to see Clooney’s best performance to date (even better than Syriana).

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you prefer your comedy to lean towards slapstick and your drama to be a bit less real-world scenario

watch the trailer:

1 Comment | Comedy, Drama | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson