Review: The Holdovers 4K UHD
4K UHD, Blu-ray & DVD: The Holdovers (2023)
This will be a biased review, because The Holdovers was my film of 2023.
Directed by Alexander Payne (who’s only really made one dodgy film and as dodgy films go, it’s really good) and who also gave us the joy of Election, About Schmidt, The Descendants, Nebraska and the amazing Sideways…actually, watch all of them, including Downsizing…I’ve never seen Citizen Ruth, you won’t be disappointed.
It’s 1970 in New England and unmarried, wonky eyed, Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is the dishelleved and possibly not very sweet smelling classics professor at Barton Academy; a boys-only boarding school. He’s a stickler for the rules and it’s obvious that his pupils hate him just as much as the other members of staff do.
Hunman’s former pupil is now the headmaster of the school and he pulls Paul in for failing the son of a senator, meaning there will be no large ‘donation’ that year. As punishment, Paul is told he’ll be looking after the ‘holdovers’ during the Christmas period. These are pupils whose parents are ‘away’ (can’t be bothered with them), one being Angus Tully, (Dominic Sessa -who’s never acted before), whose mother is on honeymoon with her new husband.
Along with cook Mary Lamb (Oscar winner Davine Joy Randolph), whose son Curtis attended Barton and was killed in the Vietnam War after being drafted.
This is a story of the heart, with so many laugh out loud moments, it’s the perfect Christmas film, not in the schmaltzy sickening sugary way, but rather a tale of what it is to be human, with all our hopes and dreams and frailties. It’s got a pretty simple story, I’d even say it’s a story of love and redemption, elevated by its script and the wonderful acting, particularly from Giamatti (who should have won this year’s Oscar hands down).
The look of the film is spot on too, snow filled and freezing, filled with those horrific 1970s browns and oranges…. which just glow in this 4K UHD release.
I really can’t recommended this film highly enough, it’s beautiful and is one of those rare films that has a beginning, a middle and a good solid end, instead of meandering off into the distance and looks beautiful in this release by Dazzler Media.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Cast of The Holdovers – Featurette
Working with Alexander – Featurette
Deleted Scenes (with intro by Alexander Payne)
Alternate Ending – “Mary Continues On”
Dazzler Media presents The Holdovers on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD from 22nd April.
Review by Tina from a 4K UHD disc kindly supplied by Dazzler Media via The Warrior Agency.
