They said it couldn't be done but here we are, getting in our Christmas episode riiiiight before the big day!

A few years ago Alexander Payne's The Holdovers made a big splash and became an instant Christmas classic to many. The film follows professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) as he is forced to look after the students without anywhere to go over Christmas break. Through a series of events he bonds with a talented but mischievous student played by Dominic Sessa, in an incredible debut performance, and the school's head cook (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) who just lost her son.

Joining us for this conversation is friend of the show Marta Djordjevic. We cover many things including:

Dream Criterion Collection titles
The beauty of New England in the winter
How Payne and cinematographer Eigil Bryld masterfully evoke 1970s cinema
The way the whole film is shaped by the underlying realities of class, race, and economic disparity
Layers of meaning that are revealed in repeat viewings
How funny the movie is
and MORE!

We hope you enjoy the film and our discussion! If you do, be sure to tell a friend 😃

List of Substantive Cinema Episodes

Watch along with us on Letterboxd and tag your reviews "substantive cinema" so that we can se them and engage with them on future episodes!

Shoutouts:

Malpertuis

La Vie De Boheme

The Timekeepers of Eternity

Highest 2 Lowest

Open Throat by Henry Hoke

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191: Substantive Cinema | The Holdovers feat. Marta Djordjevic