#2023 iffboston fall focus

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Movie Review: The Holdovers

Alexander Payne is truly the master of combining comedy and tragedy! His first few films Citizen Ruth, Election, and About Schmidt truly announced him with smart comedies that often times challenged the viewer. What really blew me away was his 2004 film Sideways. The comedy about two middle-aged friends in the Wine Country for a week before one gets married was such a LOL funny comedy one minute, sad about their mid-life trajectory the next. But in the end, it was about accepting where you are in life, not where you aren't. I out and out loved it! His next film 2011's The Descendants was a very multi-layered family drama set in Hawaii. I included it in my 10 Best Movies of the 2010s. I liked his 2013 father-son road movie Nebraska, but there was some pushback from audiences. God forbid a director tries to make a black and white slow burn! But I appreciated the ensemble cast and what he was going for. 2017's Downsizing was a misstep for Payne. I was all for him trying something different and stepping into wild Michel Gondry-territory, but the story was a little uneven. Now Payne has made a serious return to form with The Holdovers, which was actually filmed in Massachusetts last Winter, and reunites Payne with Sideways star Paul Giamatti. I got to attend a special IFFBoston Post-Fall Focus screening at Somerville Theatre and Payne himself attended for an intro and Q&A. There was actually a scene that was filmed at the Somerville Theatre and now the finished film was playing there!?!

movie poster

Set in Barton Academy, a private boarding school for boys, in 1970 New England just before Christmas break, Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, an unpopular curmudgeonly teacher. He gets stuck supervising students who are unable to go home for the holidays. Hence the name The Holdovers. Also there during the break is lunch lady Mary (played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, a scene-stealer from Dolemite Is My Name and the High Fidelity TV series). After all of the other students go away with one of the student's rich father, an unpopular student Angus Tully (played by newcomer Dominic Sessa) is left with Mr. Hunham and the two form an unlikely friendship.

This is easily one of the best movies of the year and one I'm sure is going to become better and better with each viewing during the holiday season. There is a serious early 70s influence, most prominently from Hal Ashby (Payne was among the interviewees in the 2018 documentary Hal about Ashby). But beyond the influences, this truly feels like the kind of movie that would have been released in the early 70s: the look, the feel, the sound, and the way the characters carry themselves. But like all of Payne's films, this balances comedy and tragedy. Without getting into spoilers, there is a sense of loss for these characters that is heightened by being alone during a holiday break. But that connection that is made is truly special. Sessa is a revelation. Payne has a knack for casting newcomers who swing it out of the park and Sessa is going places. Randolph is exceptional as a grieving mother. But it is definitely Giamatti's show. He's been consistently good in countless films since Sideways, but this is a part tailor-made for him. Someone who is highly intelligent, yet so antisocial. Payne isn't known for working with actors more than once, but we can only hope this is the start of more collaborations. All hail Payne!

For info on The Holdovers

4.5 out of 5 stars

Intro and Q&A:

The screening I attended, Payne gave an intro. He noted that this was the first screening on 35mm. After the film, critic Ty Burr (a friend and colleague of mine) moderated a Q&A. Here are some of the takeaways:

Burr and Payne at the Somerville Theatre

Local Crew: He had tons of positive things to say about the Massachusetts based crew that worked on the film. He mentioned of all the films he made outside of the state of Nebraska (i.e. The Descendants in Hawaii and Downsizing in Toronto), this is the one that has stayed in touch the most. In the audience at this screening were a ton of local crew members. You could hear cheering during certain scenes, locales and cast members. Payne mentioned that he didn't know New England, beyond visiting Dartmouth and some Ivy League colleges as a teen.

Somerville Theatre: in addition to being a location, Payne mentioned that they screened some 70s films for the crew in the cinema. He also added that the film had played festivals and had opened in NY and LA but this was the first screening on 35mm.

He talked about what he's been doing since Downsizing. He apparently flirted with directing The Menu and The Burial.

Screenplay: Five years ago he received a TV pilot from David Hemingson that was set in a boarding school in New England. Payne called him and said he didn't want to do the pilot but wanted him to write a screenplay in the same universe. This marked the first time he had directed a screenwriter as opposed to writing with a co-writer or getting a completed screenplay from a writer.

Casting: After not finding the right actor from a casting call, they began searching private boarding schools in Massachusetts. That's how Sessa was cast.

This event was a part of IFFBoston. For more info go here.

[greensparty]

Preview: 2023 IFFBoston Fall Focus

Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows my favorite film festival in Boston, in Massachusetts and possibly the world is Independent Film Festival Boston (read my coverage here).  I have a special place for this festival: in 2014 my documentary Life on the V: The Story of V66 had its World Premiere at the festival, and in 2015 I was on the Documentary Jury. IFFBoston’s mini-festival Fall Focus, where they showcase some of the Fall festival darlings will be taking place at the Brattle Theatre (Cambridge, MA) from Thurs. October 19 to Mon. October 23 with a special bonus screenings on Wed. October 18 on Mon. October 30 (more on that in a minute).

2023 Fall Focus logo

Here is my preview. There are loads of movies I’m looking forward to, but these are the films high on my radar:

Wed. 10/18/23:

This is a Pre-Focus Bonus and not an Official Selection of the IFFBoston Fall Focus. This year's Palm D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival Anatomy of a Fall screens at Coolidge Corner Theatre (Brookline, MA).

Thurs. 10/19/23:

The IFFBoston Fall Focus Opening Night Film is the mystery/thriller Eileen that takes place in 1960s Massachusetts. A young employee at a prison (Thomasin McKenzie) befriends a new co-worker (Anne Hathaway) and things take a surprising turn. Also in the cast is Siobhan Fallon Hogan (who I interviewed in 2021 about her film Rushed).

Fri. 10/20/23:

In the sci-fi romance Fingernails, a couple's true love is proven by a controversial technology, but the woman is unsure so she begins working at an institute for love testing. Cast includes Jesse Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Luke Wilson and Annie Murphy.

Sat. 10/21/23:

Big day at the festival with some international films including Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's follow up to Drive My Car with Evil Does Not Exist. But the one I've been hearing a lot about is Dream Scenario, a surreal mind-bender with Nicholas Cage!

Sun. 10/22/23:

As this is the time of year in which countries submit their film to the Academy Awards for Best International Film consideration, there are a number of films at IFFBoston Fall Focus that are the submission for the upcoming Academy Awards including Perfect Days from Wim Wenders (director of one of my all-time faves Wings of Desire) that is Japan's submission and also won Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival for Kôji Yakusho, as well as The Taste of Things, France's submission that stars Juliette Binoche.

Mon. 10/23/23:

The IFFBoston Fall Focus Closing Night Film is the Japanese animated film The Boy and the Heron from acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki, known for Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.

Mon. 10/30/23:

A week after the IFFBoston Fall Focus, they have a Post Focus Bonus at Somerville Theatre (Somerville, MA) and they saved something exciting for last. Alexander Payne's new one The Holdovers, which was filmed in Massachusetts last year. Here, Payne reunites with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti for a dramedy about a New England boarding school in 1972. This special screening will include a Q&A with Mr. Payne after the screening.

For info and tickets go to IFFBoston Fall Focus

[greensparty]

2024 IFFBoston Fall Focus - Dispatch

Right now, the Independent Film Festival Boston's mini-festival Fall Focus is happening (for my Preview see here). I got to attend a packed screening at the Brattle of the documentary Devo about the Akron, OH band. The group is finally getting the music documentary treatment thanks to director Chris Smith (he did the excellent doc American Movie as well as as well as a string of pop-culture based docs including Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, Fyre, "Sr", and Wham!). The doc itself premiered at Sundance in January and has been plugging along at festivals since then. I am by no means an expert on the band, but as a music video historian, I have nothing but respect for them as music video pioneers. I have listened to their Greatest Hits album on many a trip and it only gets better.

Devo circa 1980

Devo wasn't so much a music group as it was an artist collective in many ways. The members including Gerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh were art students at Kent State University. After witnessing the Kent State Massacre, they came together with the concept of de-evolution - that society was actually not evolving but regressing, hence the name Devo. They were inspired by art movements and by artists like Andy Warhol, by the concept that art could be an idea, no matter what format that idea was being presented in. The group present their de-evolution idea within music, visuals, graphics, and film. The group was always a little ahead of the curve, i.e. making their own music videos for their songs in the mid-70s years before MTV or other video outlets had begun. Eventually their debut was released in 1978 along with SNL and media appearances, celebrity endorsements like David Bowie, and making numerous music videos as well as video albums. Their big mainstream breakthrough came with "Whip It", a Top 40 hit. There was also band members who came and went, issues with the record label, mis-interpretations of their music, yada yada yada. After the band initially ended in 1991, the members brought their creativity and vision to other areas like Mothersbaugh scoring films (some of the early and best Wes Anderson films) and Casale directing commercials and music videos (he directed the first Foo Fighters video for "I'll Stick Around"). But it shows that while they were ahead of their time, they eventually have been recognized not just for their music but that the message of de-evolution has sadly become true to an extent.

I'm glad I got to see this on the big screen with an audience, many of whom were dressed like the band in flower bowl hats and hazmat suits. I do wish that the doc didn't just end with their initial breakup in 1991 and had show that the group re-formed in 1996 with new members joining the core group like drummer Josh Freese (when I saw him right after he joined Foo Fighters in 2023, they introduced him by playing some of his famous bands and did a short cover of "Whip It"). I wished they had shown that Devo 2.0 next phase instead of ending it in that earlier era. But there was a message that they were too ahead of their time, even with the visuals onstage that was off-putting for some in the mid-80s and today you see that all the time. But what made this doc super special was that they had the group on-board not just for interviews but for proving some archival footage and early films and art. It was a deep dive into this group that have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times and have actually never been inducted, but should be.

For tickets and info go to IFFBoston Fall Focus

[greensparty]

Stuff I'm Looking Forward to in October

Can't believe it is now Q4 of 2023! In addition to Columbus Day (Oct. 9), Indigenous Peoples' Day (Oct. 9) and Halloween (Oct. 31), here is what's on my radar this month:

Movies:

The Exorcist: Believer

Using the same approach as 2018's Halloween, which was a direct sequel to the 1978 original, the same director David Gordon Green is doing a direct sequel to the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist. I would call myself cautiously optimistic (2018's Halloween rocked, Halloween Kills was bad, and Halloween Ends was somewhere in between), but with original star Ellen Burstyn back, hopes are higher than the past Exorcist sequels, prequels and TV series. Opens 10/6.

The Royal Hotel

In 2020, I was lucky enough to interview Kitty Green, director of The Assistant. Now she's back with a thriller with her Assistant star Julia Garner. Opens 10/6.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese's 3.5 hour epic about the FBI investigation into murders in the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma is THE most anticipated movie of 2023. Hands down! Opens 10/20.

The Holdovers 

An Alexander Payne movie is always a big deal, even when the movie is a letdown (i.e. Downsizing). Here, he reunites with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti for a dramedy about a New England boarding school in 1972. I'm there! Opens 10/27.

Film Festivals:

IFFBoston Fall Focus

My favorite film festival is Independent Film Festival Boston, which takes place in the Spring. IFFBoston’s mini-fest Fall Focus happens in the Fall to showcase some of the Fall festival darlings before they get released during end of the year Awards Season. This year's Fall Focus is from Oct. 19-22 at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square.

Music:

Ringo Starr Rewind Forward

In the last few years Sir Ringo Starr has been knocking out killer EPs including 2021's Zoom In and Change the World (both were included on my Best Albums of 2021 list) and last year's EP3 (read my review here). Now he is back with a new EP that features a collaboration with his former Beatle bandmate Paul McCartney! EP drops 10/13. (Review to come).

Chris Shiflett Lost at Sea

In addition to his "day job" as the guitarist for Foo Fighters and his Walking the Floors podcast, Chris Shiflett has released some solid solo albums. I was lucky enough to see him do a solo show at City Winery in Boston in 2018 (read my concert review here) and review his 2019 album Hard Lessons. His new solo album drops 10/20. (Review to come).

The Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds

The Stones are releasing their first studio album since 2016 and first of original material since 2005. Expectations are high and the good news is they did some recording with Charlie Watts before he died in 2021. Special guests include former Stones bassist Bill Wyman, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Lady Gaga. Album drops 10/20.

Dhani Harrison INNERSTANDING

I was a big fan of Dhani Harrison's 2017 album IN//PARALLEL (read my review here) and after some soundtrack work and overseeing Dark Horse Records (started by his father George), he is back with a new album. Digital release on 10/20, and physical release coming 2/9/2024.

Nirvana In Utero 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition

Last month marked the 30th anniversary of Nirvana's third and final studio album. Back in 2013, I picked up the 20th anniversary edition. Much like the 2021 edition of Nevermind, they aren't just re-releasing the same reissue, they are re-releasing the In Utero album remastered along bonus tracks and some live selections, a Dec. 1993 concert in L.A. and a Jan. 1994 concert in Seattle (not to be confused with the Live and Loud concert from Dec. 1993). Various editions drop 10/27.

Books:

Nelson and Alex Demille Blood Lines

My good friend Alex DeMille collaborated with his father who happens to be Nelson DeMille on 2019's The Deserter. Now they are back with a new book due 10/10.

Bob and Erin Odenkirk Zilot & Other Important Rhymes

Speaking of parent and child book collaborations, one of my favorite actor/writers Bob Odenkirk has written a children's book illustrated by his daughter Erin. When I covered Bob Odenkirk's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award at Harvard University earlier this year, he briefly mentioned this. Book release on 10/10.

TV:

John Carpenter's Suburban Screams

John Carpenter hasn't directed a movie since 2010's The Ward (written by my pals the Rasmussen brothers), but he's been keeping plenty busy making music with his son Cody and Godson Daniel Davies (read some of my reviews here). Now he is directing an original series premiering on Peacock on 10/13.

DVDs:

Alf: the Complete Series

The folks at Shout Factory are releasing a definitive DVD collection of every episode of Alf (1986-1990), the Alf Animated Series (1987-1990), Alf Tales (1988-1990) and the 1996 TV movie Project: Alf (read my recent blu-ray review here). For fans like me, this is very exciting and they even have some bells-and-whistles in various editions being released on 10/17.