When Paul Giamatti and director Alexander Payne made Sideways nearly 20 years ago, they made magic with a film I count as a favourite to this day.

But to say they both needed a hit right now is a fair assessment.

Giamatti is a great character actor — even earning an Oscar-nomination for Cinderella Man and landing the lead in HBO series Billions — but as the strength of that series waned and turns in films including Jungle Cruise, Lady In The Water, and the ill-fated Amazing Spider-Man 2 disappointed, it became hard to remember the last time he stunned.

Payne won an Oscar for his 2011 screenplay for The Descendants, and received two more Best Director nominations to accompany his nod for Sideways. But his 2017 effort Downsizing was a major disappointment, and he hadn’t made a film since.

Now, with the two joining forces again, The Holdovers both looks and feels like their collective best effort since 2004.

It plays like a 1970s comedy, and it’s truly spectacular to watch. They just don’t make movies that have such a reverance for their characters like this anymore. You feel a full range of emotions as your go on a journey with them.

Giamatti stars as hard-drinking cynic Paul Hunnam a private school history teacher who’s hated by faculty and students alike. He draws the short straw and is gifted the opportunity to remain on campus over Christmas to take care of kids who — for one reason or another — have nowhere to go for the holidays.

He’s stuck with Angus Tully, an astute student in his classes with a wise-ass demeanour and knack for finding trouble. Together, they toil their days away with Mary, on-campus chef struggling with her own loss over the season. Together, the three find belonging and insight in the least likely of places.

Payne makes a thoughtful, evocative and absolutely hilarious film, and his stars make this one a delight from all angles. Writer David Hemingson pens a script that blissfully blends comedy and drama together in perfect harmony.

Giamatti gives the best performance of his career, and for a thespian duration spent grandstanding, this is actually one of his more toned-down, sensitive turns. Da’Vine Joy Randolph was a Tony-nominated stage presence and exploded onto the big-screen with her turn in Dolemite Is My Name.

With Holdovers, she builds on her on-screen credibility and serves as the beating heart of this one. She is passionate, sensitive, and her no-nonsense character is one of the funnier parts of the whole film. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if we heard her name in the Supporting Actress category Oscar-night.

In his debut, Dominic Sessa is brilliant as Angus Tully. He hits the screen with a presence and assuredness that you rarely see from a newcomer, and he goes toe-to-toe with Giamatti numerous instances. He could have a special career, and this is a memorable start.

While The Holdovers doesn’t hold the same place in my heart that Sideways does, it represents the best film from Payne and Giamatti since that debut, and is one of the most thoughtful, crowd-pleasing films of 2023.

4.5/5 Stars