The Director's Series: Payne, No. 3


Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey.

The Holdovers (2023)
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph
Director: Alexander Payner
About: Some directors really find an actor, or actors, that work well with them. That's the case with Giamatti and Payne. This isn't their first pairing, but it might be their best pairing. Here he plays a lonely professor at a boarding school that makes a connection with a student over the holidays. I like the story and the performances. I really enjoy the way Payne brings this to life. It was a delightful and emotional film, and I think it's bound to be a holiday classic.

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