Source: Dan Loves Film
Dir: Alexander Payne
Cast: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa
Whilst it may not have had the emotional impact I was anticipating, Alexander Payne returns to form with this bittersweet festive dramedy
Despite his work on several critically admired works over the years, I have never truly got on board with Alexander Payne as a filmmaker. There is no question that as a writer-director he is extremely talented and often accurately depicts American sensibilities with the help of his often satirical and zany characters. I found myself enjoying Payne’s work earlier in his career, particularly with the releases of Election (1999), Sideways (2004) and About Schmidt (2003), which remain my favourite films of his to date. With these features, I feel Payne finds a perfect balance with his morally questionable central protagonists, making them likeable enough to keep us as the viewer invested without ever fully condoning their occasionally suspect behaviour…