Interview: Discussing the Look and Feel of ‘The Holdovers’ with Cinematographer Eigil Bryld

Cinematographer Eigil Bryld had an interesting job to do with The Holdovers. Working with director Alexander Payne (who I spoke to here), they wanted to make the period piece really look and feel like it was out of a different era. Obviously, when you see the film, you know they really pulled it off. So, when given the opportunity to talk to the DP about his work on the movie, I knew I wanted to do so. Today, our chat comes your way.

In my review of The Holdovers out of the Telluride Film Festival (here), I had this to say:

Up until Downsizing, Alexander Payne was a wildly consistent filmmaker. Everything he’d made was at least very good, if not outright great. Then, his first real misfire happened. There was an open question as to what we’d see from him next. Well, here at the Telluride Film Festival I can report that it’s a return to form. The Holdovers is Payne back in control of his craft, which is something very satisfying to witness.

The Holdovers not only sees Payne working within some of his comfort zones, it also sees him fueled by the style of Hal Ashby. This is a lived in movie, one with personality to spare. Ostensibly a three hander, watching our trio come together is, by and large, an absolute pleasure.

Below, you can hear my conversation with Bryld. We talk about Payne, the look of the film, and much more. He’s a lovely man, with some very interesting stories, so this was a pleasure. Once you watch the movie, you’ll be able to grasp just how perfect the look of it is. Luckily, The Holdovers is now out in wide release, so if you haven’t gotten a chance to check it out yet, the opportunity is fully there. Don’t miss it!

Here now is my interview with The Holdovers cinematographer Eigil Bryld. Enjoy:

The Holdovers is in theaters now!