The Holdovers - Lezioni di vita

It's a comedy-drama set from December 16, 1970, to the first week of January 1971 in an exclusive boy's boarding school in New England and Boston, Massachusetts. It follows the experiences of the "holdovers," that is, the students who cannot go home over the Christmas holidays and the two Barton staff left to supervise them during the holidays.

There are five holdovers: Teddy Kountze (Brady Hepner), Jason Smith (Michael Provost), and Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) are upper-class wealthy WASP students. Alex Ollerman (Ian Dolley) is a younger Mormon student whose parents are on a mission in South America. Ye-Joon Park (Jim Kaplan) is from South Korea.

Left to supervise is Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), an unmarried ancient history teacher who was once a student at Barton and has taught there all his career. He's a demanding curmudgeon who almost everyone dislikes. African American Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), the head cook, is also present; her son, a Barton grad, has just been killed in Vietnam.

The film follows the shared experiences of the holdovers, though four students leave after a week when a wealthy father takes them for a ski holiday. Paul cannot contact Angus's parents, so he must stay with Paul and Mary at Barton. We also meet the school's headmaster, Hardy Woodrup (Andrew Garman), his administrative assistant, Lydia Crane (Carrie Preston), and janitor Danny (Naheem Garcia).

"The Holdovers" is a delightful comedy leavened with wisdom as we learn the dark secrets that have shaped Paul Hunham and Angus Tully. Giamatti, Sessa, and Randolph are all excellent. The script unfolds the twists and turns superbly. "The Holdovers" is a great Christmas movie.

"The Holdovers" is a captivating blend of comedy and drama that beautifully explores the complexities of human relationships.

Story is about a grumpy instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who forms an unexpected bond with a troubled student during the Christmas break. Because it is set in the 1970s, the film in a way is a nostalgic journey back in time, but with a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking.

The performances are exceptional, with Giamatti delivering a compelling portrayal of a man grappling with his own loneliness and the challenges of mentorship. The film's narrative is richly layered, exploring themes of loneliness, friendship, and personal growth. It's a story that resonates, offering a poignant reflection on the human condition. The film's setting in the 1970s adds a layer of nostalgia, further enhancing the emotional depth of the narrative. Despite its lengthy runtime, "The Holdovers" mostly maintains a steady pace, balancing its dramatic elements with moments of humor and warmth. The main plus of the movie is its dialogue-driven approach that adds to its charm, creating a sense of authenticity and depth in its character interactions.

Overall, this is a film that leaves a lasting impression, offering a thoughtful exploration of human relationships set against the backdrop of a bygone era. With its exceptional performances and engaging narrative, I'm giving it an 8 out of 10 rating. It's a must-watch for those seeking a film that combines drama, comedy, and a touch of nostalgia.

Now here's a film with a life affirming theme, that should encourage most viewers to think of their dreams, and cascade away all their cloaks, inhibitions, and open fresh doors to their heart's intuitions; as a teacher whose life is as stale as dead fish, whose life is the opposite of happy and bliss, meets a boy who's ignored by all those he holds dear, and a friendship is formed that is warm and sincere; it's a subtle reflection of how we get trapped, by tradition and habits and past circumstance, where surroundings like prisons can temper our thinking, to distil all our spirit, to bottles for drinking; so embrace all the chances when they come along, break out of that mould and sing your own song, open your eyes to the paths unexplored, take a stand and stand tall, and stop being ignored.

Do you miss how they used to make films in the 1970s? Plenty of filmmakers do, except they take that nostalgia and just do watered down versions of better movies. As an example see Taxi Driver and King of Comedy then watch Joker and you'll get what I mean.

Thankfully, Alexander Payne has managed to take his sentimentality and make an original film out of it. Or if The Holdovers is a pale imitation of a superior picture then the filmmaker has managed to trick me because I don't feel as if I've seen this movie before but done better.

Now to be clear, there aren't things you've never seen before in the movie. I mean, you know the characters are going to bond at some point. And people will grow to care about each other. That's a given. How we get there, however, is what makes the film seem fresh and entertaining and ever bit as good as any flick made back in the day.

I hope more people see it.

Very enjoyable film with outstanding performances and a wonderful warm vibe accompanied by the Christmas season. It's funny at times, sad at times, and feel-good. It's a story that almost all can relate to and will really touch your heart. It deals with so many themes, but mainly grief, the past, family, and what makes a person who they are. It's also very original and has a great script, cinematography, and soundtrack. I would highly advise to see it in the theaters as well as you really get the 70's vibe and deep moment on the big screen. There aren't many negatives to this film and I would recommend it to most people.