Rating: 9.0
The Holdovers is a truly special, wonderful, and most of all, wholesome film! They don’t make movies like this anymore! Frankly, if you would have told me that this was a classic film from the 70s I would have believed you! From the look and feel of the film, to the type of story it tells, this is the type of film I miss seeing so much! It feels like the type of movie that you watch every holiday season, curling up under a blanket near a fire while it’s too cold outside. It’s cozy. It’s sweet. It’s funny. And it’s heartwarming. What I would most compare The Holdovers to is films like Dead Poets Society. I loved watching this teacher and student come to find understanding in each other and overcome their differences while finding similarities. It’s just so pure and enjoyable. I loved this movie - it’s an instant classic for me and one of the best this year! And I was surprised to feel this way, I didn’t expect much and when it started I was doubtful, but before I knew it I was completely sucked in and never looked back. The film has such a great sense of grief and joy mixed together - it is beautifully bittersweet! Paul Giamatti is superb as the tough teacher, Da’Vine Joy Randolph steals every moment she’s on screen and Dominic Sessa is a revelation. Each are masking deep pain under the surface in this empathetic, heartfelt and funny film. The Holdovers is a return to form for Alexander Payne — it’s his best since Sideways — and it is quite possibly one of the best holiday films ever! Light-hearted and comedic while also having a sense of darkness and a lot of heavy emotion to it. Definitely one of the most heartfelt films this year! I LOVED it!
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