The Holdovers (2023)

The Holdovers (2023)

 8/10

 

Starring

Paul Giamatti

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Dominic Sessa

 

Directed by Alexander Payne

 

No pandering can be found in the plot, just a little slice of life glazed with just the right amount of comedic tonic, making this comedic drama, The Holdovers, an enjoyable masterpiece. I enjoyed how well the acting in this movie draws you into their lives, and you wish you could reach into the screen and hug them.

The story is well written to make you feel you’ve got the plot figured out as the movie develops, then it takes a turn. A helicopter arrives, and we are left with the three leads. The plot pulls you into the story of three different people, but balances the plot to ensure you get enough fun and drama from their stories and struggles. It does not wave a Hollywood magic wand at the end, where everyone gets the ending we all wish for. Instead, it ends and lets you decide how you think it is going to play out for each of the characters.

This movie’s key power is not just the story, but the acting is also magnificent. Paul Giamatti is clearly having the best time of his life as an actor, doing all the movies he wants, in the way he wants.

Set in the 70s, the movie explores the intertwined lives of three people in a private boarding school. Giamatti’s character, Paul, is a strict teacher disliked by both students and teachers in the school. During the Christmas break, he is left to care for five students whose parents cannot accommodate them for the holidays. Helping him is Mary, the cafeteria manager and a bereaved mother, whom Paul is fond of.

The three characters whose lives become entwined are Paul, Mary, and Tully. Tully is left behind at school because his mother wants to go on a honeymoon with her second husband.

Together, the three find a way to bond over their differences, challenges, and unfortunate situations as they spend Christmas and New Year’s together.

The movie received five nominations at the 96th Academy Awards and was listed among the top ten movies of 2023 by the American Film Institute. You will enjoy this movie very much, as it will not give you the sense that you can guess how it will end from the way it starts. At the very end, after all the bonding, you can piece together what the characters might do next, but the joy lies in the journey of watching this movie.