The Holdovers review

For my family the day after Thanksgiving is when we officially start the Christmas season. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit then reviewing a new Christmas (sort of) movie.  I mean “sort of” a Christmas movie in the way Die Hard or Gremlins are films that take place during Christmas. The Holdovers takes place during Christmas of 1970 and focuses on a prep school teacher named Paul Hunham played by Paul Giamatti who is forced to watch over students who can’t be with their families over Christmas break.

I first discovered this film from a trailer shown at Oppenheimer. What really hooked me was how the trailer was presented like one that was made in the 70s. This film really captures that 70s atmosphere thanks to the great cinematography. One of my favorite things in movies set in the past is when they used the old studio logo use in that time period. It’s a small but really neat detail that helps establish the setting. Since Focus Features and Miramax didn’t exist in the 70s, the people that made this film actually put in the effort of making brand new logos reminiscent of the 70s.

The writing in this film is hilarious and lot of dialogue got a huge laugh out of me. That said this writing is also very emotional. Director Alexander Payne’s films usually have a perfect balance between comedy and drama. The writing also goes great with the terrific acting. The biggest highlight has to be Paul Giamatti who is wonderfully as the jerk with a heart of gold teacher. Other standouts include Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb and Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully. I will admit that I felt that the other holdovers felt undeveloped since they leave by helicopter (makes sense in context) after 1/3 of the film. It’s kind of a shame because I thought they were interesting and it would’ve been nice to see them more fleshed out.

The Holdovers is a great “sort of” Christmas movie to start off the holiday season. It’s a perfect balance of laughs and emotional moments. Great acting, writing and full of 70’s nostalgia. Hope everyone has a great start to this merry season.  

Verdict:

+70s vibe

+The acting

+The writing

-Undeveloped students

Score: A