Preferring quality over quantity 'The Holdovers' is only the 8th feature film from one of my favorites, director Alexander Payne, who made his debut with 'Citizen Ruth' in 1996 but is probably best known for 'Sideways', 'Election' and 'The Descendents'. 'The Holdovers' is Payne's second teaming with star Paul Giamatti, 2nd film centered on a teacher/student relationship and first period piece.
Set at a New England preparatory school in 1970, Giamatti is a grumpy, one eyed classics teacher saddled with watching those students with nowhere to go during the 2 week Christmas break, the titular "holdovers". Starting with 5 students events transpire to take 4 of them off his hands (not a spoiler it's in the trailer). This leaves Paul to watch over bright but troubled and troublesome student Dominic Sessa with the help of staff cook Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who is mourning the recent death of her only son in Vietnam.
The three central characters all have legitimate grievances with life, they have gotten the short ends of their respective sticks, been wronged and been to varying degrees embittered. During their prolonged stay in each other's company, both at the school and on a trip to Boston, they slowly find some solace in each other's company, connect and ease each other's burdens some. It is a beautiful movie, best new release I've seen this year, I don't want to say too much about it and would encourage almost anyone to see it. ****
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