The Holdovers

The Holdovers is one of the funniest films I’ve seen in a long time that will make you cry tears of laughter and sadness.

I honestly went into this not knowing much about the plot or whether I would really like it, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. The Holdovers is one of the funniest films I’ve seen in a long time that will make you cry tears of laughter and sadness.

Paul Giamatti is nothing short of spectacular in this film, who plays Paul Hunham, a grumpy, patronising teacher who has quite lost his faith in the intelligence of the young boys at Barton boarding school. A set-up for a rather unlikeable character as you would expect, however, Giamatti manages to somehow make him so loveable you want to hug him through the screen.

Paul’s kinder (more tolerable) side comes out as he spends time with Angus, a struggling boy holding over at Barton during the Christmas holidays alongside Mary, the head chef who has recently lost her son. On the outside, we see the perception of these characters from a stereotypical blinkered point of view, “grumpy old man meets rebellious teenage boy”, however these characters are much more than they seem as they connect in the strangest ways, and their deeper struggles are revealed.

What makes The Holdovers so beautiful is not only the trope of found family, but also the remarkable and unlikely connections between characters that appear so different on the outside but relate to each other in many ways. All of them are struggling with isolation, being alone over the Holidays when a desperation to escape each other turns into the most fun they’ve had in years.

If you love comforting classics like Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting, this film will leave you with the same warm-hearted and emotional feeling. Although set around the Christmas season, this film is just as cosy and enjoyable to watch now and is 100% worth the watch in the cinema, no matter if you’re 20 or 60.

Presently showing at Cinema City