Focus Features’ latest story is a tragic one about that one teacher whom everyone hates, that ends up going to bat for their students in the most profound way.
The Holdover‘s stars Big Fat Liar‘s Paul Giamatti as that very teacher and in typical humor as his Big Fat Liar days, he excels as creating that very image of the teacher. He also develops a unique relationship with troubled “Holdover” student Tully, (Dominic Sessa) that similarly mirrors that same relationship as he had with Frankie Muniz in one of his first films back in 2002. Now over 20 years later, Giamatti still has what it takes and Sessa, in his actorial debut does a great job in rising up to Giamatti’s humor.
That being said, the humor is rather on the adult side as the R rating clearly warns viewers. That being said, the film is moderately tame in all other aspects of violence or graphic scenes. If one can stomach the language, which includes both drug references and some sexual langauge, it really isn’t a bad movie. Creative story overall which is no wonder why it has already taken two early awards ahead of the upcoming awards ceremony.
One award is for supporting actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Lost City). Randolph does an exceptional job of maintaining the seriousness of the film while trying to get Giamatti to loosen up and see the point of view of the kids he’s watching over the Christmas holiday. That being said, the term Holdovers has a bigger meaning as each one of the cast in a way is a holdover, which causes them all to relate in strange and new ways.
The Holdovers was released in theaters everywhere, November 10th and is currently playing in one near you.