Title: THE HOLDOVERS
A handful of prestigious private high school students have nowhere to go for the holidays so they are chaperoned by a grumpy, ancient history teacher (Paul Giamatti). A few days into the holiday, the parent of one shows up in a helicopter and invites them all along, except for the one kid that can't get hold of his mother and new step-father as they are vacationing without him. Chaos ensues.
First and foremost, Paul Giamatti is probably the most underrated Actor still alive today. He is great in everything. If you have not seen Sideways, do it now. If you are slightly twisted, like I am, see Shoot 'em up as well.
The movie is a bit pondering, but entertaining nevertheless.
There aren't many laugh out loud moments, but the characters are well developed and the banter is engaging. I enjoyed it. Every character has some trauma that they are dealing with and that trauma is teased out over the course of the film. So basically, you have three very damaged people, trapped in an empty school, dealing with each other and their own demons. In the end, they all end up better for the experience.
Preachy: Not particularly. If anything, the main message is "Don't judge people so harshly, you have no idea what they are dealing with".
YouTube trailer
