This film is so heartwarming and personally it engaged me from the first dialogue, a beautiful journey of three persons with open wounds that the circumstances of negligence made them form a endearing union having to learn about being more compassionate and resilience despite the adversities, is about how we tend to be so institutionalized to the point of loosing our human side and also having stupid incompetent people a step above us and how our most deep concerns overflow us into being heartless morons. This film lies a lot on the empathy and sanity, is a wonderful story of self discovery and developing that valuable persona we have so hidden because of the circumstances that lead us to be more insensitive, to act with more rigidity and even being intolerable to others, is easy to judge but the backstories of this three holdovers teach us that all of them had something to heal, like they were castaways of their own fears. “The Holdovers” is not only a simple holidays kind of film this one have something more somber and raw that make it stand out, it got a lovely script packed of unmatched moments and defining confrontations, a old fashioned nature to it and a good score. “The Holdovers” is about the lack of unconditional love and suddenly you found it with individuals that you didn’t really have appeal on the first place, but sharing and knowing others is how we found other families and friendships, sometimes even being more valuable than our own family. The three main characters gave phenomenal performances all with their own perceptions, retrospectives and something to learn on the way, Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa and Da’vine offer us such genuine and masterful performances on a subject that it might not be the most unique storyline but for sure is really smart and one that take your breath away because is actually heartbreaking and cruel when it need to be. This film show us that methods on school are still outdated and need a reborn fresh change in order to match with students needs and point of views nowadays, is about how to innovate according to the norms and a school program, school is not a place where you go to learn math or science is a integral formation that we deserve to receive the most beneficial tools in order to function on the future. I can’t even explain how much I loved this film, is entertaining and full of warmth, it made you feel cozy and remember previous Christmas celebrations, but sometimes we forget that on those times not all is gifts and joy, some people are facing moments of resentful and anger or perhaps a duel so despite having a snowy city that joy is not always reciprocal for all citizens. Gorgeous film that is just another magnificent one from a lot of great releases that 2023 offered to us.