It will probably be many years before we see a new Harry Potter film on the big screen. For now, the plan is to completely remake the story of the famous magic student in the form of a series. That’s why today starts with the for five Oscars Nominated The Holdovers is a fantastic boarding school film in the cinema that definitely serves as a Harry Potter alternative.
Harry Potter fanfiction or hot Oscar candidate? The Holdovers easily covers both categories
The Holdovers is set in 1970 and takes you to the grounds of Barton Academy in New England. Over the Christmas break Almost all students go home to their families, as do most of the staff. Only a few unfortunate people, the so-called holdovers, have to spend the holidays in the cold rooms of the boarding school, especially the young Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa).
He is supervised by Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), who teaches ancient history at Barton Academy. And he doesn’t have a good reputation. He is the worst professor in the university and enjoys making life hell for each of the young boys on a daily basis – of course, all in the spirit of his teaching assignment. The only balancing person in the lonely halls: Chef Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
You can watch the trailer for The Holdovers here:
The Holdovers – Trailer (German) HD
When I saw The Holdovers, I couldn’t stop thinking about Harry Potter. What if in one of the later parts Harry had to spend a Christmas without his friends at Hogwarts and supervised by Severus Snape becomes? Director Alexander Payne, who thrilled fans with the cheeky high school comedy Election in 1999, has made a really strong Harry Potter fan fiction without knowing it.
In an isolated setting of The Holdovers, dissimilar characters who have a great dislike for each other meet. I already love when Alan Rickman plays his Snape in the Harry Potter films razor-sharp words full of contempt puts in the mouth. Paul Giamatti’s character does something similar, with his glass eyes tumbling wildly around and he could also teach directly as a professor at Hogwarts.
As with Harry Potter: the supposed hate relationship between student and teacher becomes significantly more complex
Both characters, Snape and Hunham, are full of fascinating quirks and can be distinguished by their actions extremely easy to condemn. An understandable resentment against the teacher builds up in both Angus and Harry. However, both stories do not stop at this superficial observation. The more time passes, the better we get to know the characters and understand what moves them.
Universal
Paul Giamatti and Dominic Sessa in The Holdovers
Snape’s true motivation is one of the biggest twists in the Harry Potter series and gives the final moments of the relationship between him and Harry completely new meaning. Don’t worry, you don’t have to memorize any fantasy mythology for The Holdovers. But Payne manages a similar feat. By the end of his film, the relationship between Hunham and Angus has fundamentally changed.
At first glance, The Holdovers has a clear concept: a student can’t stand his teacher and the teacher can’t stand the student. Nevertheless, they have to get along with each other for a certain amount of time in a small space. An amusing back and forth. This frame is by Payne careful and full of empathy dissolved for the characters so that he can penetrate deeper and deeper into their hidden inner lives.
What also makes The Holdovers really strong: the film seems as if it comes from another time. The grainy texture of the images and the music bring back the feeling of a forgotten 1970s film. Even if The Holdovers isn’t set at Hogwarts, the film’s atmosphere exudes a similar magic Coziness and solitude looks like Harry Potter’s castle in winter.
The Holdovers runs from today, this January 25, 2024, in German cinemas. At the 2024 Oscars it is nominated in the categories of Best Film, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Editing.
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