In “The Holdovers”, a lifetime of disappointment, resentment, and regret are etched on the weary face of Paul Hunham, an unpopular prep-school teacher played beautifully by Paul Giamatti.

Reuniting with Alexander Payne, who directed him nearly 20 years ago in “Sideways”, the Oscar-nominated actor again portrays a grumpy failure trying to make sense of how everything went wrong. Giamatti finds even deeper reserves of dark humour and bottomless melancholy as this instructor, who must supervise one of his malcontent students over the holidays since the teen cannot be with his family. Featuring excellent supporting performances from Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa, “The Holdovers” is crushingly wistful in precisely the way moviegoers have come to expect from Payne.