The Holiday (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Feel like a mushy, yet unexpectedly stellar feel-good movie? Check out 'The Holiday', a romantic comedy written & directed by Nancy Meyers. Amanda (Cameron Diaz) is the owner of an L.A. movie trailer editing corporation. She is rich, spoiled, & has just broken up with her annoying two-timer boyfriend, Ethan (Edward Burns). Iris (Kate Winslet) is a brainy writer for The Telegraph, a London newspaper. She is likeable, ordinary, & has just found out that the man she's pined-over for 3 years is engaged to someone else at her job. Depressed, they jump online & discover a website designed so that two people could swap homes for 2 weeks. They quickly agree to this & desire a Christmas holiday free of men ... but will they get it?
Amanda arrives in scenic Surrey, England and finds Iris' cozy country cottage to be idyllic, yet lonely. That is until Iris' brother, Graham (Jude Law) shows up & sweeps Amanda off of her feet. Meanwhile, Iris arrives in sunny L.A. and acts like a child opening Christmas gifts when she sees the mansion she'll be occupying for 2 weeks. Not only does she find a companion in an elderly neighbor, veteran screenwriter Arthur Abbott (a great Eli Wallach), but she also takes a liking to friendly film composer, Miles (Jack Black). But all vacations end. Amanda & Graham's relationship hits many touching highs & complicated lows throughout the 2 weeks. And Iris' possessive ex-boyfriend (Rufus Sewell) shows up in L.A. which halts her progress in healing, & puts a damper on her soothing holiday with Miles.
Can Amanda treat her relationship with Graham as a mere fling, or is there something more? Who are the two mysterious girls who keep calling Graham on his cell phone? Can Iris take Arthur's advice & attain some gumption in her life? Can gumption give her the confidence to expel her toxic ex-boyfriend forever? And will Miles be able to win-over Iris when she's still harboring feelings for her ex? These questions are answered in a highly pleasant, if predictable manner.
All the actors in this film give honest & likeable performances. Because of this, you want every single character to be happy in the end -- you're invested. Cameron Diaz & Jude Law surprised me greatly with their natural charm & easy chemistry. Diaz, in particular, has never been better. Jack Black impressed me because he scales back his typical goofiness to give us someone quite endearing. As for Kate Winslet, no other actress today makes you want to root for the character she portrays more than her. Here, she is effortlessly humorous, heartbreaking & real. The locales in this movie are breathtakingly beautiful. And both Amanda & Iris' homes look like they were taken right out of a photo from Better Home & Gardens magazine.
What's to complain about? Well, character arcs go from 'here' to 'there' and you don't quite see the transition as clearly as you'd like. And the run time of the film is a tad lengthy. I wouldn't call this a Christmas classic like the recent Love Actually. But 'The Holiday' casts a comfy spell over you; it's harmless, entertaining & stirs the holiday emotions. If you're willing to embrace the too-sweet story for the sake of sharp humor, poignant moments, enjoyable scenarios, & winning performances, then you'll love this movie as much as I do. You know what kind of movie this is? Years from now, you'll flip through channels on TV, stumble upon the film, and stay with it. You'll escape for 2 + hours & feel some of those warm fuzzies along the way.
Amanda arrives in scenic Surrey, England and finds Iris' cozy country cottage to be idyllic, yet lonely. That is until Iris' brother, Graham (Jude Law) shows up & sweeps Amanda off of her feet. Meanwhile, Iris arrives in sunny L.A. and acts like a child opening Christmas gifts when she sees the mansion she'll be occupying for 2 weeks. Not only does she find a companion in an elderly neighbor, veteran screenwriter Arthur Abbott (a great Eli Wallach), but she also takes a liking to friendly film composer, Miles (Jack Black). But all vacations end. Amanda & Graham's relationship hits many touching highs & complicated lows throughout the 2 weeks. And Iris' possessive ex-boyfriend (Rufus Sewell) shows up in L.A. which halts her progress in healing, & puts a damper on her soothing holiday with Miles.
Can Amanda treat her relationship with Graham as a mere fling, or is there something more? Who are the two mysterious girls who keep calling Graham on his cell phone? Can Iris take Arthur's advice & attain some gumption in her life? Can gumption give her the confidence to expel her toxic ex-boyfriend forever? And will Miles be able to win-over Iris when she's still harboring feelings for her ex? These questions are answered in a highly pleasant, if predictable manner.
All the actors in this film give honest & likeable performances. Because of this, you want every single character to be happy in the end -- you're invested. Cameron Diaz & Jude Law surprised me greatly with their natural charm & easy chemistry. Diaz, in particular, has never been better. Jack Black impressed me because he scales back his typical goofiness to give us someone quite endearing. As for Kate Winslet, no other actress today makes you want to root for the character she portrays more than her. Here, she is effortlessly humorous, heartbreaking & real. The locales in this movie are breathtakingly beautiful. And both Amanda & Iris' homes look like they were taken right out of a photo from Better Home & Gardens magazine.
What's to complain about? Well, character arcs go from 'here' to 'there' and you don't quite see the transition as clearly as you'd like. And the run time of the film is a tad lengthy. I wouldn't call this a Christmas classic like the recent Love Actually. But 'The Holiday' casts a comfy spell over you; it's harmless, entertaining & stirs the holiday emotions. If you're willing to embrace the too-sweet story for the sake of sharp humor, poignant moments, enjoyable scenarios, & winning performances, then you'll love this movie as much as I do. You know what kind of movie this is? Years from now, you'll flip through channels on TV, stumble upon the film, and stay with it. You'll escape for 2 + hours & feel some of those warm fuzzies along the way.