MOVIE - REVIEW THE HOLIDAY

THE HOLIDAY
Director: Nancy Meyers
Screenwriter: Nancy Meyers
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black, Eli Wallach, Edward Burns, Rufus Sewell
Runtime: 136 min
Soundtrack: Heitor Pereira and Hans Zimmer

Plot Summary: In writer/director Nancy Meyers' ("Something's Gotta Give," "What Women Want") "The Holiday," two women on opposite sides of the globe, Amanda Woods (Cameron Diaz) and Iris Simpkins (Kate Winslet) find themselves in a similar predicament. Desperate for a change of scenery, the two women meet on the internet and swap houses for the Christmas holiday discovering that a change of address really can change your life.

There haven't been that many decent romantic comedies with a holiday theme in recent years, so when one comes along that's adorable, entertaining, and requires absolutely no brain power to enjoy, it's tough to pass it up. The Holiday's a star-studded holiday treat, although it's not without its drawbacks. There's a repetitive feel to the middle section and the set-up is highly improbable, but there's enough fun and frolic to make The Holiday a good choice for romantic comedy fans looking for an alternative to the Oscar-caliber dramas and other more serious end of the year fare. Meyers targets and connects with easy jokes that all age ranges can find humor in. She shoots scenic locations we dream of visiting, from England's rustic countryside to Los Angeles' palatial gated communities. Her characters hold dream jobs- Graham is a wealthy book editor, Miles composes film scores, and have problems that can be fixed in the allotted time frame. This is not a typical romantic comedy. In a genre that focuses on true love and love at first sight, this film looks at the other side: the unrequited love and the unfaithful; at least that's what the movie claims in the Kate Winslet powered opening monologue (which is by any means a wonderful never-to-forget set of punch lines that are worth memorizing!). By telling us this is its focus, The Holiday immediately attempts to garner sympathy for its main characters: a British social columnist who continues to love a man she can't have and a L.A. film trailer producer who can't cry, despite being in a relationship with a man who has cheated on her. With both women wanting to escape the men in their lives. But then of course, men are everywhere and both wind up meeting new guys in their new locales complicating matters further because now, instead of getting away, the women find themselves falling in love with people in places they are supposed to leave soon. Eventually Iris and Amanda's worlds intersect in more ways than one. The moral I got from this story is that life can change at any moment… and for the better. I also found it inspiring that these two characters acted on a hunch to make some much needed changes in their lives and that hunch pays off for both women.

While the beginning seems slightly artificial as we watch the characters unfold, the circumstances leading up to Iris’s character's need for a change seems much more organic, and we can really feel her pain. There were also some odd choices made by the writer and/or director over the course of the film, such as an unexplained dog who is living in the house that Amanda is borrowing for the week. Is it Iris's dog or Amanda's dog? And why would someone leave their dog with a complete stranger? If you focus on the broader strokes as opposed to the details, the film is much more believable. The locales are very tourist centric; the music is just slow and fantabulous. Acting wise, all have put up a great job, their subtle yet intense character understanding, their provoked adjustments, crashing reality more often then they rather think and contorting their lives for a moment of happiness or to get out of tears and outbursts is a perfect off the block visual this movie unfolds. It’s any day, any time a worth watch. Just unwind on a lazy day, soak into your comfort zone, bring along that bag of popcorn or a hot cuppa coffee and off you are drifted to a different world. Even though it’s two year old now, it’s often one of those tamed flicks for a lame viewer which is always a wrong assumption. But nonetheless, if you spot it on TV, rent a DVD, or plainly find it saved somewhere, it’s time to go have a good look at it. For it can never be missed!