The Holiday
Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on December 3, 2006
Release Date: December 8, 2006
I can’t say that the trailer was promising; it looked a bit too Hollywood. I can say though, that The Holiday is the date movie of the year.
Amanda (Cameron Diaz) and Iris (Kate Winslet) live on different sides of the world and live very different lives, but this Christmas they do have one thing in common, they are both recently single. Amanda, sick of her ex and the Los Angeles surroundings, seeks a a private secluded getaway. Iris, desperately trying to escape her ex, puts her English cottage up for home exchange. The two agree to switch homes for two weeks and get far away from the men in their lives. What Amanda did not expect, was to meet Iris’ older brother Graham (Jude Law), and Iris did not expect to meet Amanda’s friend Miles (Jack Black).
While the proverbial stars were aligned, the trailer still screamed “Come see yet another irksome holiday romantic comedy!” I mean Cameron Diaz and Jude Law alone would have probably given me sugar shock from all the sweetness that would certainly emerge from the film. This one had something different though, mainly Kate Winslet and Jack Black. Winslet has been absolutely lovely in nearly every film I have seen her in. Jack Black, I must confess I am a fan of, can be obnoxious…but not in this film.
The beauty of the film was simply the editing and the score. At 2 hours and 12 minutes this would have been the most painful romantic comedy to date, if it weren’t for the pacing of the storyline. It was if I was watching two simultaneous films, while by themselves may not have been too arresting, but cut apart and pieced together made an absolutely fun and winsome date movie. The film was paced masterfully with the flavor of each story, and was accentuated by a beautiful Hans Zimmer Score. Each actor and actress played their part to perfection in perfect little portions that worked well in a grand scheme.
The actors and actresses were a blast to watch. Cameron Diaz still owns the screen when shown, and still has that special Something About Mary, nevermind…bad joke. Jude Law was voted sexiest man like 12 years in a row, and while he’s not out nanny-bagging he still can pull off that boyish charm that landed him the role of Michael Caine’s classic Alfie. Kate Winslet was gorgeous as always. Jack Black showed a completely different side of himself, obviously sprinkled with a little of his own flavor here and there, by switching gears and playing a charming gentleman of sorts. Also, look out for a cameo by Dustin Hoffman which is absolutely perfect.
The Downside: Cameron Diaz and Jude Law’s characters are a bit too perfect, and if they were alone in this film…there would be almost nothing to relate to for an audience.
On the Side: This film was written specifically with actors Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, and Jack Black in mind.
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