The Holiday
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Movie Reviews of The Holiday
Movie Review: "You were meant to be a leading lady"
Summary: 5 Stars
"You were meant to be a leading lady"
- Arthur to Iris in The Holiday
Arthur played by Eli Wallach utters those words to Iris (Kate Winslet) which somehow makes Iris realize how little she has valued herself in the non-relationship she had with Jasper played by Rufus Sewell. She finally gets "gumption" and is finally able to break the shackles that bind her broken heart to this less than ideal man. Iris's coming to LA is her attempt to finally mend her heart and forget this scoundrel who when he isn't getting any attention follows her to America. This paves the way for Miles played by Jack Black who has mega problems of his own in the love department.
There are two homes featured in the film (one in LA and one in the UK), two broken relationships, two women who exchange houses, two scoundrels and two new loves. Amanda played by Cameron Diaz not only has to get over her own bad relationship she needs to find the time to look into herself and figure out what she is about and how to open herself up to the possibility of love. Graham (also Iris's brother) played by Jude Law doesn't really know what he is looking for and says that he lacks "follow through" when in fact he has obligations which we discover soon enough.
What I loved about this film is the growth that all of the characters exhibited and how they evolved in much better versions of themselves by the end. Even Arthur was able to do what he could not face and mounted the stairs like a trouper facing one of the most difficult tasks at his stage of life thanks in large part to his new pal Iris (Kate Winslet).
This is a wonderful film which I have honestly watched over and over again and it never ceases to entertain me. I think everybody will see something of themselves in these characters and learn a little about life in the process.
I think this film is more in the vein of Something's Gotta Give by the same producer and if you loved that movie, this one should also be a winner for you.
A wonderful cast, familiar themes with a twist and lovely settings with beautiful people. What more could you want. And with the holiday season once more upon us, this is a nice film to dust off and enjoy once again.
Highly Recommended
Bentley/2007
The Holiday
Movie Review: Nancy Meyers' best film to date!
Summary: 5 Stars
Two women. Two failed relationships. Two houses. One great romantic comedy. The Holiday is the story of two women, Iris (Kate Winslet in a poignant performance) and Amanda (Cameron Diaz), who swap houses for two weeks thinking it will help them get over their relationship problems. Amanda will take Iris's house in a small cottage just outside of London, and Iris will stay at Amanda's house in L.A. They will both meet someone who will help them mend their heart.
Let's get one thing out of the way: Yes, this is a chick flick, but a damn fine one at that! I'm not much of a fan of the genre, nor of Nancy Meyers' films, but when I saw this in theatres with my girlfriend last December, I loved it. I thought the film would've lost some of its charm on second viewing, but it hasn't lost one bit of it. With a running time of 136 minutes, you'd think it would drag but it feels like a 90-minute film.
The film has a few surprises and most of all, a great subplot around Arthur's (screen veteran Eli Wallach in a brilliant performance) character. The film goes back and forth between the two relationships, the one in the UK and the one in the US, which gives it a great rhythm. Nothing seems forced and it doesn't fall into the typical clichés of the genre. The dialogue is very well written, kudos to Meyers for that. The characters are interesting; Winslet (my favorite actress) shines in her role as Iris, the girl who falls for the wrong man. I usually avoid movies starring Cameron Diaz and/or Jack Black like the plague, but they were both really good in that one. Jude Law brought some class to his role. The supporting cast was very good (keep your eyes open for a cameo by a famous actor in the video store).
Overall, The Holiday is a very enjoyable film and you don't have to love romantic comedies to enjoy it. It's closer to Something's Gotta Give than What Women Want, and it's much better this way. Check it out, you won't be sorry!
Movie Review: Nancy Meyers just gets better and better
Summary: 5 Stars
Fans of Nancy Meyers will notice a lot of similarities in camera shots, score and those special little moments that lift a movie out of the ordinary between The Holiday and two of her previous outings - Something's Gotta Give and The Parent Trap. But hey, if it works, don't knock it. These familiar devises only made the movie feel delightfully comfortable. The attention to detail in every area is one thing that makes a Nancy Meyers film stand out. The sets are truly amazing down to the last carefully placed prop - they all have this writer/director/producer's footprint all over them. How many people didn't want to instantly move in to Diane Keaton's beach house in Something's Gotta Give? The sets in The Holiday conjure the same magic, whether it is the amazing LA home of Cameron Diaz's character or the atmospheric and enchanting home of her elderly next door neighbour. Ms. Meyers can even be forgiven for her unashamedly sterotypical portrayl of England in the snow - for the British characters are warm and witty - a welcome departure from the "English bad guy".
Go prepared with a box of hankies to this film as you will laugh and cry, just when you least expect it. A great movie for Christmas, you will leave the theatre wanting to overhaul your own life. For the other thing that Nancy Meyers does so expertly is get inside the audience's head (possibly only the female audience) - you can almost hear her say "come on girls - if you're not happy you can change it. Please feel empowered."
It's funny, The Parent Trap was a film for tweens, Something's Gotta Give was meant to speak to the over 50's and this film is targeted at the 30-40 age range - but all films work for all ages, because the message is exactly the same. Anyway, The Holiday is a delightful feel-good treat that you will watch time and time again - oh and there's a fun Lindsay Lohan cameo for any Parent Trap die hards.
Movie Review: Don't miss this romantic jewel!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Holiday (2006)
Right after seeing a rather peculiar Kate Winslet interpretation of Tula, the adulterous woman in a "Romance & Cigarettes" relationship, Ms. Winslet comes back in her lovable self as Iris, a London based journalist who loves a man who gets engaged with one of her co-workers, and broken hearted she agrees to exchange homes with Amanda, beautifully played by Cameron Diaz, an entrepreneur who is so stressed out that she looks for an opportunity to go on vacation and change her reality, agreeing to move to London during her Christmas vacation.
This movie is fun, romantic, with enough heartache to get us so involved that we had a wonderful experience while watching it.
These two rather unhappy women exchange messages through the Internet and give each other an opportunity to escape sad circumstances that have them both stressed and tired of life.
The settings of the cottage owned by Iris are picturesque, intimate and cozy, allowing Amanda to feel part of the world that surrounds her and find an extremely attractive man, the brother of Iris, played by Jude Law who makes her forget that when it comes to relationships: "She is not good at it."
Iris on the other hand, travels to Los Angeles and finds that Amanda owns a mansion in Beverly Hills that affords her all the luxury, space, and privacy required to get over the awful and co-dependent relationship she has with her co-worker, played by Rufus Sewell.
Iris meets Miles, played by Jack Black, and the two strike a relationship that transforms both into individuals that are finally set free from relationships that do not recognize their self-worth.
This movie is a MUST see... delightful, with great scenes and an ability to delve into issues in an endearing, fun and educational manner. Don't miss it!
Movie Review: I didn't expect this.
Summary: 5 Stars
I only saw the Holiday because I was outvoted by my friends and mom when deciding on which movie to see at the theatres. I would never have seen it otherwise because I thought it would be another hokey chick flick, but I turned out to be completely wrong. The story revolves around two girls named Iris and Amanda, two girls in similar situations but living in entirely different worlds.
Amanda has recently been cheated on by her husband, and feels that after being stressed out for a majority of her life, needs a vacation. So, two weeks before Christmas day she searches on the internet for vacation resorts and stumbles upon an offer for house swap made by an English lady named Iris. Iris, for the past three years, has longed for an unreliable man who continues to emotionally hurt her still.
After the arrangements are made and Iris and Amanda swap homes (Amanda going to England and Iris going to Los Angeles) they happen to meet men who are able to understand them and give them something they were never able to have in their previous relationships.
I really liked the Holiday because of the four main characters--Iris, Miles, Amanda, and Graham. There are a lot of characters in other stories like this where one person (either male or female) is superior to the other, and what I liked about the Holiday was that all of them were on an equal level.
There were some aspects about the plot that didn't seem completely believable and the viewer never completely understands how all the conflicts are solved in the end, only that everyone lives happily ever after. Sometimes the background music creeped me out, but other than those things, this movie was really worth the time and money and I'm very glad I was talked into seeing this.