the holiday (2006)
by zEke
Those who frequently stop by, know already that romantic comedies is not a genre that I particularly visit. But every now and then someone asks me to and I politely do. Most of the times only to remember right away why I tend to keep myself away from them. Nowadays romantic comedies, most of them at least, are nothing but predictable stories drunk of clichés too cute to digest. the holiday is all this, predictable, typical, and cheesy, times two. And over two hours long. Thus, only those whose own romantic comedy has something to do with the one they are watching, or those who die to own one, will let themselves be seduced by its charm.
Amanda Wood (Cameron Diaz), snob and workaholic, breaks up with his boyfriend after he cheats on her. Iris (Kate Winslet), smiling and sensitive, is in love with a man that has been taking advantage of her love for three years and is now engaged to someone else. In need of a change, and being Amanda in Los Angeles and Iris in Surrey, they find each other through a home exchange website. Thus, Amanda and Iris sit their butts in a plane to England and California respectively. In Surrey, Amanda meets-cute Graham (Jude Law), Iris’s brother. In Los Angeles, Iris meets-cute Miles (Jack Black), Amanda’s ex-boyfriend’s friend. Do I need to say more? Of course, it is Christmas.
Nancy Meyers writes and directs, as she did in something’s gotta give (2003). And certainly, other than the feminine touch, she adds nothing to a genre whose untold rules are hardly broken. It is annoying being able to figure out every single thing is going to happen in a movie when it has not even introduced all the characters. But then again, it is not its fault. It might be someone else’s fault. Those who religiously fancy romantic comedies, actually. And let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with that.
Despite Diaz’s (over the top) hysteria, Winslet’s (free) tears, Law’s (excessive) cuteness, and Black’s (high for his standards) seriousness, it is Eli Wallach’s character the one you will remember, a once famous grumpy old scriptwriter that will teach you what a meet-cute is.
All in all, a chick flick, whatever that means, too cute to be true.
For the deadhours of those who like to know the present they are getting for Christmas the day before, or even earlier.
deadrate: εad
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