Tuesday, May 1, 2007

The Holiday

Let me start by apologizing to my loyal readers for being a little absent lately. For some reason it's been so hard to get to the computer the last few days. And literally five minutes after I had convinced myself it was okay to not blog every day, that this wasn't supposed to stress me out, and I relaxed about it, my most loyal reader called and gave me an earful for not blogging lately! So, here I am, and you can thank Dandee for it!

So, once again, Movie Madness Monday has been bumped to Tuesday. I'm going to play the whole "it's my blog, I can do whatever I want" card once more. I love that card.

As you all know I was alone Friday night, so I took the opportunity to rent a chick flick. Instantly I knew what I was going to get.

When I first saw the previews for this, I thought, "Kate Winslet and Jude Law, are you kidding me?" They could offer free cheesecake with the movie and it wouldn't be beat that combination.
Jack Black is an odd choice for a romance, but he's funny and likeable. But Cameron Diaz? Seriously. This is the equivalent of ordering your favorite dessert and just before digging in seeing a suspiciously black hair poking out. Yeah, don't like the Cameron. See, I am incredibly picky when it comes to actresses. I just get easily irritated by them. (Don't get me started on Julia Roberts or Meg Ryan. Basically, if the title of "American's Sweetheart" is ever bestowed upon them, my gag reflex kicks in. And I'm pretty sure Cameron Diaz has been called this. Enough said.) There are very few actresses that don't make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. One of these is Kate Winslet.
Can I just pause for a moment and send out some love to Kate? She is my all-time favorite actress. It started with Sense and Sensibility. Loved her. Then Titanic secured her spot on the pedestal. Then she sort of disappeared into Indie World for awhile, and came back with a vengeance, better than ever!! She is so down to earth and the fact that she refuses to succumb to the pressure from Hollywood to be anorexic just makes her, well, my idol. I love you Kate!!
(I would start in on Jude right here, but I have a husband who pops into my blog unexpectedly. Let's just say I enjoyed my 138 minutes with Mr. Law.)
Okay, back to the movie. Iris (Kate) and Amanda (Cameron) find each other on a website for swapping houses for two weeks. So Iris, wishing to leave her pathetic one-sided relationship with an engaged man behind, goes to Amanda's mansion in L.A., and Amanda, wanting a break from her workaholic life and latest breakup, goes to Iris's picturesque cottage in Surrey, England. Their first few hours in each other's lives is pretty funny, watching Iris bask in the glory of wealthy living and Amanda trying to adjust to a house the size of her bedroom with nothing but a dog to keep her company. They soon meet the people in each other's lives, Iris meeting Miles (Jack Black), a guy who works with Amanda's ex, and Amanda meeting Graham (Jude), who is Iris's brother. Cue loves stories.
One thing I was pleased by was the way each couple met and became involved. It was shockingly possible. I get so tired of romances where they meet once and are suddenly making out or, even worse, in love. Yeah, we all know that happens all the time in daily life. (Note the sarcasm.) I'm not saying there was no instantaneous making out, but there was a reason behind it and it actually seemed possible. And it was funny.
Unfortunately, Cameron Diaz gets more airtime than Kate, with the relationship between Amanda and Graham being the main focus. But it didn't take long for me to not care. Although I enjoyed Iris's storyline and watching she and Miles slowly progress towards a relationship, I would have gladly watched an entire movie that took place at the snowy cottage in Surrey. I was completely sucked in to Amanda's and Graham's relationship. There were even times (I can't believe I'm saying this) that Cameron Diaz was likeable and not cheesy or annoying. That was kind of painful to admit.
The ending was a little predictable on both sides of the story, but would we have it any other way? My only complaint, which isn't much of a complaint, is, SERIOUSLY, how much more perfect could they have made Jude Law's character? We already love him because he is HOT, but then they keep adding things to his character and background that make him the poster boy for The Perfect Guy. I half expected to see him walk out one scene holding a wounded puppy dog that he'd rescued off the street and announce he was starting a charity for under-privelaged kids. Seriously, no guy THAT perfect would still be single. And why is it always these guys in the movies that want the damaged, non-commital girls who don't appreciate their perfection? It makes me crazy!! But of course, I loved every second of it. I even bawled at parts and THAT'S NOT ME!!! I was obviously in an emotional place. Obviously.
Some of the funniest parts:
  • When the little girl says in her little British accent to Amanda "You look like my Bah-bie."
  • When Iris chooses the drink with the most whipping cream and Miles says, "Hel-lo! Big Dollop!"
  • There is an ongoing thing throughout the movie that I won't attempt to explain because it will never come across as funny as it is, but it involves Amanda and what she does for work. It's totally funny, but you'll just have to see for yourself.
So, who else has seen it, and what did you think?

10 comments:

Heather said...

Saw it. Liked it, but now that you are reviewing it I think I feel asleep because there are a few things I don't remember! :)

meohmyers said...

I saw it and I remember I liked it but that's usually how I feel after I see a movie. I don't remember little details like you. Now I'll have to watch it again to remember the funny ongoing thing about Amanda. Was it her inability to cry?

P.S. Have you gotten a chance to watch that other movie?

dandee said...

I have yet to see this movie, but am more excited than ever! You give the best reviews!

I'm glad you are back. Blogland isn't the same without my Leeshie!

PRP said...

I absolutely loved this movie, primarily because of Mr. Law who may be the hottest thing ever...and I couldn't agree more with your review of Kate. She is simply stunning in every role she takes on. It was fun, not as by the book as you might expect, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Great review, Alicia.

Noelle said...

great review. this was a great movie. i LOVED the 'can't cry' parts. hilarious. especially the parts where she tried so hard to cry like in the taxi. jack black was so just jack black but still funny.

Jessica said...

How funny I stopped and rented this on the way home last night, now I really can't wait to watch it! We'll see if I can get Luke to watch with me!

tharker said...

I still haven't seen this one, but it's on my list. I love Kate Winslet. Is there anything she can't do??

Marilyn said...

First of all, I LOVED THIS MOVIE! It played on the plane on the way to NYC so I watched it a second time and enjoyed it even more than the first time.

I have never really liked Cameron either, but I thought she was adorable in this movie. And I can't believe you don't like Meg Ryan, Hello....She IS America's Sweetheart. (Start gagging.)

I love Julia Roberts. (Don't hate me because I like beautiful actresses.)

I love your movie reviews no matter what day they are on.

Shayla said...

Loved your review on this one. I, too, really liked this movie. I'm a big Kate Winslet fan and she just won me over even more with this role. I loved how real her character was. I agree that they should have spent more time on her and less on Cameron...also, not a big Cameron fan.

cazmom said...

Huh hmmmm... (clearing my throat) haven't you forgotten someone? It was my pleasure to watch Edward Burns for a small bit in the morning. I like him a lot, almost as much as Jude. The beginning of this movie was really annoying to me (because of Cameron's horrible acting, throwing Edward out). She's just better at acting happy. I loved the narrator and her inability to cry. Really funny. Jack Black was trying way too hard to be charming and normal, he just didn't do it for me. But loved how Jude's character turned out and that they all got together at the end.