Brilliantly funny, touching, all around beautifully made and fun to watch film

Rating: 9/10 (3 April 2007)

Nancy Meyers has quickly gained my respect as a formidable director that really knows how to pull the heart strings and tap into the viewers emotions. She is brilliant. She has produced, written and directed some of the greatest sweet dramas of the last two decades. The Holiday is no exception to this rule. I waited a long to see it and after my girlfriend absolutely raved about it I sat down to watch it and was absolutely blown away. The Holiday is sweet, touching, funny, watchable, a great story with a small but effective cast. The Holiday and many other Meyers' films have been considered 'chick flicks' but even still The Holiday pleases on many levels with laugh out loud comedy, adorable romance, and dramatic flare that could bring tears to your eyes.
Cameron Diaz is Amanda, a high profile strong, and very successful woman who has nothing but problems with the men in her life. I am not a huge Diaz fan although she can be very versatile and has had some good roles but in this film she nails it and is very watchable. Her story line is far more comedic than the rest of the film including the odd and yet perfectly made voice over-film trailer style narration to major turning points in her life (Amanda is a film trailer editor adding the irony to it.) They don't over use Diaz and make her the focus of attention simply because she is the biggest name in the film amidst some very talented actors. Kate Winslet is Iris, a woman who is also finding her life unbearable and desperately needs and wants a change from her simple country life where the man she had an affair with and fell in love with is now marrying the woman he left her for. Winslet is the perfect opposite to Diaz's character and they balance the film between each other's stories. While both suffering from guy problems, they are so different and have different life styles. They are both fun to watch and a commanding screen presence, and they are both brilliant in their respective roles. Enter Jude Law as Graham, Winslet's brother who bumps into Diaz after she switches homes and life with Winslet. Law is another actor I am not a big fan of. I think his ego is far bigger than his talent but that being said he does well in this compassionate, good guy role although at times his ego still is too inflated and I think someone less known might have done better. Still Law and Diaz have good chemistry and make a good couple. Jack Black in a total different turn plays Miles, a successful musician who has fallen in love with a beautiful actress and has his heart broken but has found a new friend in Winslet and their love blossoms together. Black still manages to be funny without being over the top and fits into the drama just fine. This might be his first real turn at proving he is versatile and can do other things. The four of them make two very different stories and very different romances...polar opposite stories that could stand on their own as it is. You're getting two romances for the price of one. Winslet and Black have this slowly growing friendship that turns to love and Law and Diaz have this whirlwind one night stand that turns into something more seemingly by destiny.
Although The Holiday was written and released as a Christmas film you really can watch it any time with anyone, it's that good at what it does. It can go from deep drama to slapstick comedy to dry humor in a single bound and you love every second of it. From England, to L.A. and from heart break to romance...it is quite simply brilliant. Anyone who loves a good romance must see this film because it is wonderfully written, beautifully directed and brilliantly performed and still has a very different feel to it. Also look for a very brief yet very funny cameo by Mr. Dustin Hoffman, and a hilarious phone scene involving Winslet and Diaz and the trouble with call waiting. Go see this one, you won't be disappointed!! 9/10