A Surprisingly Rich Romantic Comedy

Rating: 7/10 (22 March 2008)

THE HOLIDAY was one of the biggest surprises I've had at the movies in years. This fresh and funny comedy stars Cameron Diaz as Amanda, the owner of a company that makes movie trailers, who has just dumped her cheating boyfriend (Edward Burns)and decides she needs to get out of LA for awhile. She goes to a real estate website and chats with Iris (Kate Winslet), a lonely publishing employee who lives in England, who has just learned the man she's in love with is engaged. Amanda and Iris agree to exchange homes over the Christmas holiday. Iris arrives in LA and strikes up a friendship with Amanda's neighbor, a retired screenwriter (Eli Wallach) and Amanda's ex's best friend (Jack Black ). Amanda lands in London and finds herself in a whirlwind romance with Iris' bother (Jude Law), a sexy charmer with baggage. As silly and predictable as this film appears on the surface, it is just the opposite...cleverly written and performed with exuberance and sincerity. Diaz' performance is kind of all over the place and kind of hard to latch onto but Law has rarely been more appealing on screen and Jack Black shows solid leading man potential without losing that goofiness that we love about him, but it is the luminous performance of Kate Winslet that raises the bar on this one...Winslet's Iris is a delicious combination of vulnerability, sweetness, and silliness that makes this film well worth sitting through. Wallach is also a delight as the old gentleman brought out of his shell by Iris. A delight from start to finish.