Shallow, predictable, but good enough

Rating: 7/10 (28 December 2006)

One American girl, cheated on by her boyfriend. One English girl, seeing her unanswered love getting married to someone else. One change of houses, cars, lives and pretty much everything for a holiday. Three ingredients for what turns out to be a very lightheaded but rather fun film.
The Holiday starts quickly by showing the events that lead to the change of lives - neither event needs a lot of explanation and that part is over with rather quickly. What then starts it the actual change, and that one couldn't have been more dramatically for either party - from a tiny house with no luxuries at all to a large one with all luxuries available and vice versa. It all works out very well.
The film is rather predictable - the ending is clear in sight for just about everyone from somewhere in the middle of the film. But that doesn't make it any worse - it works in the same ways as any other feel good film. Characters are worked out well enough, but not very deep. Not bad either.
All in all, worthy of screen time.
7 out of 10 beats of love.