Holiday film for a holiday couple.

Rating: 5/10 (25 March 2007)

I was surprised with The Holiday. I find many romantic comedies, be they seasonal or not, to contain a smarmy attitude, but The Holiday is humble. The movie is conventional and unoriginal, yes, but it's the attitude and the characters we truly fall for on the screen, and Ms. Meyers seems to know a good full lot on how relationships work and the type of people who would relate, not to mention the kind of actors who would portray them. And, thank the heavens, there is no overly melodramatic scenes in this movie at all. None. What you see is what you get, and it's a decent romantic film that can cater to couples around the Christmas holiday.
What makes these couples strong in this film isn't just learning to overcome themselves, but their environment helps them do it. Scene-steelers like Graham's kids and Arthur, I find, created the glue to making the film stick together. Let them have the scenes we say, because the rest of the movie involves finding love and discovering that friendship that creates that relationship we all look for in the first place. It's a good film, never overly serious, and understanding in its audience, and I would recommend it among the many stacks of holiday movies you can enjoy along the weekend.