Has its share of problems, but is great for a light laugh

Rating: 7/10 (27 May 2007)

I am a sucker for romantic comedies. I have always enjoyed watching them, no matter how cliché-ridden or awful they are. So when The Holiday was announced, I was immediately intrigued. Kate Winslet and Jack Black in a romantic comedy? Cameron Diaz doing a comedy that looked mature, and not raunchy or animated? It spoke to me as something that could have been different. And while it partially was, it still was inherently just as clichéd as romantic comedies always have been.
Amanda (Diaz) and Iris (Winslet) are alone for the holidays. Having just gotten over some devastating news regarding the men in their lives, they meet by chance on an online house swapping website. The two instantly bond, and decide to swap their homes, despite Amanda living in Los Angeles and Iris living outside of London. And despite going on vacations to stay away from love, they end up developing romantic relationships anyway.
Even without mentioning the Jude Law or Black in the synopsis, I am absolutely certain everyone can tell what is to come when they begin watching the movie. It is very much in tune with being a romantic comedy, and only vaguely pretends to not be at certain points. For some odd reason however, it runs over two hours. It easily could get chopped down a bit (leaving out a lot of the idiosyncratic tendencies of the two women), and would feel a bit tighter than it is (although I did enjoy the little trailer moments that show up from time to time).
The story, as ridiculous as the set-up sounds, is sweet and packs in a few really great character moments. Unfortunately, it also adds in a lot of subplots that seem a little random. The entire friendship between Iris and the elderly screenwriter Arthur (Eli Wallach) feels more like filler than anything else. Hell, it does not even make for the entire reason she and Black's character Miles meet in the first place. So as tender and poignant some of the moments between Iris and Arthur are, they feel a bit out of place for what is supposed to be the main focus of her plot line (as convoluted as it is).
But even with its problems, Winslet delivers a fine performance. Switching between being totally depressed and as happy as can be, she brings a certain authenticity to her role that is usually completely non-existent in female rom-com leads. Coming from a background of fairly dramatic roles, she truly blossoms as the haplessly confused Iris. The majority of genuine character moments are given by her, and the real likability of the film rests solely with her. I was really absorbed by her moments on screen, and I could only wish that she would make more movies like this (or was the main character in the story).
Sadly, the lead is Diaz, and she fares quite badly. Until her and Law's characters are developed beyond the limits of what the trailer shows, she is basically playing a caricature of herself. Not showing any depth or wanton desire to excel in any of these early moments, Diaz just kind of wanders around, seemingly acting as if she was living her day-to-day life. Now, I know I do not know Ms. Diaz personally, but from anything anyone has ever read, seen or heard about her, this would probably be a spot-on re-enactment. Could it be that this role was written so well and so close to Diaz that it is easy to see no difference between her and the character she is playing? Maybe. But if your likability starts off low, I cannot imagine that is the intended reaction.
When she finally does come out of her shell and begin to at least look like she is acting, she still does not hold a candle to Winslet. She just does not seem nearly as strong, and is overshadowed in every way by her. Yes, she does give a few intentional laughs and acts adequately, but when paired off against someone with such a more unique and eloquent thespian style, one can truly see how mismatched and ordinary her acting talent is. It is not that she is a bad actor, she just does not seem to have what it takes to overcome the pitfalls of a role like this. If she does not begin picking up soon, I can only imagine that this is going to be the standard film she will be acting in exclusively (like her Charlie's Angels pal Drew Barrymore).
The guys fare about the same. Law seems a bit confused for much of the film, not giving his usual intense and charismatic all for this character. Like Diaz, he does rise to the occasion a handful of times, but he just does not seem to be all there. He is the most enigmatic of all of the characters, and it shows in how loose and unconcerned his character is most of the time. Black on the other hand, delivers in spades. I was impressed with his astonishing range in King Kong, and again, he does not disappoint here. He clearly does not have to grasp as far, but his usual zaniness is curbed to a minimum, and it allows for him to really pull off a good performance. This is the stuff of a guy who does not just want to be known just as a bizarre joker.
Small turns from Edward Burns and Rufus Sewell come off as a bit forced (especially Sewell), but they add a bit of depth to the movie that is usually missing. Wallach, as random as his plot line is, does great for the limited role that he has.
It may not be a monumentally original achievement, but The Holiday is an enjoyable romantic comedy. It is better than most, and is great for a light laugh or two.
7/10.