Harmless but forgettable holiday fluff

Rating: 5/10 (27 December 2006)

This was a cute movie, based on a completely contrived only-in-the-movies plot about two women - one British (Kate Winslet) and one American (Cameron Diaz) who decide impulsively to swap houses for two weeks over Christmas. What follows is a lighthearted film showing the two women finding love, laughter and themselves while living in each other's countries and, to some degree, lives.
What this movie has going for it is plenty of eye candy (Jude Law looks great here, ladies), a few cute subplots, and a lot of humorous - if not particularly original - moments. It's cute, period. It's not smart, it's not sassy, it's not stylish in any way. It doesn't try to be any more than it is. It doesn't make too much of an effort at believability or realistic plot turns, and if you watch this, you're better off just letting the plot holes slide without too much analysis.
And it certainly doesn't try to answer any of the big questions it could potentially open up, specifically, about long-distance relationships and whether they could ever work. The ending is unsatisfying for precisely this reason. We never really learn anything about life, love or the nature of relationships. It's a fuzzy, feel-good ending complete with singing and dancing, but no real answers.
Enjoyable... as long as you shut your brain off. And will be forgotten by spring. 5/10.