Mostly entertaining fantasy of life-swapping through house-swapping.

Rating: Null/10 (8 May 2007)

Cameron Diaz is Amanda, wealthy LA area owner of a business that edits film to make movie trailers, and she is apparently the best in the business. But she is unhappy with her constant work and her cheating boyfriend Ethan, played by Ed Burns.
Kate Winslet is Iris, a hard-working publication editor in London, who has fallen for her boss Jasper, played by Rufus Sewell. She is devastated when an office announcement is made that Jasper is becoming engaged to someone else.
Both women want to take a "Holiday" from their lives and through the magic of the internet and email, agree quickly to exchange houses for 2 weeks including Christmas. They fly out the next day, crossing in the air. Iris is thrilled to get warn LA weather, and a mansion with a swimming pool, a home theater, and about everything else one could want, including remote controlled room-darkening shades so she could overcome her jet lag.
Amanda is dropped off down a lane, and because of the snow and mud has to walk and pull her luggage to the house, but is thrilled to find a quaint British stone house with none of the conveniences she left behind.
Jude Law is Graham, Iris' brother who often drops by to sleep off a drunken habit before he goes home.
Jack Black is Miles who is an associate of Amanda's, a composer for movie sound tracks.
Eli Wallach is elderly writer and neighbor Arthur.
The movie is not flawless but it moves along and is mostly entertaining. I less liked Amanda in England, I more likes Iris in LA. I thought the part of the story there was more meaningful. Plus I am a bigger fan of Kate Winslet.
SPOILERS. Amanda falls for Graham, who she eventually finds out is not really the womanizer she first thinks but is a widower with two small girls. They have a tough choice to make, and it is not clear at the movie's end what they will do. Iris and Miles hit it off, but her biggest attraction becomes elderly Arthur, who she helps rehab to do without his walker, and convinces him to agree to an appearance to honor his achievements as a scriptwriter.