Movie Review: "The Holiday"

I will admit my main reason for wanting to see this movie was because Jack Black was paired off with Kate Winslet. I mean the guy who was Nacho Libre and in Tenacious D is being coupled with one of the best young actresses in this generation (PLEASE GIVE KATE WINSLET AN OSCAR!)? This sounded impossible. So of course I had to see it. And Jude Law can be quite cute at times as well.

Personally I found Amanda and Graham's story to be boring. Their relationship was based purely on sex which is NOT how it should be. They keep secrets from each other, having nothing in common, and do nothing BUT have sex. Except for the scenes involving Graham's daughters, which I did find touching, I wanted to fast forward through their story. I never connected with the couple and I did not buy the whole never crying bit. I also felt that Amanda never grew as a character. She was pretty much Cameron Diaz acting as Cameron Diaz and Jude Law is playing himself. No surprises there.

On the other hand, I absolutely loved Iris and Miles. Kate Winslet is absolutely perfect as someone who keeps going back to an addictive ex. Her story was so totally relatable I felt like it was my own. I loved her reaction when she reached Amanda's house. I loved her relationship with Arthur, it was really sweet and funny. I find it interesting that Iris visits for two weeks and forms a lifelong connection with him, yet Amanda has lived there forever and never mentions him once. Jack Black is absolutely adorable in this movie, he toned himself down, you can definitely see the chemistry between Iris and Miles. I would SO pick him over Graham any day. Him and Kate Winslet are just so cute together and their relationship is totally innocent. Very refreshing as compared to Graham and Amanda.

I also loved the two scenes where Iris talks about relationships with Miles and then with Jasper. The scene with Miles has one of the best lines I have heard about what it feels to have your heart broken:

"I understand feeling as small and as insignificant as humanly possible. And how it can actually ache in places you didn't know you had inside you. And it doesn't matter how many new haircuts you get, or gyms you join, or how many glasses of chardonnay you drink with your girlfriends... you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood. And how in the hell for that brief moment you could think that you were that happy. And sometimes you can even convince yourself that he'll see the light and show up at your door. And after all that, however long all that may be, you'll go somewhere new. And you'll meet people who make you feel worthwhile again. And little pieces of your soul will finally come back. And all that fuzzy stuff, those years of your life that you wasted, that will eventually begin to fade."

It's so true!!!! You think it's the worst thing in the world and you hurt so much, but then you learn to move on and it all goes away. Also Iris's tirade to Jasper was SPOT ON as well. I know what it feels like to be in that sort of toxic relationship. I cheered her speech.

I loved the scene in the blockbuster, when Miles is recommending The Graduate and then the camera cuts to Dustin Hoffman. It's a "What the?" moment, totally unexpected but wonderfully done. Also wanted to mention, that the trailer that Amanda made was horrible. I would NOT want to see that movie in the theater after seeing that trailer. All in all, I really enjoyed this movie. Well more, Kate than Cameron, but very enjoyable chick lit movie.