Continuing the feel-good vibe of her December 2003 hit, “Something’s Gotta Give,” writer-director Nancy Meyers has assembled another all-star cast for a holiday comedy. And this one’s actually called “The Holiday.”
Which fits, because Meyers has become an expert in creating wish-fulfillment movies, comedies in which love is always blossoming at just the right moment and everybody lives in wonderfully appointed homes. It’s surface-deep, but agreeable.
“The Holiday” kicks off with a home swap. Two women, disgruntled in love, impulsively agree to exchange houses for a two-week period over the holidays.
For Iris (Kate Winslet), this means escaping her unrequited crush on a writer (Rufus Sewell). She’ll leave her cozy home in a quaint village outside London.
And Amanda (Cameron Diaz) will give up her lavish house in Los Angeles, where she works as a coming-attractions editor. She’s just kicked out her boyfriend (Edward Burns) and wants peace and quiet, whatever that is.
The film proceeds along parallel paths thereafter. Naturally, although both women have sworn off men, they stumble across some males very quickly. If you doubted that, you haven’t seen many Nancy Meyers movies.
When Iris’ brother (Jude Law) shows up drunk at Amanda’s door one night, they have an immediate urge to do something naughty. Which they do not resist.
Iris, meanwhile, befriends an impish film composer (Jack Black). She also buddies up to a nonagenarian screenwriter (Eli Wallach) from the Golden Age of movies. This gives the characters a chance to gush about classic films, which is nice, although it doesn’t do “The Holiday” any favors to compare it to “His Girl Friday” or “The Lady Eve.”
Meyers is fond of girly scenes with Iris and Amanda dancing alone to music or cheering themselves up with squeals and fist-pumping. A little of this goes a long way, but I guess it balances the testosterone-fueled “Apocalypto” and “Blood Diamond.”
Other than making things look nice, Meyers has no bent for visual movie-making. But she sure loves talk. And there’s some good talk, and some memorable lines, in this movie. When Jack Black’s composer creates a theme for Iris, and he insists, “I used only the good notes,” you can’t help but be charmed.
The cast is a mixed bag. I am coming to the disappointing conclusion that, after a strong start in movies, Jude Law is turning out to be a bore. Jack Black tamps down his usual exuberance, and although he’s not enough of an actor to simply “be” in a comfortable way, he’s such a unique presence that he still strikes sparks.
Cameron Diaz knows how to use her goofy grin and cocker-spaniel energy, but her big problem here is competing with Kate Winslet. They share almost no scenes, but Winslet is such an intelligent, soulful actress that she makes you regret cutting away to England and Diaz. Winslet’s big physical scene is arriving at the L.A. home and ecstatically encountering every new, perfectly designed room. That’s the ultimate Meyers trip: the joy of interiors.
Kate Winslet and Jack Black are two of the stars of “The Holiday.”
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