The Holiday (Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s eight years since we saw ‘The Holiday’, and we had both entirely forgotten the plot. Even as the end approached, we couldn’t remember the conclusion, although we did both have a sudden recall of particular scenes as they were shown.

It’s a Christmas film, really, although we’ve now seen it twice in the middle of the year. But while it ends on New Year’s Eve and is set over the festive season, it doesn’t particularly matter. The story involves two rather depressed (though very different) women. Cameron Diaz plays the rather over-excitable and impetuous Amanda, who lives in California. She owns a film trailer making company and lives in a large house with a pool. We meet her when she’s having a row with her boyfriend, and ends up throwing him out.

Kate Winslet is the other young woman - Iris, who lives in Surrey in the UK in a small but pretty cottage. She’s been in love with one of her colleagues for years. They were an item at one point, but he was unfaithful with another colleague. But he insists he needs her at work, and she keeps hoping he’ll see the light and go back to her…

Amanda decides she needs a real break, so she scrolls through holiday lets online, and picks on Iris’s cottage. They have a brief online chat, and agree to switch houses for two weeks. It all happens rather too easily - the details are ignored in the film - and within 24 hours each is on her way to the other side of the world. Iris is overwhelmed by the magnificence of her accommodation, complete with swimming pool, indoor gym, and enormous flatscreen TV.

Amanda is less impressed with hers, with its old-fashioned bath rather than a shower, a tiny TV, and nothing working by remote controls. Indeed, she’s all set to fly back when Iris’s brother Graham (Jude Law) arrives, hoping to crash on the sofa after an evening at the pub. Amanda is instantly attracted to him, and makes a somewhat shocking suggestion…

Iris, meanwhile, is getting to know her neighbours, in particular the elderly Arthur who used to be a film writer. He feels rather sorry for himself, struggling to get anywhere, convinced the world has forgotten him. With Iris’s help, he becomes a little fitter, and even does a presentation, talking about his career. Iris gets friendly, too, with some of Amanda’s colleagues...

The stories run alongside each other, as Amanda and Graham become closer, and she decides to stay for the full two weeks, although neither of them has any idea where the relationship is going. He has an unexpected secret which she discovers almost by chance, something which, again, we had entirely forgotten about.

Of course everything happens in a very short time-span, some of the things (such as Arthur’s increased mobility) happening with astonishing rapidity. But reality has to be suspended somewhat. There are some continuity errors and goofs - but, again, it really doesn’t matter. This is escapism at its sentimental, schmalzy best.

There’s quite a bit of humour in this film, as well as the relationship issues. It’s nicely paced and very well done - not surprisingly, with the high quality actors involved. There are deeper issues than simple romance too: loneliness, and how far to trust someone who has cheated, and when to decide to move on.

The rating is 12, which is probably due to the relatively small amount of bad language, and the lack of anything too explicit. Having said that, there are a lot of sexual references and implications, with some scenes before and after, so I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone below the age of about fifteen.

But for older teens and adults wanting an enjoyable light evening’s viewing, with an entirely satisfactory (if contrived) ending, I’d recommend this highly. Maybe one day we’ll even watch it over the Christmas period.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews

Father of the Bride II (Steve Martin)

(Amazon UK link)

We rewatched the Steve Martin version of ‘Father of the Bride’ about a month ago, so it seemed like a good idea to pull out the sequel, unoriginally called ‘Father of the Bride 2’ which we previously saw in January 2013. We vaguely remembered the story, once it had got going, but that really didn’t matter.

It’s light, it’s a bit schmaltzy, and the whole story revolves around a rather unlikely coincidence… but that really doesn’t matter. Steve Martin is so very good in his comic timing and his facial expressions that we felt quite caught up in the story.

It takes place a year or so after the first film, and Steve Martin, as George Banks, explains that he’s just about paid for his daughter Annie (Kimberley Williams-Paisley)’s wedding. He’s enjoying life, still very much in love with his wife Nina (Diane Keaton), and becoming quite fond of his son-in-law Brian (George Newbern). His house is all paid for, his son Matty (Kieran Culkin) is twelve years old and George realises that in five or six years Matty will be off to college, and then he and Nina will be free to do pretty much anything.

The story opens as Annie and Bryan arrive for a little family get-together where his parents are invited too. It’s obvious that everyone (except the slightly hapless George) assumes they’re going to announce a pregnancy… and his reaction when that eventually turns out to be the case is brilliantly done. As is his behaviour over the next week or two when he determines that he’s not going to become an old, wizened grandfather, but wants to look young and fit. So he surprises Nina with a new haircut…

Much of the humour comes from the way George and Nina react to each other, each becoming frustrated with the other at times, but also both very deeply attached. George loves his children too. He found it very hard to let go of Annie, and he worries about her. But through the film he gradually begins to accept that it’s no longer his role to protect her from everything, and that Bryan is now the first man in his daughter’s life.

There’s much more - to give any more plot would be a major spoiler, although most synopses (and the back of the DVD) give it away anyway. Suffice it to say that Franck (Martin Short) who featured in the first film appears, with his exaggerated enthusiasm and fake French accent. He takes a significant part not just in a baby shower but in events towards the end of the film.

The pace is just right, there are unexpected humorous moments, and also quite a bit of poignancy. When we first saw this film we had a married son, but we were not grandparents, although it was imminent. Now we have grandchildren, we could empathise all the more with the slightly unsatisfactory ending of the film. George has made a decision that is for his daughter’s sake, even though it’s something that is going to break his heart, at least for a while.

There are no extras on our DVD, but that didn’t matter. It was a light-weight and very enjoyable evening's viewing, and made an excellent sequel to the first ‘Father of the Bride’ film.

Definitely recommended if you like the romantic comedy genre and want something that’s almost entirely family friendly. There’s no bad language that I can remember, no violence (although some mild threats in a couple of places), and only the mildest of innuendoes. Unlikely to be of interest to younger children, but suitable for anyone of about ten and upwards. Best seen after the first film.

Review copyright 2020 Sue's DVD Reviews