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bluebirds2007
Reviews
The Holiday (2006)
Holiday is worth watching if nothing else is on. An OK-romantic comedy.
Title: The Holiday, Directed by Nancy Meyers, Written by Nancy Meyers, Exec. Produced by Suzanne McNeill Farwell, Produced by Bruce A. Block, Nancy Meyers
Rating: 7/10
The Holiday is a fluffy movie but it drags on for a long time. Kate Winslet is always likable as Iris, who is fed up with an affair that is going nowhere she is having in England.
She decides to swap houses with Amanda, a high power movie editor in Los Angeles. Cameron Diaz is Amanda and she plays the same cute blonde girl. Amanda has no time with men and is emotionally incapable of feeling anything! Sure enough, they experience culture shock in England and Los Angeles, respectively. It's very fun watching Diaz driving in the snow and pigging out. It's even more fun seeing Winslet digging out the expansive, luxurious LA mansion! Like any romantic comedy, they meet a love interest. Amanda meets Graham (a suave Jude Law), who you think is a lady's man, and Iris meets Miles (a more serious but still fun Jack Black).
What makes The Holiday work is how realistically they portray these relationships. They are each on vacation so does it mean they'll stay together? Some people say true love has no boundaries. The movie poses this question, which makes it miles ahead of the standard, gooey-yuks romantic comedy.
Also, there is a subplot involving Hollywood and writers. It felt a little out of place and seemed to be there for the writer to show how we should appreciate legendary script writers.
All in all, The Holiday is good fun and has some intelligence. But it is quite long and has unnecessary subplots. It's the type of movie that is worth watching on a cold Christmas day eating Christmas fettuccine.
The Climb (1997)
A movie for everyone. The Climb is worth seeing!!
Title: The Climb, Directed by Bob Swaim, Written by Vince McKewin ("Fly Away Home"), Executive Produced by Mark McClafferty, Robert Réa, Produced by Pamela Edwards McClafferty, Mark McClafferty, Tom Parkinson
Rating: 10/10
The Climb is a movie that comes around every once in a while. I am utterly shocked it did not get a wide release in theaters. I'm glad I found it, thank goodness for DVDs nowadays.
The Climb has everything you would want from a good, classic movie. It has action, drama, humor, stellar acting, and a strong message. It's the type of movie that stays with you long after you watch it.
In Baltimore 1959, Danny (Gregory Smith of TV's Everwood) dreams of climbing a tower to prove his bravery. His father Earl (Goodnight & Good luck's David Strathairn) did not enlist in the war so he is shunned by the town as the coward. Subsequently, Danny befriends Old Chuck Langer (John Hurt, in one of his finest performances) who has come home to try and find a way to die.
It is this friendship where they each learn from each other the meaning of courage. The film asks the question, what is bravery and courage and how is it defined for each man. It really gets you to think.
I was surprised how Gregory Smith was so young in this! You can really see why he became the star he is today. He is so good in this! If you are a fan of Smith like I am, you definitely have to check out The Climb.
Singer and actress Marla Sokoloff (from Whatever It Takes with James Franco and Shane West) is Smith's sister in this. She looks so different from the teen movies I watched her in. My favorite part with her is when she meets the town bully. She is awesome!!! The Climb is a movie for everyone. Kids will like watching Gregory pull hijinks and pranks with his friend. When he climbs that HIGH tower, it really gets your heart racing! John Hurt and David are at the top of their game. Each man is on a journey of defining courage for themselves.
The story has a message everyone can take something from. And those are the best movies in my opinion. I highly recommend The Climb.