The Holiday

(12)

Iris (Kate Winslet) is a British journalist caught in a cycle of unrequited love with her co-worker, Jasper (Rufus Sewell). Jasper does his best to lead her on, and when he announces his engagement to another woman in the office, Iris is crushed. Meanwhile, across the pond, Amanda (Cameron Diaz) is a highly-strung film trailer editor who has just ended her relationship with Ethan (Edward Burns) after he accuses her of being emotionally unavailable. And, oh yes, he has sort of been sleeping with his receptionist. Broken-hearted, Amanda and Iris make contact through a holiday website and agree to swap homes for two weeks to escape their disastrous personal lives. Iris takes off for Amanda’s lavish L.A. pad, while Amanda arrives at Iris’ picturesque cottage right outside London. When Iris’ brother Graham (Jude Law) knocks at the door one night looking for his sister, he instead encounters Amanda, and sparks soon fly--despite the fact that they both know she won't be in town for long. Iris, for her part, is busy mending her heart in sunny California, befriending Amanda’s elderly neighbour, and making the acquaintance of film composer Miles (Jack Black.) But her healing is abruptly interrupted when Jasper suddenly appears on her doorstep, having flown halfway round the world to make sure he still has her under his spell. An ocean apart, Iris and Amanda find themselves at the crux of all rom-com crises: how to follow your heart, while still being true to yourself. Fans of the genre will no doubt find Winslet's thespian charms, Law's dimples, and the high-fashion wardrobes quite enough to give them their chick-flick fix.