Hola all. Massawyrm here.

Okay guys, I’m gonna level with you. Having seen and reviewed most of the major upcoming releases this season – at least the ones you’re probably salivating over – I’ve got to let you know. You REALLY need to start earning yourself some Movie Brownie Points. You’ve got a Mayan adventure film, a Spanish language WWII Fantasy film, and a Sci-Fi end of the world film to see – and that’s all on top of just having dragged your significant other to that Bond film, that time travel movie and probably even that science fiction guy-in-a-tree-bubble movie. Admit it. It’s time to pay the piper. It’s time to see…a chick flick.

I know. I know. Those could very possibly be two of the most dreaded words in a male moviegoers vocabulary. But fear not, because the Ole Wyrm is on your side. Here’s what I want you to do. I want you to book dinner reservations at her favorite restaurant – or if you’re gifted in the kitchen, prepare her favorite meal. Pick up a bouquet of flowers. Then, make absolutely sure that you buy your tickets to The Holiday in advance. I have a feeling a lot of women are going to drag their men to this one. Make sure all three of these things happen on the same night.

Now, when you take your girl to this film, be sure to say “I heard that women are really liking this one” (they are) and that “I hear it’s really romantic” (it is.) Do not, I repeat, do not say that you heard that it was absolutely fantastic and that you’re probably going dig the ever-loving shit out of it as well. Trust me. You want her thinking that you’re ready to suffer rather than gearing up to watch a sweetly romantic, hilarious, wonderfully crafted romantic film made for anyone and everyone who truly loves films. Especially movie geeks.

No really. I’m not kidding. I absolutely adore this film with every fiber of my being. This is a film written and directed by a film lover for film lovers. It is without a doubt the single greatest gift a geek can receive this holiday season – the gift of a great film that it seems like you’re giving to your lady instead.

Let me lay this down for you. The trailer does a wonderful job of selling this as a chick flick. It’s the story of two broken hearted women who just need to get away from it all for the holidays and switch houses for two weeks. Of course, as always happens, this involves both women finding Mr. Right at the wrong time in their lives. Romantic Comedy ensues. Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet are the female leads – Jude Law and Jack Black their adoring male counterparts.

So what aren’t they telling you? Cameron Diaz cuts movie trailers for shitty Hollywood films for a living and her internal monologue is actually voiced by “Mr. Movie”, explaining her dilemmas as movie moments. Jack Black scores movies for a living and is obsessed with film scores. Kate Winslet befriends an old school Hollywood screenwriter (played by Eli fucking Wallach) who begins to turn her on to classic films and Jude Law…well…he plays the drunken womanizer. Again. But, wait! He’s got a SSSsssssssecret.

However, this isn’t just a series of Hollywood in-jokes, but rather a film that sets itself up and executes as a classic Hollywood film. It opens a bit slow, but about ten, maybe fifteen minutes in it clicks. You begin to see exactly what they’re doing. They’re telling you a story in a very old school fashion – chock full of great moments, classic writing and such a clear, unbridled love of cinema that it is unmistakable. This is writer/director Nancy Meyers’ (Private Benjamin, Baby Boom, Father of the Bride, As Good as it Gets) love letter to film. And frankly, I found it absolutely magical.

This is for people who love movies. People who live and love the language of movies. While it is wickedly funny and hits all the right notes, I can see John Q. Popcorn shrugging this movie off as simply alright. If you can’t embrace a romantic comedy at all, please don’t get the impression that this is the one that’s going to change your life. But if you do enjoy a very well constructed, classic romantic comedy – this one is a real treat.

While everyone is solid in this, Jack Black does exactly what I’ve been hoping he’d continue to do. Branch out. Here he’s a lovable, adorable guy without all the bells and whistles and spastic energy he’s put into almost all of his roles. And he exhibits the same kind of charm he managed to hint at in the ending to High Fidelity. Jack Black fans are gonna dig seeing him do something different – as he doesn’t stray too far to be unrecognizable - and people growing tired of him are going to find this refreshing.

But it’s not just that this movie is cute – it’s also incredibly funny, rife with humor both aimed at the female demographic this film is CLEARLY marketed to, but surprisingly enough, complete with a series of jokes and sequences that are targeted entirely to a male audience. It’s smart, sharp humor, and had me laughing consistently throughout.

However, if romantic comedy is the bane of your existence or you simply find that you rarely like them, this one does go a bit long and isn’t different enough to hook in those disinclined to like this kind of material. For those folks, this is going to be over two hours of predictability with brief spots of joy (like every scene with Eli fucking Wallach.)

This is easily my favorite romantic comedy since Love Actually, which oddly enough is another British/American Rom/Com at Christmas – and feels like it would be a great companion film to it. Charming, witty and a real treat, this one comes Highly Recommended for Rom Com fans and anyone lacking a Y-chromosome. Just, um, don’t tell your girlfriend I said all that. Because you need all the brownie points you can get.

Until next time friends, smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em.

Massawyrm

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