L'ultima vacanza

OK, "Last Holiday" is not an Oscar contender, but it is an uplifting and well-made film. Georgia, the main character played by Queen Latifah, was living a very dull and boring life and suddenly, she realized that there was more to life than working all day and eating microwave dinners. She was a woman who followed her dreams. Timothy Hutton is a wonderful villain and LL Cool J plays his heartthrob role very well. The Czech Republic provided a gorgeous (albeit COLD) backdrop. Yes, some of the plot points are implausible, but who cares? The scenery - and Queen Latifah's wardrobe - were breathtaking and most important, this movie was ENTERTAINING and these days, there are very few films that you can say that about. At the performance I attended, there were about 200 people in the audience and we all applauded at the end of the film. Go see it for a good laugh!

Last Holiday is a feelgood movie. You know from the start there will be cheesy moments and a happy ending but it doesn't matter as you don't watch such a movie for surprises, nor to be intrigued. Those movies are made to make you feel good and that's exactly what it did. There is the right amount of joyful and sadful moments, so you will feel both emotions while watching Last Holiday. And it's not even spoiling that I tell you there is a happy end as there always is a happy end. That's why it's a feelgood movie. The cast was enjoyable to watch, especially Queen Latifah playing the main character. As for the comedy factor I had a couple good laughs, mostly in the well found repliques from Queen Latifah. Every now and a while everybody needs a movie like this one, something easy and pleasant to watch.

It is her film. not surprising. not only for splendid performance but for the good script, the perfect team job and, sure, for the life lesson, with all its paragraphs . a film about life, new beginning, joy and the way to transform the others. a comedy, off course. but little more than one of good emotions, recomfortant story. because it is a film of chemistry. between Depardieu and Latifah, between the role and Latifah. and one of beautiful virtues is the status of old fashion film. that film who, after long time of expectation, you discover. so, that is all.

Currently, we have our fair share of pointless actions films (absent of any plot and decent script) or films that are trying to take themselves too seriously or films that are too dark and downbeat or films which try to be funny but are not so it was a pleasure to go with my family recently to see Last Holiday.

Queen Latifah comfortably heads a cast who delivered solid, believable performances across the board (and some new faces to me). OK, the story was a bit contrived and some sequences were a bit far fetched (the snow board ride for instance) but it was a great deal of fun.

The story, which looked at people's aspirations and dreams and the need to take every day as it comes, to enjoy life to the full (as we don't know what is round the corner) was played out with great passion and skill. Latifah's comedy acting (loved the raised eyebrow and sideways glances) was relaxed and easily won over the sympathy of the audience. Great, also, to see Gerard Depardieu again as I haven't seen him for a while.

Refreshingly set in snowy Prague, good Direction and lovely Cinematography. I recommend that you see it.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this movie.

Yes the plot has been done many times before. As with most romantic comedies, it's nothing deep, had some cheesy moments and was totally predictable (I figured out the whole movie in the first 10 minutes).

But I really enjoyed it all the same. I laughed a lot in this movie. Partly because I could totally relate to trying to live life under the radar as woman that doesn't look like a model. Plus it was refreshing to see an African American woman shown with some depth in a movie. Not just the mean black woman.

There was very little cussing, little sexuality, and no nudity. Truly refreshing these days.

If you just want to enjoy a movie without having to put too much thought into it, go see this movie.