Last Holiday - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Holly · 01-13-2006, 04:03 PM

If you're a Queen Latifah fan -- and I'll admit it right off the top, I am -- you'll have a blast with “Last Holiday.”

The movie is all about her, which should come as little surprise upon knowing the plot. Her character is a department-store worker specializing in selling kitchenware, and when she suddenly gets the alarming news that she has only weeks to live, she decides to seize whatever time she has left and use it to the fullest. For her, that means heading overseas and pursuing her dream of being a chef, with foreign-film staple Gerard Depardieu playing the master cook who represents everything she aspires to professionally.

While “Last Holiday” has its more serious moments, it gives Queen Latifah plenty of chances to display the boisterous image she's so well known for. Some scenes border on slapstick, as the character risks life and limb on a snowboard and on a bungee cord, but Latifah has the personality to pull off such moments and make them seem completely in place. The picture also gives her a diverse and top-notch supporting cast to work with, also including Timothy Hutton, Giancarlo Esposito and LL Cool J.

The great British actor Alec Guinness made the original version of “Last Holiday” 50 years ago, and with a premise so basic, it's largely up to the central performer to make it work. The seasoning Queen Latifah has acquired as an actress is evident by what she does here, since she makes her latest alter ego more than an extension of herself; that said, there's still plenty of Latifah's zest built in, and the way she walks that line between public persona and movie role is admirable indeed.

It's also worth mentioning that the director of “Last Holiday” is Wayne Wang, who used to be a lot more cutting-edge when he primarily made independent films. Now he works mainly in the world of studio pictures like this one and the Jennifer Lopez vehicle “Maid in Manhattan,” and even if the results aren't nearly as edgy as might be expected by those who embraced his earlier work, he maintains a firm hand on the material while still letting his stars shine.

“Last Holiday” is a holiday indeed for admirers of Queen Latifah, who takes a big step forward in proving that a movie can rest quite comfortably on her shoulders alone.

(Rated PG-13)

Steve M. · 01-13-2006, 10:55 PM

If I were interested in a 35-year-old Jersey girl with an attitude and a chip on her shoulder, I'd visit my sister!

01-13-2006, 04:03 PM	#1
Holly I LOVE SUNSETS :) Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: Albany NY Posts: 5,748	Last Holiday If you're a Queen Latifah fan -- and I'll admit it right off the top, I am -- you'll have a blast with “Last Holiday.” The movie is all about her, which should come as little surprise upon knowing the plot. Her character is a department-store worker specializing in selling kitchenware, and when she suddenly gets the alarming news that she has only weeks to live, she decides to seize whatever time she has left and use it to the fullest. For her, that means heading overseas and pursuing her dream of being a chef, with foreign-film staple Gerard Depardieu playing the master cook who represents everything she aspires to professionally. While “Last Holiday” has its more serious moments, it gives Queen Latifah plenty of chances to display the boisterous image she's so well known for. Some scenes border on slapstick, as the character risks life and limb on a snowboard and on a bungee cord, but Latifah has the personality to pull off such moments and make them seem completely in place. The picture also gives her a diverse and top-notch supporting cast to work with, also including Timothy Hutton, Giancarlo Esposito and LL Cool J. The great British actor Alec Guinness made the original version of “Last Holiday” 50 years ago, and with a premise so basic, it's largely up to the central performer to make it work. The seasoning Queen Latifah has acquired as an actress is evident by what she does here, since she makes her latest alter ego more than an extension of herself; that said, there's still plenty of Latifah's zest built in, and the way she walks that line between public persona and movie role is admirable indeed. It's also worth mentioning that the director of “Last Holiday” is Wayne Wang, who used to be a lot more cutting-edge when he primarily made independent films. Now he works mainly in the world of studio pictures like this one and the Jennifer Lopez vehicle “Maid in Manhattan,” and even if the results aren't nearly as edgy as might be expected by those who embraced his earlier work, he maintains a firm hand on the material while still letting his stars shine. “Last Holiday” is a holiday indeed for admirers of Queen Latifah, who takes a big step forward in proving that a movie can rest quite comfortably on her shoulders alone. (Rated PG-13)

01-13-2006, 10:55 PM	#2
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	If I were interested in a 35-year-old Jersey girl with an attitude and a chip on her shoulder, I'd visit my sister!
	__________________ I don't really get out a lot. When I do go out, I couldn't be happier. I love being in a nice milieu. I'm as happy as a clam. Just as long as I'm not in some club playing hip-hop. You hear that sort of thing in a lot of places. That's not my milieu. Rock and roll is good-time music. I love rock. So did my parents.