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The Blood Diamond Holidays
At first glance, “Blood Diamond” and “The Holiday” may not seem to have much in common at all, other than a preoccupation with the baubles of wealth. However, they do share one trait: Both are overlong, indulgent films by talented directors who would have done well to spend more time in the editing room.
There is one key difference, however. “The Holiday” is a flawed gem, while “Blood Diamond,” is, as they say, in the rough.
In “The Holiday, “ Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet, both recovering from breakups, exchange homes at Christmas time. Diaz goes to Winslet’s country home and finds love with Jude Law, while Winslet stays in Diaz’s swanky pad and finds love with Jack Black.
Writer-director Nancy Meyers specializes in these fuzzy, female-centered comedies like “Something’s Gotta Give” and “What Women Want,” but she has a tendency to overdo the cutesy-wutesy montages and comedy routines. There is no good reason for this simple premise to run two hours plus. I was going to say Meyers is like a pig in slop, but she’s more like Miss Piggy wallowing in a bed of fancy clothes.
Winslet’s story is much more interesting than Diaz’s, for a couple of reasons. First, Diaz plays a movie trailer editor who makes more in an hour than I do in half a year. And she’s neurotic enough to make Woody Allen raise his eyebrows, so I found her hard to relate to.
Winslet, on the other hand, can do no wrong. Even in a puff piece like this movie, she is extraordinarily winning. On top of that, Winslet’s story is about her striking up a friendship with an aging movie writer (Eli Wallach) who extols the virtues of the golden age of Hollywood. In the end, I can’t resist a movie that features Winslet being turned on by “His Girl Friday.” That, and the overall star power makes this “Holiday” a nice getaway, if not a dream vacation. GRADE: B
Jump to “Blood Diamond” ….
“Bood Diamond” on the other hand, is the nightmare in a faraway land as it tells the story of a smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio) whose morality is put to the test when he meets a farmer (Djimon Hounsou) whose family has been torn asunder by militia searching for conflict diamonds.
The film looks great and the story is intriguing at first, but director Edward Zwick and writer Charles Leavitt tell it so piously and ponderously that I felt like I was in a principal’s office rather than a movie theater. And what are the critics thinking by giving Hounsou supporting actor kudos? I like Hounsou, but unless the award is for the most intense glower or the loudest scream, I don’t think he merits the attention.
DiCaprio is good, but he should not be competing against himself for his far superior performance in “The Departed.” Jennifer Connelly is a breath of fresh air as an impassioned reporter who thinks fast on her feet. The movie could have used much more of her easy charm.
Zwick’s movies can be excellent (“Glory”) or woefully overwrought (“Legends of the Fall”). “Blood Diamond” falls somewhere in the middle by trying too hard to be the great American Africa-in-crisis movie. It certainly isn’t top-ten list worthy. To see an example of how to do this right, check out “The Constant Gardener.” GRADE: C+
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By Zack
December 13, 2006 1:07 PM | Link to this
We are such opposites! :) “The Holiday” was enjoyable in the fluffy way you mention (I actually didn’t think it was too too long, but just a tad long), but “Blood Diamond” is the flawed gem as far as I’m concerned. (If Zwick hadn’t let his movie deteriorate so drastically in the last half hour, I’d probably be tempted to put it on my top ten list.) I thought DiCaprio and Hounsou were great, but couldn’t stand Connelly. I also couldn’t make it through “The Constant Gardener” when I caught up with it on DVD last year. :-P