LAST HOLIDAY (2006)

Starring Queen Latifah, LL Cool J, Timothy Hutton, Alicia Witt, Gerard Depardieu, Giancarlo Espositio. Comedy/Romance.  Synopsis: A young woman who has lived her life only dreaming of possibilities learns that she has an inoperable brain condition and decides to make the three weeks that she has left really count by doing many of the things she was afraid to do while she thought she had all of the time in the world.

Well, first of all, you need to know that I am not unbiased when talking about this movie, because it has Queen Latifah and I'm predisposed to love anything with the Queen in it. Now that you know that, I'll try to be objective in talking about Last Holiday. I watched it, of course, because of the Queen and in spite of the fact that I'm not a romantic film guy, and this one looked to be sort of the cutesy romantic type movie that I rarely want to watch, but usually enjoy after I actually watch them...which is not that often. (I've got my male ego to think about, you understand)

This is a cute, fun movie that I think almost anyone would enjoy to some extent. Queen Latifah plays Georgia Byrd, a young woman who works in a superstore in Louisiana and has a hard time expressing her crush on a fellow employee, Sean (LL Cool J Edison Force). Georgia is nice, friendly, a little on the dumpy side, sings in the church choir, and has big dreams that she keeps track of in a book called "Possibilities".

Things go along fine, if somewhat dull, until one day Georgia decides to really talk to Sean, results in a accidental bump on the head, which results in a routine CAT scan where Georgia learns she has a fatal disease of the brain, and only has weeks to live. Choosing not to spend the time feeling sorry for herself or telling those close to her what is really going on, Georgia decides to cash in her savings and, in a memorable line from the film "Just blow it."

Georgia heads to Prague, where she puts herself up in the Presidential suite of an exquisite hotel and embarks on days/night of manicures, skiing, full body massages, fine dining and all manner of spoiling herself. Here, the movie really picks up as, believe it or not, Georgia runs into the shark businessman/tycoon who actually owns the store that she used to toil in, Matthew Kragen (Timothy Hutton Ordinary People, The General's Daughter). And, to boot, there is a Louisiana Senator (Giancarlo Esposito) who has just recently stood up Georgia's church due to political business, yet has time to ski and get his palms greased in Prague (and takes a major shine to an uninterested Georgia).If that is not enough, the world famous chef Dider (Gerard Depardieu), a hero of Georgia's,  is cooking at the hotel and Georgia is treated to her own personal valet, Gunther (Sally Kellerman).  

It seems that Georgia, outfitting herself in dresses that would stand out on Rodeo Drive and living in the $4000.00 a night suite, is understandably mistaken for a rich power broker, and soon has the interest of all of the people mentioned above, not to mention another Congressman (Michael Nouri) and even Matthew Kragen's mistress (Alicia Witt)

The plot in the film is a little far-fetched and there is a "twist" at the end of the film that you will be able to call about 15 minutes into the movie even if you watch it blindfolded. Having said that, its just fun to watch as the overall theme is how drawn people are to Georgia because of the person that she is, even moreso than the person they perceive her to be, and her growing sense of what life has to offer if you give it your all, sadly realized only when not much of life is left.

Despite the pretty solemn underlying theme, there are plenty of laughs throughout from a wonderful cast with no less than six supporting actors ( Hutton, LL Cool J, Depardieu, Esposito, Nouri, Witt) who are perfectly capable, in my opinion, of carrying a film all by themselves. As if that is not enough, Sally Kellerman and Ranjit Chowdry are hilarious during their relatively short time onscreen.

Queen Latifah shows, again, that she is a very good actress with presence, beauty, and a lovable nature that happens to come in plus size. How refreshing.

I really have nothing critical to say about the film, its not the best or funniest movie you've ever seen...maybe not even this year...but it knows that and doesn't take itself too seriously, one of the most common flaws of films that miss. Its just a pleasant, fun way to spend an hour and a half and, as long as you are the rare movie fan that doesn't need/expect your life or outlook on life to be changed in one sitting, can make it through a movie without controversial historical revisionism, aliens, gratuitous nudity, finding out that the main character was actually dead the whole time, and/or several gory torture scenes, I think you will really, really like this one.

But, like I said earlier, I'm heavily biased when it comes to the Queen.