THE HOLIDAY

I wish to take this opportunity to declare that Jack Black is just fantastic in this film, and deserves to be cast in more romantic comedies.

This film hits every mark one would expect from a Christmas movie, and it does so with such earnestness and heart that you can't help but fall in love with it - even after all these years. Meyers is well known for finding those warm, fuzzy feelings you get in a film, so with a stellar cast at her disposal, the composing of Hans Zimmer, and a script constructed by Jesus' angels themselves, what you have is a perfect Christmas movie.

So what makes a "perfect" Christmas movie? Well, crucially, it has to tick off a few key criteria. When does it take place? Is the holiday season relevant to the story? How many sleigh bells can be heard on the soundtrack? Did the characters learn a valuable lesson? Is there a scrooge? And finally, did the audience rediscover the true meaning of Christmas?

Obviously, the first point is easy, because yes, 'The Holiday' - surprise, surprise - takes place on Christmas. And yes, that setting is integral to the plot and holds relevance throughout the film.

Do we hear sleigh bells? More than that, you'll find that music is ostensively playing throughout the film, which really makes this more of a Christmas musical. Black's character Miles is a composer himself, so he's used as a direct tool to ensure the music is played fairly regularly. In other settings that might be too on the nose, but that's nigh on impossible for a Christmas movie. Miles is obsessed with music, and just like how he continuously mansplains music to Iris, so too does Meyers essentially spoon-feed the audience with exactly what emotions we should be feeling with over-the-top music cues, and a soundtrack to match.

What about the characters and the valuable life lessons they learn on the way? Oh boy, do they. With Iris and Amanda switching houses, they are forced to face the worst reflections of themselves, battling to overcome their personal demons to come out clean the other side. Both of these women find their best selves on the journey, Iris through her neighbour Arthur (Eli Wallach, 1960's 'The Magnificent Seven') and Miles, and Amanda through Graham. They learn how to love, but more importantly, they learn to love themselves. Nawww.

This, of course, is no thanks to the scrooges, those who don't deserve our protagonists' love - Jasper, Maggie and Ethan. These good-for-nothing partners can celebrate Christmas alone for all we care. They didn't realise what they had in front of them, and they were never the right partners, simply for not letting their significant others shine.

And maybe that's the true meaning of Christmas? How can one celebrate and rain gifts on loved ones, if when they look in the mirror they don't like what they see? There is something in everyone to love, and there is love in everybody that deserves to be found and shine bright. Everyone has the ability and gumption to discover that about themselves, and it's up to us as people to help find and exude it.

I can wholeheartedly say that 'The Holiday' is all of this, and possibly more. This film is, of course, a love letter to Christmas, but it's also feeding off an adoration of film, music, love and companionship. It is a film I will never skip on when channel surfing, and one I always look out for at this time of year.

Sure, there are better Christmas movies. Winslet, Diaz, Law and Black have all been better in other films, and Zimmer will hardly be remembered for this alone. But despite the imperfections and datedness, 'The Holiday' stands the test of time by being a perfect concoction of Christmas magic, and therefore, a perfect Christmas movie.