Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
When Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah), a shy, churchgoing woman, is misdiagnosed with a fatal illness, she throws caution to the wind and embarks on a dream holiday vacation to a grand resort in Europe. - CONTRIBUTED
THE ROMANTIC comedy Last Holiday, starring Queen Latifah, is, in a word (or rather three), light and lovely, just the way holidays should be. The film is a rewrite by Jeffrey Price and Peter Seaman of a 1950s film, scripted by J.B. Priestly, and its message is simple - live life while you have it.
Queen Latifah has been delving a little too deeply into farce lately, it seemed, with flicks such as Bringing Down The House, Cook Out and Taxi under her belt, so Last Holiday is a refreshing respite to remind us that she is, after all, Queen Latifah, and yes, she can act.
In this heart-warming picture, Queen Latifah plays Georgia Byrd, a shy, reticent woman who has spent most of her life waiting for 'it' to happen. She dreams of possibilities, but has not spent enough time making them into realities. However, when she learns that she has a fatal disease, she decides to end her life in style and do some of what she dreamt.
GREAT EXECUTION
So, throwing caution to the wind, she sets off on a European holiday, seemingly pursuing the notion that she might not have lived in the lap of luxury but she might as well die in it.
The storyline is good enough, though there are some elements which could really be removed and a little more depth could have been added to Georgia's character. There is much of a tendency to travel along the safer path of romantic comedies. As such, there are pieces of this flick which feel very familiar.
Where the film succeeds, therefore, is in the execution. As such, the familiarity takes on the feel of worn but comfortable clothing, like that favourite pair of jeans that's beginning to go in a questionable spot but you still want to see just how much more you can get out of it.
Wayne Wang does a good job with direction, allowing Queen Latifah to tap into some deeper emotions even when the script tried to keep the moment too light. And, of course, the queen performed beautifully.
DELIGHTFUL PERFORMANCE FROM LATIFAH
Though one might have cringed at the stereotype created in Bringing Down The House, one cannot necessarily begrudge Queen Latifah for making a financially sound move. So, it is good that Last Holiday has been added, remixing some nuance into her repertoire. Her performance is quite delightful and though she will probably not get an Oscar nod for it, well, she did not get one for Set It Off either, and that performance had been completely deserving.
LL Cool J, another rapper who has established a respectable acting career, plays Queen Latifah's love interest (Sean Matthews) and the two are beautifully suited. The cast is rounded out by Timothy Hutton as Matthew Kragen, Gérard Dipardieu as Chef Didie, and Giancarlo Esposito as Senator Dillings.
Costuming for the film is quite fabulous, allowing Georgia to bloom from her conservative wallflower status to a woman intent on capturing the joie di vivre before death overcomes her.
This film might not move one to make grandiose statements about 'best film of the year' and such (which often really means nothing), but Last Holiday is quite lovely. It's light - but then, so are some of the best desserts.
