This was an all-out chick flick, but it was certainly well written.

Two women, Amanda, played by Cameron Diaz (In Her Shoes), and Iris, played by Kate Winslet (Finding Neverland), are both troubled with guy problems on different continents.

After meeting online, they decide to cross the Atlantic and swap homes, where they each meet a local guy, respectively played by Jude Law (All the President’s Men) and Jack Black (King Kong). Both women then look to shake their respective insecurities to find a decent romance for once.

Although the story and character development was strong in this picture’s script, I think writer-director Nancy Myers’ male characters get a little too sensitive. They seem like ‘dream’ guys, NICE guys, PERFECT guys, and most women aren’t attracted to guys like this. Most women like Amanda and Iris are almost always attracted to egotistical, arrogant a**holes who spend all their money and f**k their sisters.

The picture is a little predictable in that you know, as soon as all the characters are introduced, who is going to hook up with whom.

One note, guys: do not see this movie alone, surrounded by a bunch of women. As soon as Jude Law appeared on screen, all the ladies in the cinema around me needed a dry mop. It was sickening, but Law did a very good job.

In fact, there wasn’t a single bad performance in the picture. Each of the four principle actors was very strong, including Jack Black, for whom I usually have no respect.

One scene I think Myers missed the boat on was the meeting of Iris and Amanda. The two never meet when they swap homes. They share each others’ respective lives and strike a romance with their friend or brother and end up experiencing a life changing two weeks. In the film’s dénouement, we see Amanda, Iris, Law and Black’s characters partying for New Year’s Eve, so there was a moment where Amanda and Iris had to come face to face for the first time.

I am wondering what their faces would have been like; what they may have said to each other in that moment. It could have been very strong, but Myers let it go. Swing and a miss, I say.

Overall, the picture is decent and has a couple laughs. It’s not so much a movie for the holidays as it is a movie set during the holidays. Women should ADORE this film. Boyfriends who are dragged to it will more than likely hate it, but if they pretend to like it, their chances of getting laid that night go up immensely. Keep that in mind.

Benn - Where's the Humanity?