Movie Review-Nothing Like the Holidays

I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas movies, especially when it's not Christmastime. But I am a fan of ensembles with a diverse group of talented actors. That is what "Nothing Like the Holidays" is.

This isn't nearly the first family Holiday film, but this film features a majority Latino cast, that alone makes "Nothing Like the Holidays" unique. But the filmakers do a good job of making sure that they don't spend the entire movie focusing on heritage, in turn, focusing on the talents of the actors and their characters.

PLOT:
The Rodriquez's (Alfred Molina and Elizabeth Pena), a Puerto Rican family living in Chicago, are reuniting their family for the Christmas holiday. They are joined by their 3 children, oldest Mo (John Leguizamo) and his wife Sarah (Debra Messing), Jesse (Freddy Rodriquez) who is returning from a tour in Iraq, Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito) who is an actress living in LA, and a few extended family. All is well, for the most part, until the parents reveal they are divorcing. The family must now try to figure out how to juggle their individual problems with the possibly of never spending a Christmas as a family again.

PROS:
John Leguizamo, though he is apart of an ensemble, stands out as the lawyer leading a slightly different life than raised. I believe it now and will for life, that Leguizamo is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood.

I think the movie did a good job of paying tribute to the obvious fact that the cast is Latino and making it a focal point, but not overdoing it. I call it "Carlos Menncia-ing up". An addition kudos to the makers for also not overdoing the obvious" fish-out-of-water" subplot featuring Debra Messing's character being the white family member.

The characters are genuine and the family feels real, eerily real. Even more real than the characters, is their storylines. It was a really well-put together plot.

CONS:
The only drawback about this film is the rapid change in tone. The film goes from a funny family comedy, though it seems, to multiple stories of tragedy and sadness, with all the characters revealing secrets they are holding in. Though it made the characters more real, the sadness was piled on so much, it lost some of the initial spark that began at the start of the movie.

Recommendation:
Rent it.

Written by:
Alison Swan
Rick Najera

Directed by:
Alfredo De Villa

MAIN CAST:
John Leguizamo ("Romeo and Juliet", "Across the Universe")
Debra Messing ("The Wedding Date", TVs "The Starter Wife")
Luis Guzman ("Boogie Nights", "Waiting...")
Alfred Molina ("Frida", "Spider-man 2")
Elizabeth Pena ("Rush Hour", "Transamerica")
Freddy Rodriguez ("Dead Presidents", "Grindhouse")
Vanessa Ferlito ("Grindhouse", "Madea Goes to Jail")
Jay Hernandez ("Crazy/Beautiful", "Friday Night Lights")
Melanie Diaz ("Lords of Dogtown", "Be Kind Rewind")
Ramses Jimenez ("Let's Go To Prison", "Dark Knight")

Similar Titles:
Home for the Holidays, This Christmas

Next Review:
Orphan- Trailer