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Last Holiday

7/10

Stars: Queen Latifah, Gérard Depardieu, Timothy Hutton, LL Cool J, Alicia Witt, Michael Nouri

Director: Wayne Wang

Improbably, this feelgood comedy with a hint of tear-jerker, tailored to the talents of the expansive Queen Latifah, is a remake of an old British film starring Alec Guinness (and written by J B Priestley) - but without the twist in the tail.

Radiating warmth and commonsense wisdom, Latifah plays a gospel choir-singing saleswoman whose life is shattered when she's told she has only weeks to live. Deciding to blow her savings - a hell of a lot by the look of it - on one luxury holiday, she books the master suite at a grand hotel in the Czech Republic where her idol (Depardieu) is the master chef.

Decked out in an 'international' wardrobe, she makes the distinguished but uptight guests there see the better side of themselves and the right thing to do. The film gets very silly, but, thanks to the star (and sweet supporting performances from the ebullient Depardieu and the appealing Witt), it remains endearing to the end.

David Quinlan

USA 2005. UK Distributor: UIP (Paramount). Colour by De Luxe.
112 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 01 Jan 2007