Food has always been a metaphor for life and director Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club, Maid in Manhattan) takes his time creating a sumptuous cinematic buffet. He shows the dishes, from preparation to presentation, with such loving detail we wish we could reach a fork through the screen and taste it (I, for one, had to go straight to dinner after nearly two hours of watching Depardieu work his magic in the kitchen).
But however sumptuous the spread, the best thing about Last Holiday is its open, embracing spirit in which no stock villain is entirely what he seems, and everyone is given the opportunity to rise above their nature.
Perhaps it’s the fact that Last Holiday is a remake of a 1950 classic that causes it to gives off such a warm, comforting glow. Whereas most films today seek to reveal every aspect of the ugliness of life, this one, like the original, reminds us what’s so beautiful about it.