Review of Nothing Like the Holidays (2008) by Edgar C — 13 Dec 2008

It was bad (in general, compared to expectations and its raw potential). Too many cooks spoiled the broth. You can't have so many great actors together in such close quarters and expect them to all blend in like a normal star family. The script was sorta weak in some parts, the editing was nothing admirable, and the direction wasn't worthy of any award (not even those awards that go to the worst [x]). Some things, I was set to default to like (Freddy Rodriguez and Melonie Diaz, who happened to be an impossible couple and even their background story (both individually and together) seemed to pale at the end. Verdict? 3 Stars (with all those actors, no way it could ever get any less). The funniest thing is, most of the actors were (are) independent-film actors (with the exceptions of the older ones: Alfred Molina, Luis Guzmán... who're mainstream sellouts), and the movie ended with the trite "whole city shot" cliché of mainstream flicks that so sickens me. My favorite part of the movie? Jesse & Marissa... impossible love FTW!

Oh, Melonie Diaz, will you ever make me stop sighing?

I think Quentin Tarantino would have enjoyed this movie, however.