I mentioned in my column from Toronto last month that there's a scene where Kate's character is at a book club meeting, reading from Madame Bovary, and it's as if she's playing a poker game because she has to discuss the book without giving away her innermost feelings.

At this moment in the film, Kate's about the most breathtaking she's ever been. It's one of those performances that will make the Golden Globe, Bafta and Academy Award voters take notice.

It's a shame so much of her role was cut out of All The King's Men. The film's director had nearly a year to play with it and he bungled it. In fact, only Jude Law comes through in the movie. He's having a good year, what with Breaking And Entering.

He and Kate play siblings in the forthcoming romantic comedy The Holiday, and from what I've seen of it Kate scores as highly in comedy as she does in the drama of Little Children, which was showing at the London Film Festival this week and opens next Friday.

Cameron Diaz and Jack Black also star in The Holiday, a glossy studio picture that has proved to be Kate's biggest payday since Titanic.

Kate is taking a year off to spend more time with children Mia and Joe, particularly while husband Sam Mendes is preparing to stage David Hare's new play on Broadway. "I may just end up making packed lunches, but I don't think that will happen," she told me with a conspiratorial wink.

Indeed, there are all those awards ceremonies to prepare for, and they go on till the end of February.

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