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Intro:
Well, this film opened in the US a week ago. But it opened in the UK this weekend.
That’s right, an almost entirely British cast with people you may not recognise,
made by a UK company at least in part and I wait a week more than you. You may have
noticed in this week’s Hollyweird that this kind of thing annoys me when it’s an
American big box office movie. Imagine how this makes me feel? This didn’t reflect
my opinion of the movie. Speaking of which...
Review:
Love Actually isn’t technically one story, it’s 8. So I’m going to review the 8
of them separately. Yes they are intercut but reviewing them in that manner is a
bit pointless. So here it is 8 mini reviews of one movie.
And I’ll start with the films opening (ish. After the voice over by Prime Minister
Hugh Grant, who I’ll get to in a minute). Billy Mack (Bill Nighy, who played this
kind of character in Still Crazy) is an aging rocker and he wants to make a come
back to get himself back in the big time. He’s pissed his life away and doesn’t
really have anyone. Except for his fat Glaswegian (that means from Glasgow)
manager, Joe (Gregor Fisher, Rab C. Nesbit). He does a crummy Christmas cover of
“Love is all around” called “Christmas is all around”. It’s pants and he has
absolutely no problem shouting about that.
This is one of the comedy stories and it is genuinely funny. There is some rapport
between Bill and Gregor, and the theme is brother love. Oh, I forgot to mention that
the stories more or less cover different types of love. And London is very small
as everyone pretty much ends up being related in some way. Bill seems suited to
playing the ageing rocker, and Gregor is fat so they both fitted in to their
characters.
Next up is Liam Nesson’s story. He is a recently widowed man who is left with a
stepson who he doesn’t know how to relate to. Much like many preteen (and after
for that matter) boys the son spends much of his time in his room. Liam is having
trouble with a Christmas without the woman he loves, and trying to help out his
kid. He talks to his son and finds out that his problem is he is in love with a
girl at school. The two then set out to try and win her over. And the way to doing
that is by becoming a musician, because chicks dig guys in bands.
Liam is great here. He’s at the age where he’ll be playing quite a few dads,
though this isn’t a typical father role. He’s quite frank with the kid, which
in my experience is more of less the right thing to do. Okay, I’m a 23-year-old
single guy but kids are more grown up than they get credit for. Thomas Sangster
plays his son. To start off with I thought he was a bit funny looking, but the
kid can act pretty well. This followed up a role as a young Adolf Hitler for TV.
He’s Hugh Grant’s cousin, which may be how he got the part, but it wasn’t miss
cast. Olivia Olson is the girl of Thomas’ dreams. All she has to do is sing and
look cute, and she can pull that off pretty easily...
Karen (Emma Thompson) is Liam’s friend. Or sister in law or something, I can’t
remember exactly. She’s also the Prime Minister’s sister (I’ll get to him).
She is a mother who is tasked with making a paper mache lobster head for the
school nativity play (don’t ask, it’s never really explained). She is married
to Harry (Alan Rickman). Harry is the boss of what I think is a magazine but
may be a charity. His secretary is Mia (Heiki Makatsch, who I think is kind
of weird looking but my friend thinks is hot so what do I know). Mia fancies
the pants off Harry and isn’t too obtuse about it. But he’s a married man.
This is the love triangle/lust/dealing with a cheater story and is kind of sad.
Apart from Mia not being my type yet playing a seductress this story kind of
works. It shows how stupid men can be when it comes to women, and how great
mums are. As can be expected from Emma and Rick the acting is of a high quality.
Colin Frissell (Kris Marshall) is a loser. He can’t pull to save himself. But
it isn’t Colin’s fault you see; it’s simple geography. He shouldn’t be in London
at all, but in the states. American women love British accents and he’ll be
beating them off with a stick because of it. So Colin has a plan. He buys a
plane ticket and heads to the land of promise, Wisconsin.
As ridiculous as that sounds, and it is another of the comedy stories, we’ve all
thought it. Be honest guys. Wherever you are from your accent is generally more
attractive somewhere else (or if your Scottish, everywhere else) than where you
are from. The tale also provides us fellas some nice eye candy to compensate
for the fact it’s a chick flick (Elisha Cuthbert, Denise Richards and more).
And Colin gives us British guys an incentive to get a passport. Kris has comedy
experience in the UK but I doubt anyone on the other side of the puddle will
recognise him. He pulls of the role of a loveable loser perfectly.
Another of the stupid stories centres around two movie stand ins, John (Martin
Freeman from The Office) and Judy (Joanna Page not from The Office, but she was
a hooker in From Hell). Just to clear some confusion I have heard about this
tale up. They aren’t making a porn film. They are body doubles for a sex scene
in a movie. They never actually perform any sex acts, but act them out. The two
click and talk quite a bit to each other. Although they are naked in front of
each other in various positions every day it’s the personality more than any
physical attraction that brings them together (neither is ragingly attractive).
In fact they approach the stand in stuff with a very British manner, kind of
embarrassed about what they are doing. This is a funny and kind of touching
story, in a quirky way, and could only really be in a Brit flick.
The next story (these aren’t in any particular order by the way) is the one I
identify with most. Mark (Andrew Lincoln) has a problem. He’s fallen in love
with his best mates wife (Keira Knightley, who could blame him). But she has no
idea. He always talks to his friend and ignores her. IN fact, she thinks he hates
him. Mark shoots some video at the wedding and when the wedding video messes up
she wants to borrow his footage. I won’t say any more as it would ruin the story.
I like Andrew Lincoln’s work. A lot. He was in This Life, which was a great comedy
drama about lawyers. I only recently discovered Teachers, so I missed most of his
appearances in that, but I liked Simon (his character) in the episodes he was in
this year. I have mates like his characters. And as far as this film goes I’m kind
of like the character. Basically I want the dude’s career. And Keira is stunning
and wonderful as she always is.
Sarah (Laura Linney) has one of the most gut wrenching stories. Along with Emma
Thompson’s characters this is the true meat in this pudding (I have no idea what
that means). She’s been in love with a guy in the office since...well, about 30
minutes after she started almost three years ago. Everyone knows but neither of
them has done anything about it. Sarah has a problem though. Her brother has
mental problems and is in some kind of institution. The object of her affections,
Karl (Rodrigo Santoro, who provides the most male nudity for the ladies) is a nice
enough guy but there’s only so much someone can take. Her brother calls all the
time. I haven’t spoiled anything as this story is about love for your siblings
more than anything. Tissues out time her. Michael Fitzgerald plays Michael,
Sarah’s troubled brother. He’s a character actor from what I can see on IMDB;
so don’t be surprised you haven’t heard of him. He doesn’t have to do much here
but he does fine with what he does.
Jamie (Colin Firth) is a writer. His relationship goes south and so does he, off
to a house in I think France that he writes in every winter. He expected to have
company this time but now doesn’t. His housekeeper for the few weeks Aurelia
(Lucia Moniz) is Portuguese. This means they cannot communicate. Yes, this is
a story of love without language. They spend lots of time together and nothing
happens in the two weeks except for the odd touching moment, but they don’t know
a word of the others language. When he is leaving they both express their
feelings, but obviously have no clue what the other is saying. So he learns
Portuguese...
Colin Firth is a great actor. And as it turns out so is Lucia. They both act in
their own language and unless the script was kept from each other they react well
to what the other is saying. Ordinarily you would get dubbed or something so you
would know what the other is saying. The chemistry is great and the story has a
lovely resolution. A bit funny, a little sad and very touching. Man I’m a big
softie.
And finally, Mr Prime Minister. David (Hugh Grant) is new in the job. He meets
his staff on the first day in Downing Street. Natalie (Martine McCutcheon, Tiffany
in Eastenders is that means anything to you) is one of the staff. And she messes
up by swearing when she meets the PM. He has an instant attraction for her,
which isn’t a good thing with the whole job situation. He hides his feelings,
as does she, and eventually has her relocated as it’s getting difficult.
When he receives a card from her at Christmas he decides to take a leap of faith
and do something about it.
Now, the reason most American’s will go to this film is because Hugh Grant is in
it (I’m guessing). I’ll warn you now; you might not like some of it. The film uses
the opportunity to take stabs at current politics. I personally think this was a
bad move as it will date the movie too quickly while the other stories aren’t
really time dependant. Billy Bob Thornton is the president btw. Much like the
rest of the movie the cast here is great. And I don’t know why they call Martine
chubby, I think she’s pretty fine here.
Conclusion:
Obviously I’m a guy so I only get this to a certain extent. I’m a romantic at heart
(what with being a Pisces and all) so I do like the odd chick flick. Alas, I have
no chick to go with so I went with Andy my friend. This means I don’t have the
female perspective. But from my own experiences I would guess you could more or
less identify with at least one of the tales above, if not more. Personally if
you take a little Colin Frissell, a chunk of Liam Neeson and a whole bunch of
Andrew Lincoln you get one Macgyver.
Meg Ryan doesn’t seem to be chucking out Rom Com’s anymore, so this is it for
Christmas 2003. It’s British so like About a Boy it has very sad moments in it
for some reason. We can’t just make a comedy anymore. Oh, and Rowan Atkinson is
in there two. The cuts between the tales get very clever towards the end and
every story is resolved. Go see for yourself, you’ll like some and be indifferent
about the rest. But that’s love for you.
Daniel: Well, you know - I thought it might be something worse. Sam
[incredulous]
Sam: Worse then the total agony of being in love?
Daniel: [thinks- long pause -realizes] Oh. Yeah, you're right. Total agony.
MacGyver rating: 3 Planets
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