Love Actually

[wolfman]

your opinions, i am writing an independent study on american-british co-productions and need peoples views on this venture. Do you think that it is a formulaic, unorigional film similar to otehr similar productions. or a masterpiece of romance and comedy?

[DB7]

The former. A cynically manipulative mid-Atlantic production devoid of soul and drowned in syrup. Was there really any need for the plot to send Michael Marshall's (sp?) character to the US for 30 seconds apart from commercialism? (ditto Billy Bob Thornton's cameo)



Maybe the closest skit to the truth was Bill Nighy's washed out rockstar cashing-in on Xmas with a reworking of Love is All Around. (but Nighy is a pretty fab scene-stealer in most things)



I was a massive fan of Blackadder so that these cliched rom-coms come from the pen of Richard Curtis is still perplexing.

[Brian Brandt]

Don't pull any punches, DB. Tell us what you really think.

[SimplyMoore]

When this movie first came out, one of my friends went nuts over it and kept telling me to watch it. I finally got to see it on a rented video and to me the only impressive thing about it was the cast, the rest pretty much distusted me, especially the language for a movie that was supposed to be a Christmas story. Just wondering why this movie is considered such a big classic by so many people? Am I the only one who thinks it was a waste of 2 hours?

[Captain Casper]

A pretty bad film. Got Richard Curtis all over it with his hackneyed take on love. Rickman just looked too awkward and Grant totally miscast as a PM. I won't even bother mentioning Martine McCutcheon who shouldn't be in front of a camera unless its CCTV.

Got to agree about the language. Totally unnecessary. It worked in 4 Weddings for some reason, but not here.

[thirdlady]

It made me go to sleep

[ChristineCB]

At least two vignettes are totally repulsive, compared to one fine one. The theme music is what I enjoy. And I realized my Portugese really needed some brush-up.

[chris_w]

I've never heard it referred to as a classic. The only thing I liked about it was Bill Nighy. (and I didn't even notice the foul language... that speaks well of me I guess... )

[Marky B]

When this movie first came out, one of my friends went nuts over it and kept telling me to watch it. I finally got to see it on a rented video and to me the only impressive thing about it was the cast, the rest pretty much distusted me, especially the language for a movie that was supposed to be a Christmas story. Just wondering why this movie is considered such a big classic by so many people? Am I the only one who thinks it was a waste of 2 hours?

Hugh Grant's in it....so I didn't bother .

Ta Ta

Marky B

[SimplyMoore]

At least two vignettes are totally repulsive, compared to one fine one. The theme music is what I enjoy. And I realized my Portugese really needed some brush-up.

Which storylines did you hate and which one did you find to be the best? You mentioned Portugese, does this mean your favourite part was the one with Colin Firth and the Portugese maid? That would be the only part I tolerated from the whole movie, mainly because I like Colin Firth. (BTW, Christine, we are both from Texas, I am from Tyler area )

[SimplyMoore]

Hugh Grant's in it....so I didn't bother .

Ta Ta

Marky B

I don't know what it is about him... He is charming and can be funny in the right role, but at the same time, outside a couple of movies, I can't stand most of the ones he's been in. I have to admit, I loved to see him dumped and kicked in Bridget Jones Diary. And other movies with him I actually liked were Mickey Blue Eyes and About A Boy. Other than that, most of his stuff bores me to tears.



I agree he was miscast as Prime Minister in this movie. Firth looked the part more than Grant, IMHO.

[ChristineCB]

I ended up making a copy of my legit copy of this DVD, and re-chapterizing the film so Beginning Chapter Marks open with each segment I enjoy. When that scene's over, I click forward to the next enjoyable segment.



Fantastic effect. I've probably watched all 22 enjoyable minutes of this film dozens of times!

[DB7]

I've never heard it referred to as a classic. The only thing I liked about it was Bill Nighy. (and I didn't even notice the foul language... that speaks well of me I guess... )

Agreed, Nighy's washed up rockstar seeking a crimbo novelty hit was one of the few bearable segments. It was overhyped and one romcom too far for Curtis.

[Ted Holmes]

I found this film both funny and touching. Yes it has its cloying moments but I can't understand why people are so vitriolic about it and it's creator.

[vicvoltaire]

Yuck is all I can say about that drivel of an excuse of a film

[SimplyMoore]

I found this film both funny and touching. Yes it has its cloying moments but I can't understand why people are so vitriolic about it and it's creator.

Speaking personally, it's very difficult for me to find any movie with 'enough bad language to sink a battleship' "touching", especially when its main idea is Christmas. I think this movie's creator forgot the true meaning of Christmas. I mean, F-word every few seconds and the word Christmas just don't go together. One doesn't have to be prudish or overly religious to see this. Sure, there are good and bad Christmas movies when it comes to storylines, bad acting, etc., but the language is what made it really low in my book. Bad language in any other kind of movie, romcom, sci-fi, drama, adventure... is not good but easy to understand, Christmas movies stand in a totally different category and I find certain R-rated material, like nudity and language, completely inappropriate for a Christmas movie.

[samkydd]

When this movie first came out, one of my friends went nuts over it and kept telling me to watch it. I finally got to see it on a rented video and to me the only impressive thing about it was the cast, the rest pretty much distusted me, especially the language for a movie that was supposed to be a Christmas story. Just wondering why this movie is considered such a big classic by so many people? Am I the only one who thinks it was a waste of 2 hours?

People often only see films and live bands etc when they've succumbed to the hype, or they feel the need to tick names of current events, films or artists off a list "Yes, we've seen Coldplay, and Robbie Williams, stood and watched the London Marathon, been to the Edinburgh Festival, seen the Eden Project, read all the Harry Potters whilst travelling on the tube ....etc" and I think this is one of those films like an advert for the Post Office, promising a lot but delivering sod all! At the time just about every double decker bus in London had it plastered all over their hoardings, but rather than get me rushing to the cinema this sort of overkill drives me away!



Apart from anything else I think Hugh Grant is so one dimensional you could get him into his house easily by sliding him under the front door. It's like those old American TV movies from the 70s, if you saw the name James Franciscus or Anthony Franciosa in the billing you just knew it would be a load of old cobblers! These days most films seem to be like tired old TV movies from the 70s, and when you see names like Hugh Grant, Sandra Bullock, Colin Firth, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith et al on the billing you just know that your time would be better spent scraping out the oven or putting up useful shelving in the shed!



Comedy is subjective and I wouldn't want to be subjected to this sort of film especially when trapped in a cinema! At least when it comes on the telly you can take much pleasure in switching it off.

[Mrs Rickman]

Well, sorry to disagree with all of you but I actually love this film!



It's got all my favourites in it, I loved how the storylines all tied in. And who say's there can't be a grown up Christmas Movie for the adults to watch when the kids are asleep?



I didn't like one of the couples, but overall I like it as a film to put on when I'm miserable and depressed as it always cheers me up.



And as you can see from my username, I am a Rickmanite, and will watch most things with him in it... but this film had the added extra of Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, and Bill Nighy... and yes I would rather watch this film than scrub out the oven... that's a job I'd save for ANY Brad Pitt film! That guy just annoys me.

[Freddy]

Have a look Mrs. R. at



Alan Rickman: Film Clip Downloads



also go to youtube and put his name in the search box, you will be pleasantly surprised. His Obediah Slope is my favourite.



regards



Freddy

[Mrs Rickman]

I might do that when I have time.



One of my favourite scenes in this film is the scene when he's trying to buy the necklace quickly but the shop keeper keeps on adding stuff causing Harry to get all flustered. And then the shop keeper say's -



"Almost finished."



"Almost finished? What else are you going to do cover it in yoghurt?"



"Now the holly."



"No, no, no bloody holly!"



I love that scene.