Customer Reviews

Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)

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"Love Actually" is just the right mix of romantic comedy and drama to leave you with that warm, fuzzy feeling as you leave the theatre. It's an ideal Christmas movie for moms and dads who want to see something else while the kids venture into more PG films.

Writer/director Richard Curtis enlists a plethora of some of the finest British actors (and a few noteworthy Americans) to tell several different love stories. While it seems that there may be a few too many characters at first, the overall flow of the film allows the viewer to keep track quite easily. The cast is led by the ever-so-charming Hugh Grant as the British Prime Minister. While some critics have called this casting unbelievable, Grant actually pulls it off by portraying a more human, but yet stronger PM that we would all love to have leading us. His dance to the Pointer Sisters' "Jump for My Love" borders a bit on ridiculous, but it is nevertheless fun to watch. In the film, the PM is caught between leading his country with a clear head, or giving in to his feelings of attraction to his tea server Natalie (played by musical actress Martine McCutcheon).

And then there's Emma Thompson, who plays Karen, sister to Grant's PM and a long-married devoted mother. She suspects that her husband Harry (Alan Rickman) may be cheating with a sexy co-worker. Her performance, simply put, is a revelation. The scene where she is in her bedroom is an example of phenominal acting. Hollywood Foreign Press and Academy members: please take notice!

Another strong performance award goes to Bill Nighy, who provides most of the film's comic relief as aging rock star Billy Mack. He puts out a cheesy Christmas record and then publicly bashes it. But in classic Hollywood ending style, he does have an epiphany and realizes his wild musician life has been missing true affection.

Liam Neeson shines as widower Daniel who tries to help his young stepson win the heart of a popular school crush. Equally sweet is Colin Firth as Jamie, a man recovering from a broken relationship in France who falls for his monolingual Portuguese maid. You know what? This film is such an abundance of great performances that I will run out of space discussing them all! Everybody shines! My only cast complaint is that Rowan Atkinson should have been given more screen time.

What I also love about "Love Actually" is that Curtis doesn't, if you'll pardon the pun, wrap up each story in a happy little Christmas package. There are a few sad, realistic moments, particularly in the Karen/Harry subplot and in Laura Linney's turn as Sarah, an assistant who has waited so long to be with the man she loves. She realizes, in some of the film's key dramatic instances, that family matters are getting in the way.

All in all, Curtis has struck gold again, in tradition of movies like "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Bridget Jones' Diary." Yeah, some of the love stories may be a little far-fetched, but aren't they all in fantasy movie world? What matters is that they are sweet and not without their share of obstacles. This film is a nice departure from some of the more disturbing violent films as of late. But be warned: it is a little more adult than most other comedies in theatres. The innuendos, language, and nudity earn the R-rating. So see it without the young kids, but do enjoy.

My rating is based on my enjoyment of this film. It has both major strengths and serious weaknesses, and as other reviews indicate has fostered very strong reactions, both positive and negative. Its format is somewhat disconcerting if you are not prepared for the methodology of the director. It contains nudity, profanity, sexual situations, and several situations that are very suggestive and some moviegoers may consider to border on the obscene. However, the situations that some people may consider offensive actually serve a purpose in developing the overall theme of the film.

Love, in all its manifestations - wonder, joy, pain, happiness, passion, grief... is the theme of the film. A very talented ensemble cast is utilized to tell several somewhat interrelated stories concerning the emotional lives of the various characters. The cast includes Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Kiera Knightley and Alan Rickman. There are also telling cameos by Billy Bob Thornton and Rowan Atkinson. There is one other essential element of the story, it begins five weeks from Christmas and there are several aspects of the various vignettes where the seasonal aspect is a crucial element.

One of the more interesting and complex stories involves Liam Neeson and his young stepson preparing for the funeral of his wife, which has been moving scripted by her prior to her death. As he subsequently tries to deal with his grief, he is worried about the fact that the boy is isolating himself in his room. He is surprised to discover that while his son is disconsolate at the loss of his mother, more importantly he is heartsick over his unrequited love for a girl with whom he attends school. As they concentrate on his son's dilemma and develop a plan to attract her attention, the dialog ranges from comic to quite profound. And, as the movie progresses to the time of the school Christmas pageant their story gradually becomes interwoven with several of the others. Some of the most hilarious segments are in another thread of the movie involving Bill Nighy as a washed up pop singer trying to recycle one of his old love songs as a Christmas record. He effectively caricatures the dissolute rockers who abused their bodies for too long with drugs, booze and sex. Yet in the end, the alternate humor and pathos of his situation are resolved in a very effective and quite emotional scene. In yet another thread, a scene with Emma Thompson listening to a Joni Mitchell recording and thinking about the "both sides" of her life and love is a real tearjerker.

So this is a roller coaster of laughs and cheap humor combined with real insights about love and the pain that it can cause. If you aren't living in a bubble, you will probably relate to the experiences of at least one of the characters to some degree and knowingly nod in recognition of the similarities of others to people that you know. It is arguable whether the message of the film would be better conveyed with a fewer number of stories examined in somewhat more depth, but I think the result is quite powerful. Lives which seem only tangentially connected turn out to have a profound influence on others, and we really feel that we have come to understand the characters that we have been watching.

My first difficulty with the movie is that the complexity of developing so many stories means that it is well over two hours long (with the previews and unconscionable ads we were in the theater for well over two hours). Second, the audience is introduced to a very large number of characters during a very short period of time, since all the stories are interspersed sequentially as the movie proceeds toward Christmas Day. Very few individual segments until the finale are more than three or four minutes in length. However, the disorientation that I felt at first from the constant scene shifts was offset by the fact that this technique was successful in keeping the audience very interested; the film actually seemed shorter than it was because of the constant action. So, it was fun while actually conveying a message at the same time. I also want to see it again, since this is the type of movie that I often enjoy more during subsequent viewings. I find that once I know the basic story line and the relationship of the various characters, I can then pay attention to a lot of the details that went were difficult to appreciate because there was so much constantly happening during the film. (In fact, as I was thinking about the film prior to writing this review a few such instances came to mind.) So, go see this film when you have time to relax and want to laugh and contemplate life for a few hours.

Tucker Andersen

This is the perfect Christmas gift to get any member of the group of free-loading moochers you call your friends. It's the perfect excuse to have a movie night at THEIR house, and make them ante up some wine, cheese, grapes and lots of chocolate, then hunker down for an evening of cornball romantic comedy with a difference.

Chances are, with Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and Alan Rickman on show, you won't even notice that the storyline is hardly Pulitzer Prize material, but you do stand the chance of busting a seam when Hugh does his Footloose/Saturday Night Fever/Risky Business impression at Lot 10 Downing Street, and Bill Nighy makes like Robert Palmer for a video shoot of the worst ever chart topping Christmas song. There's also the incomparable Rowan Atkinson, making like Mr.Bean at appropriately inopportune moments.

In case you think it's all about the guys (it is - but one can't take sides) there's a brilliant performance by Emma Thompson, and also Laura Linney, who has the worst cell phone ring tone ever invented. Keira Knightley is more "Bend It Like Beckham" than "Pirates of the Caribbean" in this one, feigning wide open surprise a little too often. She's cute though, even if I always get her mixed up with Natalie Portman, the Amidala girl.

There are enough love stories and love disasters here to sink a luxury liner - and yes, there are "Titanic" references too. Even though the couples are for the most part separate little stories, there's a connection running through the movie that really ties them all together.

The music is great, the movie is funny, and your friends will have to entertain you at their expense - what more could you ask from a movie? Did I mention it has Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and Alan Rickman?

Amanda Richards, November 17, 2004

Now, how many of us have actually experienced love in real life the way actors and actresses portray it in films? Love actually brings together a very potent mix of comedy and romanticism into its whole state of affairs. You get several situations in this film all of which are connected to love and that of course is the main ingredient. Set in the very English environment you get the best of everything. The characters are excellent on their own, from the prime minister of Britain to the lonely office girl downtown, to the fading rock star, love is simply all around. What makes this movie special is the down to earth element that simply decides to sell well. Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Kiera Knightly, Martine McCutcheon, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy and Rowan Atkinson all come together to deliver one excellent holiday movie, in a very long time, not to forget the excellent soundtrack to boot.

If there is a film out this year that is destined to make your heart smile and eyes tear, it's this film. It's Christmas time again in London as unexpected (almost magical) things happen in very simple, heartening ways to the most unlikely people. With love lost and love found, courage found and courage lost, this movie is all about the love we have in our daily lives. The love we receive from those unknown people to us (sometimes form those who show slight animosity toward us.)

The characters will capture your heart (Emma Thompson is phenomenal.) For me, the scene that really did capture me was that of Emma Thompson in her bedroom listening to Joni Mitchell's perennial Both Sides Now. That scene made me cry.

This is the sweetest movie I have seen this year. I highly recommend seeing it during the Holidays with people you love.

"Love Actually" is a delightful medley of seemingly unconnected love stories which come beautifully together in the end. This ensemble comedy features some of my favorite actors, and they all seem to be in top form in this feel good film which features "love" - romantic, platonic, unrequited, fulfilled, unspoken, impossible and even filial.

Colin Firth is fantastic and sexy as the cuckolded husband who runs off to France to escape his sorrows, and discovers a cure for a broken heart. Hugh Grant is a riot as England's bachelor Prime Minister whose mind wanders every time the teagirl enters his office. His middle-aged sister, played by Emma Thompson, is fearful her husband, (Alan Rickman), is having an affair with his vamp of a secretary. Laura Linney is a lovelorn employee of Rickman's, who just can't get it together to make a commitment. Liam Neeson is struggling to get a grip after the recent death of his wife and finds himself distracted by his delightful stepson's shenanigans. Bill Nighy is hilarious as an over-the-hill rock star who is re-releasing a song for the Christmas season and hopes it will hit Number One on the charts.

Director Richard Curtis, (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones' Diary), is an expert at putting together this kind of movie and he is certainly at his best with "Love Actually." I held off seeing this film while it was in the theaters, and even after it hit Blockbuster. I was fearful I would expire from an overdose of fluff and saccharine. I finally broke down...and, what a surprise! I really liked it - a lot!!

This film is set at Christmas time but it brings great cheer no matter what the season.
JANA

This movie has passion, tenderness, poignancy, and humor. You are exposed to people of different classes, ethnicities, and general backgrounds in order to take a closer look at what "love" is.

You see the arrogant ex-rock star (Bill Nighy) trying to make a comeback and any cost and is chubby but likeable manager who is always there to support him. There's a prime minister (Hugh Grant) who is torn about his feelings for Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), the inconveniently beautiful head of his catering staff. After going through a horrible break up, we watch a B novelist (Colin Firth) discover love while writing his novel in France. Then there are married couples, best friends, siblings, parents, and children. As you can tell, the cast is top notch. It's a veritable who's who of British Cinema and every part is played to perfection.

What this movie does is to show how we have incredibly human experiences that tie us into something deeper. Sometimes, there is incredible pain and loss when we fall in love--or out of love--but no matter what happens, love strengthens us and reminds us that we are alive.

The DVD is fabulous because there are tons of extras in it. I've had the joy of watching it all and I love it. If you like Sam and Daniel (the father and son), you'll love the full cut of their story. There is actually 8 minutes of Sam, most of which was not in the theatrical film. I won't give away what's in it, but that is my top pick of extras to watch from the DVD. There are also hilarious bits if you watch the version of the movie with audio commentary by the director and several cast members. Hugh Grant is particularly funny in this, particularly when he talks about Colin Firth! If you are a lover of soundtracks, there is also a good section where the director goes into detail about each of the primary songs he picked in the film and why.

If you enjoyed this movie, buy it!! It makes a fabulous gift and you can watch it over and over and still see something new or have a good laugh!

How's that? The title covers everything I felt when I saw this film. Yes, there are too many storylines. Yes, the "porn stand-ins in love" story was tacky (not to mention the Brit going to get laid in the USA). Yes, Richard Curtis doesn't allow us to get to know the characters enough. BUT I know I saw myself in at least one of those stories, and I'll bet most everyone else will, too.

Perhaps Curtis didn't want us to get to know those characters too well, since it would allow us to separate ourselves a little too much from those we identified with. Using little more depth than merely sketching in some of the characters, we the viewers are able to recall ourselves in those similar situations. I found myself thinking more about the characters in the film long after it was over than I did when I was watching it for the first time.

Now, I doubt Curtis intended to be too terribly "deep" with this film, but like an onion, there are a lot of layers to peel off if one chooses to look at it that way.

I went to see "Love Actually" to see Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson as husband and wife. The two of them did such a superb job of it that the "ho-hummness" of their marriage was actually quite riveting. Theirs was without question the most interesting of all the stories -- and the most real. Their story alone makes "Love Actually" worth viewing. I don't think you'll regret seeing it at least once, and I believe you'll find yourself drawn to seeing it a few more times to unpeel those layers.

Oh, and remember, onions sometimes make you cry....

What's most enjoyable about Love Actually, besides the terrific scoring (inventive use of pop songs to bridge from one story to the next) is the inspired casting. Along with wonderful comic bits from Bill Nighy and the actor playing Colin (those two alone were worth the price of admission), several gifted actors do themselves proud. Case in point: Sarah, hopelessly in love with a co-worker and emotionally strangled by caring for her brain-damaged brother, could have been a bathetic mess in the hands of anyone less talented than Laura Linney. I was also impressed with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, totally believable as a married-with-children couple who deal with each other comfortably on an everyday basis, but who are thrown for an emotional loop over an office romance. And Colin Firth (okay, I do have a teeny crush on this guy and am not totally reliable as a critic!) is the only actor I know who could convincingly sell the writer-loves-housemaid story.

What's less satisfying is the director's overreliance on his stock-in-trade story resolutions. Curtis always has to include a mad dash for the airport to get two characters together -- in this movie, there are TWO mad dashes -- and Prince Charming must always rescue Cinderella from a drab life with a dramatic flourish (in this case, two Princes, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant). Curtis uses his gimmicks with charm and skill, but they still feel gimmicky and one longs for more surprises.

Two other minor carps: (1) I am willing to suspend disbelief long enough to pretend that an 11 year old boy can learn to play the drums expertly in two weeks, but I refuse to accept that on the very night of the big show, he's still in his room learning the basics. (2) If Hugh Grant is cast as a P.M. in his late 40's or early 50's, for heaven's sake put a little gray at his temples or something. Grant looks 25 here, negating the intended older man/younger woman aspect of his relationship with Natalie and rendering Emma Thompson's greeting of her "big brother" late in the movie a little silly.

One final comment, not on the movie itself but about some of the reactions to it: I'm bemused by the postings that claim Curtis' casual use of interracial couplings represents some sort of P.C. gone amok. This demonstrates a complete ignorance of the British sensibility on race. Class differences are everything in British culture, NOT the black-white divide as is the case in America.

Those who see a "left-wing agenda" in a totally unpolitical movie like Love Actually could vastly benefit from learning something of other cultures and mores, as well as checking their own biases in the mirror.

In the first moments of Richard Curtis' wonderfull film comedy, "Love Actually", we see the words "Love actually is all around" appear prominently on the screen. And for the next two hours and fifteen minutes, that is exactly the theme, that Mr.Curtis, the Master of British romantic comedies ("Notting Hill", "Bridget Jone's Diary", "Four Weddings and a Funeral"), goes back to, over and over again. During the course of the movie, we follow the concurrent stories of more than a half dozen different couples as they deal with romance, during the Christmas season in London. They include a young women, who is in love with her office coworker, a widower and his stepson, who is suffering from 'puppy love', an older married couple, who are on the edge of infidelity, a pair of newlyweds & a best friend, a writer and his Portugese house keeper, a young guy lusting after American girls, a couple working as stand-ins for an 'Adult Film' production, and the young British Prime Minister, who has fallen in love with his office's 'Tea Girl'. All these interactively connected stories are framed by a foul mouthed, 'over the hill', rock star and his overweight manager, who are hilariously attempting to get a crass, holiday single to #1 in the charts by Christmas Eve. Sounds like a lot? Well, yes it is. Writer/Director, Richard Curtis has stuffed a lot of plot into this film, attempting only somewhat successfully in making sure each story has a tidy ending at Heathrow Airport. Many of the plotlines are pretty corny with some implausible situations (Yeah, right...the Prime Minister of Britain is knocking on doors in the middle of the night looking for a girl!) But you know what? We don't care! The characters are so likable and they so sweep us away with the romance of the situations, that we suspend our disbelief and sit back and enjoy the movie. Curtis shows us how love can be both joyous and painful. It is a messy emotion, that needs a lot of hard work. But in the end it all seems to be worth the trouble. Love really is all around! The excellent large cast of the movie features some of the 'cream of the crop' of the British film industry. They include actors such as Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightly, Rowan Atkinson ETC. These folks plus many more are all pretty much outstanding in their performances. My personal favorite was actor, Bill Nighy's portrayle of the decrepit rock star, who's wickedly funny comments leave everyone's jaws on the floor during his publicity tour ("Hey kids! Don't buy drugs. Become a pop star and you'll get them for free!"). Finally, mention should be made of the movie's beautiful photography from Cinematographer, Michael Coulter. The film is a love letter to London in much the same way Manhattan appears in Woody Allen's movies. It is a glossy romantic look, that adds to the romance of the characters and their situations. The DVD of this film is quite well done. The picture and sound are crystal clear. The DVD is chock full of extras including over a half hours worth of deleated scenes (with introductions), that are quite interesting. Furthmore there is an excellent commentary track between Richard Curtis and some of the film's actors, which has verbal sparring, that is just as funny as anything in the movie! Its' pretty obvious, that Curtis and Actor, Hugh Grant are old friends. The good natured, but mockingly sarcastic comments, that the two made, when ever Actor, Colin Firth appeared on screen, had me laughing my head off! Definitely make sure to play that commentary track!! For an evening of wonderful romantic comedy, I highly recomend the film, "Love Actually".