Love Actually

2003

Director: Richard Curtis

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Key Elements: Story – Characters – Lines – Message

My Review:

I can’t think of many other feel-good movies that offer so much. In this movie we see how several love stories intertwine to climax gloriously at the end. They combine so seemlessly, even when the camera cuts from one story to another, the music can continue on without a hitch.

I’ve talked to few girls who don’t love the scene where Mark professes his love for Juliet with poster boards. It’s a really cute and romantic scene, but to enjoy it you have to ignore the fact that Juliet it married to another man. Thankfully, at the end Mark tells himself “That’s enough,” so we know he’s going to take things no further.

Another great scene is when Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister tells off the President of the United States for being a bully. Aggressive and humorous, it’s excellent diplomacy.

We all also love when Jamie and Aurelia get together and discover that they have each learned the other’s language.

And we love watching Liam Neeson’s character encourage and father his motherless step-son.

If you can ignore the sexual material (unnecessary as usual), you’ll enjoy seeing these stories unfold.

Pay particular attention to Hugh Grant’s voice-over at the beginning.

Interesting fact: The beginning and ending footage of people greeting each other at the airport is actually real live people who didn't know they were being filmed until afterword. Kinda beautiful.

Funny, romantic and fun, this is a great movie.

Clip:



Quotes:

• Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.
• Okay. Well, the truth is... actually... I'm in love.
• She's "the one".
• I love that word "relationship". Covers all manner of sins, doesn't it? I fear that this has become a bad relationship. A relationship based on the President taking exactly what he wants and casually ignoring all those things that really matter to, erm... Britain. We may be a small country but we're a great one, too. The country of Shakespeare, Churchill, the Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter. David Beckham's right foot. David Beckham's left foot, come to that. And a friend who bullies us is no longer a friend. And since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward, I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the President should be prepared for that.
• But for now, let me say - Without hope or agenda - Just because it's Christmas - And at Christmas you tell the truth - To me, you are perfect - And my wasted heart will love you - Until you look like this …Merry Christmas
• I realized that Christmas is-is the time to be with the people you love… And I realized that as dire chance and-and-and fateful cock-up would have it, here I am, mid 50s, and without knowing it I've gone and spent most of my adult life with a- with a chubby employee. And-and much as it grieves me to say it, it-it might be that the people I love is, in fact... you. …It's a terrible, terrible mistake, Chubs, but you turn out to be the fucking love of my life. And to be honest, despite all my complaining, we have had a wonderful life.
• Tell her that you love her… Sam, you've got nothin' to lose, and you'll always regret it if you don't.
• Let's go get the shit kicked out of us by love.
• But you know the thing about romance is people only get together right at the very end.
• True love lasts a lifetime.

Stills: