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Review: Love Actually (*** 1/2)



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 31st 03, 07:28 PM
Steve Rhodes
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Posts: n/a
Default Review: Love Actually (*** 1/2)

LOVE ACTUALLY
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2003 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2


Thank you Universal for the perfect holiday gift, LOVE ACTUALLY -- one
hilarious poem of a picture to the joy of love!



Written and directed by Richard Curtis, the writing genius responsible for
NOTTING HILL, the movie features a cast of thousands -- all giving their
very best in the service of love. From big names (Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson,
Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Rowan Atkinson, Bill Nighy and
Billy Bob Thornton) to relative unknowns (Martine McCutcheon, Andrew
Lincoln, Heike Makatsch, Lucia Moniz, Rodrigo Santoro and Thomas Sangster),
all of the actors are absolutely brilliant, witty and adorable.



The film, which gets funnier and more touching as it goes on, contains more
large laughs than could be stuffed into any Christmas box. The holiday
story starts in the five weeks before Christmas and works its way up to the
big day, so opening the movie in November actually makes sense.



Structured as a slightly intertwined montage of love stories, the movie
doesn't have a star per se, but Hugh Grant, as England's nervous new Prime
Minister, provides the key glue to hold some of the stories together. He's
a bachelor who, when no one is looking, can cut a mean rug. He may be no
John Travolta when it comes to dancing, but he's ready to take on the
married, Clintonesque American President (Thornton) who dares to make moves
on Natalie (McCutcheon), one of the Prime Minister's aides. The event takes
place in London where the President has come for a meeting with the new
government.



Everyone in the movie is either in love or trying hard to obtain that state
of bliss. The film's title comes from the phrase, "Love actually is all
around." It reinforces this message with video clips of average people of
all ages experiencing the exhilaration of love. The movie also features
some great love songs, like "All You Need Is Love." And it plays off of
this, with one of its funniest characters, Billy Mack (Nighy), "the bad
granddad of rock 'n roll," trying to hawk his latest tune, which awkwardly
sticks the word "Christmas" into a love song. A hysterically acerbic
character, Billy says on an MTV-like program, "Don't buy drugs." So far so
good. But then he adds. "Become a pop star, and they'll give you them for
free."



In another story, Sarah (Linney) has had an office crush for two years on
Carl (Santoro), except that she has a mentally ill brother who demands all
of her time. Her boss, Harry (Rickman) has problems too. He has a lovely
wife, Karen (Thompson), and a horny secretary, Mia (Makatsch), who is doing
everything but pin him on his desk. Jamie (Firth) is a lonely writer who
falls in love while in France with his Portuguese housekeeper, Aurelia
(Moniz), who speaks as much English as he does Portuguese, which is none.
And finally there's Sam (Sangster), a grade school kid whose love burns with
an intensity as big as any adult. "That's the end of life as I know it," he
tells his step-father, Daniel (Neeson), when the love of Sam's young life is
about to move to America before he has ever developed the courage to speak
to her.



There is so much I have not been able to get to, like Rowan Atkinson's
precious bit as the world's most fastidious jewelry sales clerk. And
there's my personal favorite, the movie stand-ins. One of recurring
episodes involves a crew setting up for a sexually explicit movie. Since
they can't ask the two stars to stand there naked for the long lighting
tests and camera adjustments, they use naked stand-ins instead. It turns
out that a good way to meet a woman is to be just such a movie stand-in.



The story finds a heart-warming way to wrap it all up. Don't be surprised
if it leaves you clapping and cheering and completely in love with love.



LOVE ACTUALLY runs 2:08. The film is rated R for "sexuality, nudity and
language" and would be acceptable for most teenagers.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, November 14, 2003.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century
theaters and the Camera Cinemas.



Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com

Email:



************************************************** *********************



Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email?

Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.




  #2  
Old November 24th 03, 07:57 PM
bignosedan
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Posts: n/a
Default Review: Love Actually (*** 1/2)

"Steve Rhodes" wrote in message link.net...
LOVE ACTUALLY
A film review by Steve Rhodes

Copyright 2003 Steve Rhodes

RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2


Thank you Universal for the perfect holiday gift, LOVE ACTUALLY -- one
hilarious poem of a picture to the joy of love!



Written and directed by Richard Curtis, the writing genius responsible for
NOTTING HILL, the movie features a cast of thousands -- all giving their
very best in the service of love. From big names (Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson,
Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Rowan Atkinson, Bill Nighy and
Billy Bob Thornton) to relative unknowns (Martine McCutcheon, Andrew
Lincoln, Heike Makatsch, Lucia Moniz, Rodrigo Santoro and Thomas Sangster),
all of the actors are absolutely brilliant, witty and adorable.



The film, which gets funnier and more touching as it goes on, contains more
large laughs than could be stuffed into any Christmas box. The holiday
story starts in the five weeks before Christmas and works its way up to the
big day, so opening the movie in November actually makes sense.



Structured as a slightly intertwined montage of love stories, the movie
doesn't have a star per se, but Hugh Grant, as England's nervous new Prime
Minister, provides the key glue to hold some of the stories together. He's
a bachelor who, when no one is looking, can cut a mean rug. He may be no
John Travolta when it comes to dancing, but he's ready to take on the
married, Clintonesque American President (Thornton) who dares to make moves
on Natalie (McCutcheon), one of the Prime Minister's aides. The event takes
place in London where the President has come for a meeting with the new
government.



Everyone in the movie is either in love or trying hard to obtain that state
of bliss. The film's title comes from the phrase, "Love actually is all
around." It reinforces this message with video clips of average people of
all ages experiencing the exhilaration of love. The movie also features
some great love songs, like "All You Need Is Love." And it plays off of
this, with one of its funniest characters, Billy Mack (Nighy), "the bad
granddad of rock 'n roll," trying to hawk his latest tune, which awkwardly
sticks the word "Christmas" into a love song. A hysterically acerbic
character, Billy says on an MTV-like program, "Don't buy drugs." So far so
good. But then he adds. "Become a pop star, and they'll give you them for
free."



In another story, Sarah (Linney) has had an office crush for two years on
Carl (Santoro), except that she has a mentally ill brother who demands all
of her time. Her boss, Harry (Rickman) has problems too. He has a lovely
wife, Karen (Thompson), and a horny secretary, Mia (Makatsch), who is doing
everything but pin him on his desk. Jamie (Firth) is a lonely writer who
falls in love while in France with his Portuguese housekeeper, Aurelia
(Moniz), who speaks as much English as he does Portuguese, which is none.
And finally there's Sam (Sangster), a grade school kid whose love burns with
an intensity as big as any adult. "That's the end of life as I know it," he
tells his step-father, Daniel (Neeson), when the love of Sam's young life is
about to move to America before he has ever developed the courage to speak
to her.



There is so much I have not been able to get to, like Rowan Atkinson's
precious bit as the world's most fastidious jewelry sales clerk. And
there's my personal favorite, the movie stand-ins. One of recurring
episodes involves a crew setting up for a sexually explicit movie. Since
they can't ask the two stars to stand there naked for the long lighting
tests and camera adjustments, they use naked stand-ins instead. It turns
out that a good way to meet a woman is to be just such a movie stand-in.



The story finds a heart-warming way to wrap it all up. Don't be surprised
if it leaves you clapping and cheering and completely in love with love.



LOVE ACTUALLY runs 2:08. The film is rated R for "sexuality, nudity and
language" and would be acceptable for most teenagers.



The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, November 14, 2003.
In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century
theaters and the Camera Cinemas.



Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com

Email:



************************************************** *********************



Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email?

Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line.


Well said! I Loved Martine McCutcheon in this movie!
 




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