Love Actually on Tonight

[Kaka Tim]

I agree with almost all of this, except that, surely the relationship between Bill Nighy and his manager was not straight?

Other than that, totally agree - there are so many bits of the story that are seriously dodgy and ill thought out.

Well done for bumping this 15 year old thread. Thankfully, in the intervening years, Lindy West came very close to summarising precisely what I find so objectionable about this film.

Now every year at mid-December, I pour myself a large glass of Baileys, get comfortable, and read this post

I Rewatched Love Actually and Am Here to Ruin It for All of You

We open in a fucking airport. A fucking AIRPORT!!! Of course Love Actually, the apex of cynically vacant faux-motional cash-grab garbage cinema would hang its BIG METAPHOR on the bleak, empathy-stripped cathedral of turgid bureaucracy known as “the airport.” Of course. And then, of course, Hugh...

jezebel.com

God yeah - forgot to mention the "fat" remarks about Natalie. And about the Portuguese women's sister.
And the "would have been rejected from porkies 12 as too lame" plotline about the lad who - fed up with sexually harassing his work colleagues and getting nowhere - decides to go to the USA to score. And does. big time. with several beautiful women. And .... thats it. Thats the .... joke ?

 

[MickiQ]

Well done for bumping this 15 year old thread. Thankfully, in the intervening years, Lindy West came very close to summarising precisely what I find so objectionable about this film.

Now every year at mid-December, I pour myself a large glass of Baileys, get comfortable, and read this post

I Rewatched Love Actually and Am Here to Ruin It for All of You

We open in a fucking airport. A fucking AIRPORT!!! Of course Love Actually, the apex of cynically vacant faux-motional cash-grab garbage cinema would hang its BIG METAPHOR on the bleak, empathy-stripped cathedral of turgid bureaucracy known as “the airport.” Of course. And then, of course, Hugh...

jezebel.com

I have to confess that I have watched Love Actually and whilst it is schmaltzy with enough sugar to rot your teeth whilst watching it, I did indeed find it enjoyable if predictable.
That review however is brilliant way funnier than the film

 

[Elpenor]

Didn’t Will Self describe Love Actually as being similar to Triumph Of The Will?

 

[billy_bob]

Well done for bumping this 15 year old thread. Thankfully, in the intervening years, Lindy West came very close to summarising precisely what I find so objectionable about this film.

Now every year at mid-December, I pour myself a large glass of Baileys, get comfortable, and read this post

I Rewatched Love Actually and Am Here to Ruin It for All of You

We open in a fucking airport. A fucking AIRPORT!!! Of course Love Actually, the apex of cynically vacant faux-motional cash-grab garbage cinema would hang its BIG METAPHOR on the bleak, empathy-stripped cathedral of turgid bureaucracy known as “the airport.” Of course. And then, of course, Hugh...

jezebel.com

That's the best takedown of a film I've ever read. Fucking hilarious.

Although to be fair 'This entire film is just men doing things' is a criticism that could be levelled at one or two others...

 

[stavros]

I haven't seen it since it came out, so whenever I hear its name I immediately think of this:

 

[Elpenor]

Didn’t Will Self describe Love Actually as being similar to Triumph Of The Will?

Found the quote here, I believe he also used it on HIGNFY

With its pop-cultural references to everyone from Elton John to Claudia Schiffer, and its clever countdown to a romantic Christmas - the action of the film starts on the day it is actually released - it is the most effective piece of manipulative cinema I've seen since Triumph Of The Will.

Laughing to the bank

British advertising lost one of its greatest potential copywriters when Richard Curtis opted instead for small-screen sitcoms and big-screen romcoms. After films that have seen him repackage poshness (Four Weddings and a Funeral), shift chardonnay (Bridget Jones's Diary) and inflate the house...

www.standard.co.uk

 

[Sue]

Found the quote here, I believe he also used it on HIGNFY

Laughing to the bank

British advertising lost one of its greatest potential copywriters when Richard Curtis opted instead for small-screen sitcoms and big-screen romcoms. After films that have seen him repackage poshness (Four Weddings and a Funeral), shift chardonnay (Bridget Jones's Diary) and inflate the house...

www.standard.co.uk

Advertising's loss was... Oh.

 

[billy_bob]

Found the quote here, I believe he also used it on HIGNFY

Laughing to the bank

British advertising lost one of its greatest potential copywriters when Richard Curtis opted instead for small-screen sitcoms and big-screen romcoms. After films that have seen him repackage poshness (Four Weddings and a Funeral), shift chardonnay (Bridget Jones's Diary) and inflate the house...

www.standard.co.uk

I'm rather pleased Will Self used the very same word I used on this thread about it - manipulative: I know he's total pseud's corner material but he's still pretty smart and incisive along with it. It does feel manpulative - like being brainwashed for some cult the aims of which are unclear.