'Love Actually',

[dustybin]

is Britain's weak, immature, two-dimensional answer to Robert Altman's wonderful 1993 film 'Short Cuts'. Discuss.

[LeMarchand]

I liked "Love Actually". I found it a warm and funny (if schmaltzy) movie, and will be buying it on DVD.

[andy hughes]

It's probably not relavent, because I haven't seen the film, but my opinion has been coloured after seeing 'Four Weddings' - I decided to avoid any film with the dreaded three words 'starring Hugh Grant' attatched to it!

[indiesinger]

Have to agree with LeMarchand - I loved it and will be buying the DVD. It made a refreshing change to be faced with so many storylines - most American films these days don't think we can cope with more than three characters.

[Greedyfly]

I havent seen it but its gonna be massive this weekend - there will be few mothers who wont be recieving it!

[bluedolphin]

I loved it actually. Thought Bill Nighy stole the show.

[dustybin]

indiesinger - try Robert Altman's 'Short Cuts' or Jim Jarmusch's 'Night on Earth' or Todd Solondz's 'Happiness'. They will make Love Actually look laughable to you. Not all American films are what you think you they are. You just have to chose to see the right ones.

[LeMarchand]

dustybin - I don't think you're comparing like for like: "Love Actually" succeeds in its chosen goals of being a warm and fluffy romcom with a few bittersweet moments. I don't think it was ever supposed to be an incisive look at anything! It's a bit like criticising a Michael Bay movie; his films (with the exception of the awful "Pearl Harbour") are basically about blowing s**t up in the slickest way possible, and if that's what you want, they're great - if you want character developement and an insightful look at today's society, you're watching the wrong director! Similarly, if I wanted a serious look at relationships and life told in a humorous way, the films you mentioned would be great; but as the cinematic equivalent of a box of Quality Street, "Love Actually" does the business admirably.

[TommyC]

Haven't seen either of these films, actually..!! But I'm afraid I've always thought Hugh Grant in particular to be the most utterly talentless, unattractive, uninteresting, over-rated performer in modern cinema, and a sure-fire reason to dump the entire struggling British film industry in the nearest canal once and for all..!! But then, I'm not a teenage female cinema-goer who's looking for a handsome, rich, eligible single guy to make her dreams come true.!!

[LeMarchand]

Hey! I'm not a fan of Huge Plant (though I have found him vaguely amusing in his last few films), or "a teenage female cinema-goer who's looking for a handsome, rich, eligible single guy to make her dreams come true" (male - straight - and, alas, nowhere near teenage). BTW, another reason to like "Love Actually" is because it's annoyed the hell out of a lot of Americans (check the IMDb forum for the film), who can't believe that us Brits could be so ungrateful as to insult their President!

[dustybin]

LeMarchand, I hear what you're saying, but I feel that Love Actually failed in being a 'warm and fluffy romcom', as it tried to hard to be something more meaningful and therefore ended up neither one thing or the other. It asked us to respond and warm to characters who were simply cardboard cutouts. With the exception of Emma Thompson, who, I have to admit actually did manage to convey a real person quite movingly. Everything else could have been a character/plotline out of 'Neighbours', but dressed up to be a series of insightful, life affirming vignettes about life and love. Now, if you want a warm and fluffy romcom that is hilarious AND has bittersweet moments, Groundhog Day is your film.

[darth vader]

buy the DVD and watch the deleted scenes - most were far better than the actual film (the director admits this, so why weren't they in? i'd have watched the whole 3.5 hour original version) especially the headmistress's story. I think you're all misery guts's - Hugh Grant was very good in the movie and played his part excellently, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Martin Freeman to name a few of the many actors/actresses who put in a fantastic performance in this comedy. Loved it, watched it again, loved it again. It's a british comedy - don't expect any more, that's all i can say!

[LeMarchand]

Don't worry, Darth, we won't tell the Emperor about your soft side ;-) .