|
Love Actually is a warm and charming comedy
by Kent Farago
the Carillon
Love Actually isn’t the type of movie that four male friends would normally go to see by themselves.
There is just something that doesn’t seem kosher about four guys walking into a theatre that is packed with couples to watch a romantic comedy. However, as a group we had collectively watched everything else that was playing in the theatre so we all sucked up our pride and purchased our tickets much to the amusement of others in line and the clerks at the box office.
Okay, so now that I have told you what Love Actually isn’t, I will tell you what Love Actually is: Love Actually is a smart, charming and funny romantic comedy that focuses on eight couples and their pursuit of love and happiness in the last 5 weeks until Christmas. Some of those would-be couples include the British Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) and his assistant, a lonely office worker (Laura Linney) who has a long time crush on a co-worker, a young man who is in love with his best friend’s wife (Keira Knightley), and a washed-up, over-drugged rocker (Bill Nighly) who only wants one more crack at fame. At first the movie appears to be made up of eight stories that share no relevance, but once the film starts rolling we see how each of the couples are related to one another.
Writer and director Richard Curtis, who also wrote Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral, proves that he is the reigning king of romantic comedies. He proves this by succeeding where almost every other writer who ever touched this genre of films fails. Curtis makes you really feel and connect with the characters and want them to succeed in their endeavors. When one of the characters makes a stupid choice you feel like standing up in the middle of the theatre and screaming expletives at them until they change their mind. Also, when misfortune happens upon someone you want to be first in line to console them. This bond with the characters is something that is rarely found in the piles of movies that litter the theatres during the Christmas season.
Love Actually features an incredibly strong ensemble cast that also includes Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Billy Bob Thornton and a bunch of cameos that will surprise almost anyone. The price of the movie ticket is worth seeing each of these fine actors bring their characters to life with such joy.
Love Actually is one of the best romantic comedies that I have seen in a very long time. It is full of everything that one would expect for its genre and more. The writing is nearly perfect and it is obvious that all of the actors believe in the story and that none took their role as a way to pay the bills.
Even if you don’t have a date to take to this movie, it is highly recommended.
|
