Love, Actually (movie)
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Rickster1967
Posts: 485 Member
in Chit-Chat
Being a sad, fat (not for much longer) lonely 50 year old geezer, I'm sitting here watching the movie 'Love. Actually'
It's on Sky Movies and will be on for a week I guess.
Now, there's a famous internet rant by someone where they slag the movie off. Fair enough, there's loads of holes in it (if you don't willingly suspend your disbelief). The article raised a couple of issues with me
1. The guy who is in love with his best friends' wife (Keira Knightley character) takes an awful hammering in the rant and from lots of others. They think he's creepy. He is in love with the girl but she married his best friend and his coping mechanism is to blank her as much as possible.
He does this for two reasons. Firstly, it avoids pain that would be caused by being around her. Secondly, she's his friends wife so he cannot let on to his pal that he has feelings for his wife. They have to maintain their friendship and to do so with the husband being aware of his friends feelings for the wife puts that friendship in jeopardy. So, the guy total hides his feelings.
It seems though, according to this long rant, that the guy is not allowed to have feelings and should simply stop being in love with his friends' wife. I mean, we can all turn our feelings on and off like a light switch, can't we?
2. Mia, the personal assistant to the Rickman character, brazenly throws herself at a married man with children yet its Rickman who is the a-hole for not being a good enough husband. Zero criticism of the woman attempting to, and very nearly succeeding in, breaking up a married couple.
The double standards are quite fascinating. On the one you have someone with genuine, unrequited feelings doing his best not to mess things up and on the other someone malciously meddling in someone elses relationship. Yet it's the former who is at fault.
Here's the link to the 'article'
https://jezebel.com/i-rewatched-love-actually-and-am-here-to-ruin-it-for-al-1485136388
Anyway, just my 2p / 2c worth
It's on Sky Movies and will be on for a week I guess.
Now, there's a famous internet rant by someone where they slag the movie off. Fair enough, there's loads of holes in it (if you don't willingly suspend your disbelief). The article raised a couple of issues with me
1. The guy who is in love with his best friends' wife (Keira Knightley character) takes an awful hammering in the rant and from lots of others. They think he's creepy. He is in love with the girl but she married his best friend and his coping mechanism is to blank her as much as possible.
He does this for two reasons. Firstly, it avoids pain that would be caused by being around her. Secondly, she's his friends wife so he cannot let on to his pal that he has feelings for his wife. They have to maintain their friendship and to do so with the husband being aware of his friends feelings for the wife puts that friendship in jeopardy. So, the guy total hides his feelings.
It seems though, according to this long rant, that the guy is not allowed to have feelings and should simply stop being in love with his friends' wife. I mean, we can all turn our feelings on and off like a light switch, can't we?
2. Mia, the personal assistant to the Rickman character, brazenly throws herself at a married man with children yet its Rickman who is the a-hole for not being a good enough husband. Zero criticism of the woman attempting to, and very nearly succeeding in, breaking up a married couple.
The double standards are quite fascinating. On the one you have someone with genuine, unrequited feelings doing his best not to mess things up and on the other someone malciously meddling in someone elses relationship. Yet it's the former who is at fault.
Here's the link to the 'article'
https://jezebel.com/i-rewatched-love-actually-and-am-here-to-ruin-it-for-al-1485136388
Anyway, just my 2p / 2c worth
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Replies
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Love Actually is a favorite of mine. Seems hinted that Harry (Rickman) has strayed before, so you can literally see it coming with Mia, who has no scruples at all. Alan Rickman does such a good acting job though - you almost feel for him. Still, he's a grown man with a free will.
Mark is in self-preservation mode. How could he not be? It just isn't meant to be and he knows that. Its good that he values his friendship more than his own desires. Lots of people could learn a thing or two about that.
Did you see the reunion on the Red Nose special? Mark ends up with a model.1 -
It is one of my favorite movies. I'm a huge fan of Bill Nighy. Love him in "About Time" and "Still Crazy".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqUA7XmjwNI
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I'm glad that it's on TV for a whole week. It would take me that long to make it through that movie again. The stupid holding up cards thing is so cliché now, too. One more 'heartfelt and touching' video using that gimmick is too many.0
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I love this movie way, WAY more than I like to admit. I will forever insist that Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie, and I will watch Love Actually alone at least five times each year.
I'll be happy to defend both of your complaints.
1. Yeah, yeah, Zombie-Killer Rick is kind of creepy in this movie. The wedding video is super stalkery, and it's virtually impossible that the best friend has never noticed ANY of his odd behavior. But whatever, I accept his "self-preservation" excuse and the scene where he shows up with his silent love note is completely adorable. (And I don't CARE how stupid his plan was. I KNOW that nobody would ever believe that his boom box music was performed by live carolers, and I have no opinion whatsoever about what he would have done if the best friend himself had answered the door instead.)
2. I don't think Mia is made out to be likeable or defensible in any way whatsoever. But yes, the man who took wedding vows is absolutely responsible for his behavior and no, I refuse to shift the blame and say, "Oh, that poor man, he can't be expected to be faithful to his wife in the face of a sexually-aggressive harlot." There's enough real-life blaming of the "other woman" while forgiving the cheating husband, and I actually prefer this movie's approach.
And now, for a few of my petty complaints:
1. Nobody could learn conversational Portuguese, even bad, broken Portuguese, in, what, 2 weeks? No matter how much in love he is. But I forgive this plot hole because the scene when Jamie shows up to the restaurant and proposes is maybe my most favorite over-the-top romantic movie scene of ALL TIME.
2. Is there really some sort of Christmas Song race to the top of the charts in the UK every year? Surely not.
3. Do porn movies really use stand-ins and a full crew and take weeks to shoot? Surely not. And I actually hate that entire plot and I think the movie would be just perfectly fine and dandy without it.
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JeepHair77 wrote: »
2. I don't think Mia is made out to be likeable or defensible in any way whatsoever. But yes, the man who took wedding vows is absolutely responsible for his behavior and no, I refuse to shift the blame and say, "Oh, that poor man, he can't be expected to be faithful to his wife in the face of a sexually-aggressive harlot." There's enough real-life blaming of the "other woman" while forgiving the cheating husband, and I actually prefer this movie's approach.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh ffs YES! I get sick and tired of movies, tv, society ALWAYS finding a way to blame the women in that (or any, let's be honest) situation. You, as an individual, don't owe *kitten* to somebody else's relationship. If he didn't shut it down from minute 1, that is 100% on him and everything that comes after is his fault no question, no debate, pure and simple.
3 -
rickinnercirclebet wrote: »Being a sad, fat (not for much longer) lonely 50 year old geezer, I'm sitting here watching the movie 'Love. Actually'
It's on Sky Movies and will be on for a week I guess.
Now, there's a famous internet rant by someone where they slag the movie off. Fair enough, there's loads of holes in it (if you don't willingly suspend your disbelief). The article raised a couple of issues with me
1. The guy who is in love with his best friends' wife (Keira Knightley character) takes an awful hammering in the rant and from lots of others. They think he's creepy. He is in love with the girl but she married his best friend and his coping mechanism is to blank her as much as possible.
He does this for two reasons. Firstly, it avoids pain that would be caused by being around her. Secondly, she's his friends wife so he cannot let on to his pal that he has feelings for his wife. They have to maintain their friendship and to do so with the husband being aware of his friends feelings for the wife puts that friendship in jeopardy. So, the guy total hides his feelings.
It seems though, according to this long rant, that the guy is not allowed to have feelings and should simply stop being in love with his friends' wife. I mean, we can all turn our feelings on and off like a light switch, can't we?
2. Mia, the personal assistant to the Rickman character, brazenly throws herself at a married man with children yet its Rickman who is the a-hole for not being a good enough husband. Zero criticism of the woman attempting to, and very nearly succeeding in, breaking up a married couple.
The double standards are quite fascinating. On the one you have someone with genuine, unrequited feelings doing his best not to mess things up and on the other someone malciously meddling in someone elses relationship. Yet it's the former who is at fault.
Here's the link to the 'article'
https://jezebel.com/i-rewatched-love-actually-and-am-here-to-ruin-it-for-al-1485136388
Anyway, just my 2p / 2c worth
Never been a fan of those ensemble movies. Cast of characters way too large!!1 -
TeacupsAndToning wrote: »JeepHair77 wrote: »1. Nobody could learn conversational Portuguese, even bad, broken Portuguese, in, what, 2 weeks? No matter how much in love he is. But I forgive this plot hole because the scene when Jamie shows up to the restaurant and proposes is maybe my most favorite over-the-top romantic movie scene of ALL TIME.
I like to imagine that he was picking up a little bit beforehand and then once he decided that he was going to go propose to her all he had time to learn were those very specific lines and basically nothing else.
I accept this explanation. I'm very willing to suspend disbelief when it comes to this movie.1 -
@MeeseeksAndDestroy wrote: »I have never seen it.
Then you're Lucky, Actually.1 -
WorkerDrone83 wrote: »@MeeseeksAndDestroy wrote: »I have never seen it.
Then you're Lucky, Actually.
2 -
MeeseeksAndDestroy wrote: »I have never seen it.
Watch Fargo instead.2 -
WorkerDrone83 wrote: »@MeeseeksAndDestroy wrote: »I have never seen it.
Then you're Lucky, Actually.
Boooo!0 -
JeepHair77 wrote: »
2. I don't think Mia is made out to be likeable or defensible in any way whatsoever. But yes, the man who took wedding vows is absolutely responsible for his behavior and no, I refuse to shift the blame and say, "Oh, that poor man, he can't be expected to be faithful to his wife in the face of a sexually-aggressive harlot." There's enough real-life blaming of the "other woman" while forgiving the cheating husband, and I actually prefer this movie's approach.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh ffs YES! I get sick and tired of movies, tv, society ALWAYS finding a way to blame the women in that (or any, let's be honest) situation. You, as an individual, don't owe *kitten* to somebody else's relationship. If he didn't shut it down from minute 1, that is 100% on him and everything that comes after is his fault no question, no debate, pure and simple.
bollocks
I'm talking about the analysis which criticised the guy studiously avoiding his friends wife compared to the slut who barely got any flak0 -
JeepHair77 wrote: »I love this movie way, WAY more than I like to admit. I will forever insist that Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie, and I will watch Love Actually alone at least five times each year.
I'll be happy to defend both of your complaints.
1. Yeah, yeah, Zombie-Killer Rick is kind of creepy in this movie. The wedding video is super stalkery, and it's virtually impossible that the best friend has never noticed ANY of his odd behavior. But whatever, I accept his "self-preservation" excuse and the scene where he shows up with his silent love note is completely adorable. (And I don't CARE how stupid his plan was. I KNOW that nobody would ever believe that his boom box music was performed by live carolers, and I have no opinion whatsoever about what he would have done if the best friend himself had answered the door instead.)
2. I don't think Mia is made out to be likeable or defensible in any way whatsoever. But yes, the man who took wedding vows is absolutely responsible for his behavior and no, I refuse to shift the blame and say, "Oh, that poor man, he can't be expected to be faithful to his wife in the face of a sexually-aggressive harlot." There's enough real-life blaming of the "other woman" while forgiving the cheating husband, and I actually prefer this movie's approach.
And now, for a few of my petty complaints:
1. Nobody could learn conversational Portuguese, even bad, broken Portuguese, in, what, 2 weeks? No matter how much in love he is. But I forgive this plot hole because the scene when Jamie shows up to the restaurant and proposes is maybe my most favorite over-the-top romantic movie scene of ALL TIME.
2. Is there really some sort of Christmas Song race to the top of the charts in the UK every year? Surely not.
3. Do porn movies really use stand-ins and a full crew and take weeks to shoot? Surely not. And I actually hate that entire plot and I think the movie would be just perfectly fine and dandy without it.
You're clearly not British because you can';t understand how a married middle aged Engliush guy is totally discombobulated by a younger, attractive woman throwing herself at him
As he says 'Oh I'm a fool'
Americans might call her out and put her her place 'that's inappropriate behaviour, cut it out' but Rickmans character is a middle classed English guy
and unless you understand what that means you'll never understand the point of the story
so, yeah, blame the sad, middle aged guyt for having his head turned if you want
bvut the fault lies entirely with that slut maliciously throwing herself at him. The story also involves the fact that Mia does know what middle aged English guys are like, that he's not going to make a scene, chew her out or anything and knowing that only encourages her.0 -
rickinnercirclebet wrote: »JeepHair77 wrote: »
2. I don't think Mia is made out to be likeable or defensible in any way whatsoever. But yes, the man who took wedding vows is absolutely responsible for his behavior and no, I refuse to shift the blame and say, "Oh, that poor man, he can't be expected to be faithful to his wife in the face of a sexually-aggressive harlot." There's enough real-life blaming of the "other woman" while forgiving the cheating husband, and I actually prefer this movie's approach.
YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh ffs YES! I get sick and tired of movies, tv, society ALWAYS finding a way to blame the women in that (or any, let's be honest) situation. You, as an individual, don't owe *kitten* to somebody else's relationship. If he didn't shut it down from minute 1, that is 100% on him and everything that comes after is his fault no question, no debate, pure and simple.
bollocks
I'm talking about the analysis which criticised the guy studiously avoiding his friends wife compared to the slut who barely got any flak
neither of them did anything wrong.0 -
To each his/her own. I loved it.
I can't recall the last time I came in to MFP to make up my mind up about what movie I might want to see. I'll watch what I want and avoid starting a thread to get approval.
Time to log out and go enjoy a cigar and bourbon. Hey, while I'm gone do you approve of cigars and bourbon or not?1 -
rickinnercirclebet wrote: »JeepHair77 wrote: »I love this movie way, WAY more than I like to admit. I will forever insist that Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie, and I will watch Love Actually alone at least five times each year.
I'll be happy to defend both of your complaints.
1. Yeah, yeah, Zombie-Killer Rick is kind of creepy in this movie. The wedding video is super stalkery, and it's virtually impossible that the best friend has never noticed ANY of his odd behavior. But whatever, I accept his "self-preservation" excuse and the scene where he shows up with his silent love note is completely adorable. (And I don't CARE how stupid his plan was. I KNOW that nobody would ever believe that his boom box music was performed by live carolers, and I have no opinion whatsoever about what he would have done if the best friend himself had answered the door instead.)
2. I don't think Mia is made out to be likeable or defensible in any way whatsoever. But yes, the man who took wedding vows is absolutely responsible for his behavior and no, I refuse to shift the blame and say, "Oh, that poor man, he can't be expected to be faithful to his wife in the face of a sexually-aggressive harlot." There's enough real-life blaming of the "other woman" while forgiving the cheating husband, and I actually prefer this movie's approach.
And now, for a few of my petty complaints:
1. Nobody could learn conversational Portuguese, even bad, broken Portuguese, in, what, 2 weeks? No matter how much in love he is. But I forgive this plot hole because the scene when Jamie shows up to the restaurant and proposes is maybe my most favorite over-the-top romantic movie scene of ALL TIME.
2. Is there really some sort of Christmas Song race to the top of the charts in the UK every year? Surely not.
3. Do porn movies really use stand-ins and a full crew and take weeks to shoot? Surely not. And I actually hate that entire plot and I think the movie would be just perfectly fine and dandy without it.
You're clearly not British because you can';t understand how a married middle aged Engliush guy is totally discombobulated by a younger, attractive woman throwing herself at him
As he says 'Oh I'm a fool'
Americans might call her out and put her her place 'that's inappropriate behaviour, cut it out' but Rickmans character is a middle classed English guy
and unless you understand what that means you'll never understand the point of the story
so, yeah, blame the sad, middle aged guyt for having his head turned if you want
bvut the fault lies entirely with that slut maliciously throwing herself at him. The story also involves the fact that Mia does know what middle aged English guys are like, that he's not going to make a scene, chew her out or anything and knowing that only encourages her.
the is the most openly misogynist thing I've read on this forum to date. just wow.1 -
Favorite movie of all time and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I don't even like rom-come, but this is the one exception. Sam is my favorite. HE LEARNED TO PLAY DRUMS JUST FOR THE TINY HOPE JOANNA WOULD NOTICE HIM. So freaking cute. And then the airport scene. Ugh. So much gushy love.2
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rickinnercirclebet wrote: »JeepHair77 wrote: »I love this movie way, WAY more than I like to admit. I will forever insist that Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie, and I will watch Love Actually alone at least five times each year.
I'll be happy to defend both of your complaints.
1. Yeah, yeah, Zombie-Killer Rick is kind of creepy in this movie. The wedding video is super stalkery, and it's virtually impossible that the best friend has never noticed ANY of his odd behavior. But whatever, I accept his "self-preservation" excuse and the scene where he shows up with his silent love note is completely adorable. (And I don't CARE how stupid his plan was. I KNOW that nobody would ever believe that his boom box music was performed by live carolers, and I have no opinion whatsoever about what he would have done if the best friend himself had answered the door instead.)
2. I don't think Mia is made out to be likeable or defensible in any way whatsoever. But yes, the man who took wedding vows is absolutely responsible for his behavior and no, I refuse to shift the blame and say, "Oh, that poor man, he can't be expected to be faithful to his wife in the face of a sexually-aggressive harlot." There's enough real-life blaming of the "other woman" while forgiving the cheating husband, and I actually prefer this movie's approach.
And now, for a few of my petty complaints:
1. Nobody could learn conversational Portuguese, even bad, broken Portuguese, in, what, 2 weeks? No matter how much in love he is. But I forgive this plot hole because the scene when Jamie shows up to the restaurant and proposes is maybe my most favorite over-the-top romantic movie scene of ALL TIME.
2. Is there really some sort of Christmas Song race to the top of the charts in the UK every year? Surely not.
3. Do porn movies really use stand-ins and a full crew and take weeks to shoot? Surely not. And I actually hate that entire plot and I think the movie would be just perfectly fine and dandy without it.
You're clearly not British because you can';t understand how a married middle aged Engliush guy is totally discombobulated by a younger, attractive woman throwing herself at him
As he says 'Oh I'm a fool'
Americans might call her out and put her her place 'that's inappropriate behaviour, cut it out' but Rickmans character is a middle classed English guy
and unless you understand what that means you'll never understand the point of the story
so, yeah, blame the sad, middle aged guyt for having his head turned if you want
bvut the fault lies entirely with that slut maliciously throwing herself at him. The story also involves the fact that Mia does know what middle aged English guys are like, that he's not going to make a scene, chew her out or anything and knowing that only encourages her.
Well, you're right, I'm not British. I DO realize that British men (and probably men from other countries, too) might find it difficult to overcome temptation sometimes. But that doesn't mean they're just helpless and weak, does it? They're not like, "I love you and I'll marry you and be faithful forever and ever, unless, of course, some young twinkie in the city throws herself at me someday, because of course, you understand that I can't be held responsible for my actions, since I'm really a spineless twit."1
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