Love Actually- aged well or not?

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Just started watching it on Netflix, not seen it for a while. I can’t believe it’s 18 years old! I still think of it as only a few years ago.

If you’ve watched it in the present day do you feel it’s now a bit dated? Or timeless Christmas classic?

I don’t mind a cheesy rom com, but I thought it was naff and particularly sexist at the time, and still do now.

For all those sad for Laura Linney..... she ended up with Patrick Dempsey in the American-version of the red nose reunion in 2017
It featured Linney's character, Sarah, answering her cell as if it were her brother calling as in the film, only to reveal the caller is Patrick Dempsey, who remarks that he loves the way she always answers her phone and that she is a wonderful wife.

The sex stand in scenes are pretty awful & really put me off the whole film tbh.
It really hasn't aged well, but not much has!

We watch it every Christmas, we like it.

Time for my annual Love Actually is terrible post. It was awful at the time and has only got worse.

By contrast, I loathed The Holiday the first time I saw it and now it’s a Christmas staple. I know it’s a bit ridiculous, with craterwide plot holes, but it’s my go-to Christmas hangovercomfort film. And Jude Law is gorgeous.

I read Kiera knightly was just 18/19 and she is meant to be a married woman put me right off it,

I wonder what the reasoning was behind cutting the HT segment and keeping the american jaunt? The title doesn't mean anything with the latter.

Honestly; does anyone believe a film, or any fiction for that matter, should always portray healthy societal ideals?

In terms of all the many ways in which Love, Actually asks us to suspend our disbelief why did no one notice a whole bunch of total strangers with saxes and trumpets taking up half the pews at the wedding? Why would any Americans want to give Colin the time of day, far less shag him? Why does Aurelia appear to come from a large Portuguese community in France in which no one speaks any French? Why is Colin Firth typing his novel on loose sheets of paper in an open shack on a manual typewriter on a windy day? the one I can never get past is that I cannot believe for a single second in Chiwetel Ejiofor being married to Keira Knightley.

They get married unconvincingly. They sit on a sofa watching football together unconvincingly. They have an unconvincing mews house. I just sit there thinking 'There's that actor pretending to be married to that other actor on a film set.'

I'm like a crackhead when it comes to this movie and this movie is my spoon! Forgive my poor taste analogy, I will watch this movie on the hottest day of the year.
If I was out and about and someone said "Boa Noite Admiral Caine" and asked me out in dodgy broken Pidgeon Portuguese, I WOULD SIMPLY LOOSE MY SHIT and scream like a little girl!!! in sheer utter delight.

I really like the film, if nothing else, it's actually quite a realistic picture of Christmas in the UK (or at least at the time it was filmed) so many films miss the mark with that or they are too American, this one felt British.

I had a friend at uni from Texas who was so excited to be in the UK at Christmas because of this film. She commented about how real it felt, especially the race for Xmas number 1.

Where the fuck is my fucking coat?!

8 is a lot of legs, David.

I love it. My favourite Christmas film.

It’s in the Lindy West article about the film, but nonetheless this film always makes me think of the Cockbloctopus

To me 1990 is only 20 years ago!!!! I’m well screwed in reality

@NigelWithTheBrie79

I was disappointed when I heard they had scrapped a storyline involving a lesbian couple (supposedly the schools head and her terminally ill partner). They wouldn't even have had to sacrifice any of the surviving storylines. I enjoy watching it but find it more annoying everytime. I have a list.

1. Liam Neeson crying. He just stands there, squeezes his eyes shut and gurns. Emma Thompson was right to.say no one would snag him. Which brings me to point 2.
2. He has just literally buried/cremated his Mrs. It says at the start of the film its 5 weeks till Christmas. Add on the week after Christmas. Then the weird few days around New year so about 7 weeks have passed and he has a new Mrs in Claudia Schiffer. Jojen Reed should be sticking one of those drum sticks up his step dad's arse.
3. Hugh Grant should have fired his assistant for fat shaming comments.
4. No one says 'Piss It'. No one.
5. Or 'I look quite pretty.'
6. No parent is that invested in their kids love life.
7. That necklace is cheap and nasty. Just like it's recipient.
8. Is Dunkin'Donuts a thing in Portugal? Why does the perfectly normal sister of Colin Firth's new Mrs get fat shamed repeatedly?
9. Did the actors playing the stand in actors have stand in's?

10. How did Kiera and Ejiofer not notice all these extra guests with musical instruments?

11. Apart from Martine's character, who says "piss it"? It's up there with Gwyneth Paltrow using "shagging" as a swear word in Sliding Doors.

@mycatisannoying

I love it. My favourite Christmas film.

I hated it when I saw it at the cinema but do enjoy watching it on telly at this time of year. See also The Holiday.

In terms of all the many ways in which Love, Actually asks us to suspend our disbelief -- why did no one notice a whole bunch of total strangers with saxes and trumpets taking up half the pews at the wedding?

Oh, I always assumed they were invited guests who had been asked by Andrew Lincoln if they could play a few notes on an instrument. And obviously only the guests with some musical ability/background were used.
Have I been wrong all these years?

I hate it when a passion, it's turgid, awful, sexist and devoid of any charm. Give me any Christmas shite hallmark makes over this

I love ‘where the fuck is my fucking coat’. It makes up for ‘piss it’!
I think with Colin we are all waiting for him to be as unsuccessful with women in the US as he is at home, so it’s part of the Christmas dream that it all works out for him.
Hate that the dad gets over his poor dead wife in about 6 weeks and starts eyeing up Claudia Schiffer.
ET and AR are superb - I wish I didn’t find ET so irritating irl!

@Keepitonthedownlow

I hate it when a passion, it's turgid, awful, sexist and devoid of any charm. Give me any Christmas shite hallmark makes over this

And the annoying thing is that I loved all the other Richard Curtis films, such as Nottinghill, About a Boy, 4 Weddings etc.

The main redeeming part was Rowan Atkinson wrapping up the parcel - I never tire of that scene, and the impressive performance by Emma Thompson. Rest of it is tosh.

I bloody love it. Mumsnet hasn’t managed to put me off it yet, and I’ve been here for 8 years now.

I even like the bit where Martin Friedman and Stacy from Gavin and Stacy are sex stunt actors.

I never saw it "before" so don't have any fond attachments but,did watch it for the first time fairly recently.

I found it all rather cringey and uncomfortable.