Or is half of Love Actually the most smug and self satisfied film ever?

[JakeBullet]

Just watching it again now......I mean it's 50% shite yet I feel compelled to watch.

All the rich Chelsea types
The impossible romance between the aide and the PM
That kid falling in love and re-enacting the scene from the Titanic
The smug surprise rendition of "all you need is love" at the wedding.

It's all so impossibly smug.....AND it has Keira Knightley doing her usual jaw jutting stuff. It DOES have some nice stuff in there which is why I watch but half the stories make me want to put my foot through then screen.

If it wasn't for the Emma Thompson, Colin Firth and the American woman story it would be unredeemable.

The rest are smug smug smug

Yep am being unreasonable but don't care.

Annie

First time I watched it I hated it. However, I had just walked in on my best mate shagging my boyfriend and it was 36 degrees and 95% humidity, so was feeling distinctly unChristmassy and unRomantic (unhappily single, felt doomed to be alone forever and bitter/twisted at anyone who had ever been in love). Now I love it (happily married and quite smug about life). Ditto Notting Hill. (first watched it after my then squeeze had shagged another bird at my 21st birthday party... do you see a pattern emerging). Richard Curtis films should only be watched when you're in love

But the bit where Emma Thompson holds back the tears and puts on a smiling face for the world is one saddest but most true to life moments in cinema. (Similar to the bit in SATC where Samantha walks away from getting a dressing down from Richard and holds back the tears till she reaches the lifts).

Am I wrong for wondering how Martine McCutcheon's siblings go to the same school as the niece of the PM....especially as she lives in "the dodgy end" of the road and Emma Thompson evidently loves in a pay Chelsea house?

Or is it two separate schools?

I hate it. I must have said so dozens of times on Mumsnet.

It is just a load of old cliched Richard Curtis well-heeled English WANK.

It is really cynical imo - all paint by numbers romantic scenarios designed to pull the heart strings.

And thank god I have never watched it in the company of an American - that bit where Hugh Grant 'stands up' to the US president is excrutiating.

It's crap, and even manages the seemingly impossible task of making Alan Rickman look unshaggable.

Nope....it's the same school...very cosmopolitan.

Jake as Martine's parents explain, yes there were several schools doing the joint christmas concert.

Colin Firth one of the worst bits.
I like the porn stars who are all shy about going out together.
The guy who goes to America.
Emma Thompson
The dreadful old popstar.

Awful includes:
running through the airport
Firth's public proposal.
Everything else.

Doesn't anyone think it would have been far, far better cinema for Emma Thompson to stop dithering about smoothing the bedspread and to storm into the sitting room and screech 'Joni Fucking Mitchell?' at her cheating husband?

Ahh jake you're not paying enough attention to your crappy movies :)
Martinez mum says something about all three schools from the larger area coming together to do the show.

Clearly I retain too much crap movie trivia.

cutie I think Keira Knightley has an underbite...it's just how her face is

I love the Bill Nighy line "kids,don't buy drugs,become a popstar and people give you them for free"

Yep....missed that bit about schools joining up.

Ahh bugger, took too long to type. X post.

YANBU it is a shitty smug film, although Emma Thompson acting is superb!

Loved the bit with Aurelia's sister and the proposal...

"For Gods sake say Yes you skinny moron"

It infuriates me every time I watch it but watch it I do!

I love love love it! I love sappy happy ever after films! The 'bye bye baby' bit at the funeral has me sobbing and clinging on to DH every time (his head is hiding behind a laptop with football on it but he offers a cuddle anyway ).

Billy Mack is not smug. Cut the rest of the movie.

That's the genius of it though innit? As proven by this thread, most people like one character or story even if they hate the rest. Sommink for everyone.

The only truly awful bit of the film is that warbling girl murdering "All I want for Christmas". I'm not fond of Mariah Carey but if I were her, I'd be considering my legal options of injunction from preventing her singing it again - EVER.

I love the PM; I really wish Hugh Grant could take over. He couldn't do any worse than any we've had of late, could he?

I love Nick the BT advert guy - and Alan Rickman (of course) with Emma Thompson - but most of all - Hugh Grant!

Aurelia: I thought they were speaking Portuguese yet he lands at Marseille airport. This has kept me awake worrying for years. Can someone explain?

"I look quite pretty..." Oh do shut up Kiera.

Also the nude couple aren't porn stars they are stand-in's used to help the production set the camera's and lighting just right.

Sacc, Aurelia and family were Portugese but living in France - remember how C. Firth first tries to speak French to her? Quite big Portugese communities there.

Saccro I always thought she was Portuguese living in France because the lady who introduces Colin Firths character to her says something like she speaks no English and very little French?

Did Alan and the bug eyed snotty PA ever shag? Have they done it when you see her in her underwear putting the necklace on?