To ask who's story you don't like in Love Actually?

[fairybeagle]

I don't like Colin's. And as I've got older I've started to dislike Andre Lincoln's characters (which is sad as I used to love it so sort of taking the magic out of it) as he's actually a creepy stalker.

I don't get the hatred for this film. Its just a film, it is supposed to be funny, stereotypical and unrealistic FFS. I don't get why people read into it so much.

Anyway, I love most of the stories but the Laura Linney one irritates me as she deserved to be happy, the way she answers the phone irrationally annoys me. Totally love Colin Firth, their story makes me happy.

We watch it on xmas eve every year and it makes me laugh and cry.

@Deadringer I see the bit where Keira Knightly kisses Andrew Lincoln like a sympathy kiss, to show she understands and that she feels sorry for him. Kind of closure. Maybe I have read too much into it

I agree with you @Glitterfisher

If you were going to rewrite Love Actually, what love stories would you add?

A parent sacrificing themselves for a child?
The love of a child for their parent / grandparents?
Same sex love?
"Forbidden love" - Romeo and Juliet?
Friendship love...

I see the bit where Keira Knightly kisses Andrew Lincoln like a sympathy kiss, to show she understands and that she feels sorry

I see it as a way to give him hope and keep him fixated on her.
Mind you, I loathe Kiera Knightly who justs hangs her mouth open to a greater or lesser extent to suggest emotion.

The best man character perhaps felt guilty about fancying his friend's fiancee, so organised the OTT display at the wedding.

When he tries to stay away from her, KK's character turns up, with pie (sooo cute... yuk!) and alone. Presumably, her husband still sees his friend - she could turn up unexpectedly then to meet him.
Then she points out that (and I always hear this in a soppy little voice) "I look quite pretty, don't I?".
Just in case you hadn't noticed, man who patently fancies me.

Eventually, he decides to try to make peace with his feelings, goes to her house to do the stupid card thing and she lets him go, hoping he'll obtain closure...

Oh no. Of course not.
She runs out and snogs him, then skippetty-skips back to unwitting husband (who, some might feel, she's justed cheated on) pleased to have kept poor old AL's character dangling.

No, of course I'm not given to over-thinking

If some of the stories were on AIBU or relationships...I wonder what would happen?

insipid sexist rubbish

I agree, I don't mind a rubbish film, or even an insipid one occasionally, but DD and I both commented on how sexist it is. As Nan would say 'what a load of old shite'.

Can't bear it. Terrible film.

@LaMarschallin I love that you have overthought it as much as I have even though I could have written your post from the complete opposite point of view

The main reason I think its supposed to portray closure is because he walks away smiling saying 'enough'.

I love Colin Firth and wish I was Aurelia

Oh god, I think all of them except Emma Thompson/Alan Rickman.

The porn one I can take or leave.

The rest are appalling, but without a doubt worst is Hugh Grant lusting after his tea lady who managed to get a job in no10 despite her inability to have a conversation without swearing repeatedly. The press conference scene with BBT is the cringiest pile of dung in the history of cinema!

I had never seen it until the other night. I didn't think I would like it and how fucking right I was.

What a pile of shite.

I love cheesy films, but this was just awful with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

The porn actors - just not funny
The prick who goes to America for a shag - creepy
Hugh Grant dancing to Jump - made me cringe.

Oh it was just horrible. All of it.

Another one saying I don't like any of it. I really don't. I tried to like it and I loved other similar films, like Four Weddings and Notting Hill, but I hated Love Actually. I tried watching it again this year - yeah, still hate all the stories and most of the characters. Can't stand Martine McCutcheon's character, not a big fan of Hugy Grant's, the couple having fake sex the whole time, the one in love with his best mate's wife etc etc. Dislike all of them. I honestly don't know why.

I quite like the ageing rock star. He's quite funny, but one or two moments in a sea of ugh doesn't make me want to watch it ever again. I've managed watching it through twice I think. Awful.

But I'm sure plenty of people would hate my favourite movies too, so meh.

Paris Je T'aime does a similar sort of thing, with a series of short love stories set in Paris, but it is so, SO much better imo. It is all different directors I think though and I adore it.

The porn one isn’t porn though. They’re body doubles.

No, definitely not porn.

I don't like any of it! I think the entire film is pretty dreadful! I actually paid to go and see it in the cinema when it was first released. It was a big disappointment after all the hype and build-up.

Most of it but especially the boy and Martine McCutcheon

The porn one isn’t porn though. They’re body doubles

Why does she need to be topless but he gets to be fully clothed in jeans shirts and a jacket?

I don't think women speak to each other at all

Apparently LA passes the Bechdel test: Only convo betw 2 males that wasn't sex/love/female related is the American negotations, iirc.

The cut story line is here.

The Laura Linney one is awful, who would completely martyr themselves like that, and would that place even let a patient call someone every five minutes?

I agree with @Glitterfisher as well. I have a soft spot for the film anyway. I saw it at Whitely's in London when it came out the first Christmas after my marriage ended.
I love Colin Firth. The "just in cases" line always makes me feel a bit tearful and the "Love Only Knows" airport collage gives me some weird faith that the world isn't completely fucked up.

TildaKauskumholm have you ever had someone in that position.have you ever stepped into those units?
it makes me laugh all the people saying linney is a martyr.nope that called love when someone is at the most vulnerable.its dedication.yo might not do it that way but when your in that position many many do.
but they wouldnt allow phone calls like that.barely one a week.nor visitors.some one a week some one a month.so dont all those people pissing on her comment until you know what that like.nor stepped inside and seen the conditions of the places you have no choice but to put someone you love.
until youve held the hand of someone through a cell door because they wont allow you to open them you have no idea.they are shit houses and youd do anything for the person you love to bare it.

but then again they wouldnt show that would they.that might shine a light on what the mental health situation is like.

Mind. Blown.

For some reason I always thought the porno couple were body doubles for famous actors. Never crossed my mind they were porn actors. Fml. That's a Christmas tradition ruined.

The porn one isn’t porn though. They’re body doubles.

Yes, but presumably for a film which is either porn or a film with a lot of sex scenes, as we only ever seem to see them being stand-ins for sex scenes, from what I remember? And I assume they're stand-ins rather than body doubles, in the sense that they're just there to take the place of the actors while they set up cameras and lighting etc? Doesn't someone say something about lighting the female character's breasts?

I was on one of the location sets of the first Harry Potter film, and they had three children of the right size as stand-ins for Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, to save the time the three actors had to be on set for actual shooting.