AIBU that Love Actually makes me want to poke my eyes out? Light hearted.

[Mapletreelane]

Don't get me wrong, I love a good Christmas flick. But I'm seeing a lot of love on social media for Love Actually. Am I the only one who finds it cringey; it stereotypes Britain as posh and middle class, and Hugh Grant's dancing PM is just....horrendously embarrassing, not funny? It has a wealth of our greatest acting talent who manage to sound unnatural and unfunny. Give me Elf any day (And I am not a Will Ferrell fan). I'm seeing so much love for it and I just cannot see the attraction!

YABU- Get a life. Love Actually is one of the greatest Xmas films ever

YANBU - it is a cringefest akin to nails scraping on a blackboard (for those of you old enough to know what a blackboard is)

@M4J4

Irrelevant Kimchi.

Whats irrelevant ?

@M4J4

Deciding not to pursue a relationship because she’s caring for her DB doesn’t send a great message either.

Why?

A woman or a man or anyone for that matter can decide not to pursue a relationship for any reason. Every day on here people are told not to pursue relationships and focus on a child etc. Why is this any different?

[quote M4J4]@sammylady37 my interpretation is that he didn’t take it any further with Sarah because she was clearly caring for her brother and he didn’t want to deal with that, she was already busy dealing with another male’s needs.

You can disagree with that but saying my opinion is ridiculous is pathetic. I’ve already told you I’m a carer, so not sure why you’re extolling your virtues as a carer to me.[/quote]
So, I can’t say your opinion is ridiculous but you can say that my opinion, or me voicing my opinion (of your opinion) is pathetic? Okaaaaaaay then .

Fwiw, as I’ve already said, I interpret it differently- I think she remains consistent and chooses to put her caring responsibilities above her sex life. That’s more likely than him thinking ‘ ah, fuck that, she won’t give me 100% of her attention’ IMO. Reasonable people recognise that adults have responsibilities and commitments.

And I didn’t post about the impact caring had on me to ‘extol (my) virtues’, I did it to make the point to you and others that her portrayal of caring for someone with serious mental illness was very accurate in my experience and that’s one of the things I like about that storyline.

It’s terrible but kind of watchable, much like four weddings. In four weddings john Hannah’s poetry reading is the best bit and in love actually the same powerful emotional bit Is Emma Thompson realising her h is unfaithful. Both brilliantly done bits but surrounded by appalling cliched sexist cheese and woeful plotting.

I don’t have a problem with Alan Rickman risking everything for an obviously flirtatious younger woman he has nothing in common with - that’s realistic. But I hate the Liam neeson, Colin firth, kris Marshall, creepy Andrew Lincoln and worst of all Hugh grant stories.

It is so male-centric - almost all the key characters are males pulling (or just perving on) younger women, except a couple of key female characters who are long-suffering victims who don’t get what they want.

I like Hugh grant generally but I hate his relationship with martine mccutcheon SO MUCH. They even manage to be sneery about her weight when she jumps into his arms. Urgh hate it!

I always find it amazing that Richard Curtis can be SO sexist and classist while clearly congratulating himself on being patronisingly inclusive of the disabled.

*Why?

A woman or a man or anyone for that matter can decide not to pursue a relationship for any reason. Every day on here people are told not to pursue relationships and focus on a child etc. Why is this any different?*

Indeed. Isn’t it one of the mumsnet mantras that anyone can end a relationship for any reason?!

But apparently if you’re a woman and you do it to care for a male relative you’re fulfilling sexist stereotypes and not sending out a great message!

@sammylady37

*Why?

A woman or a man or anyone for that matter can decide not to pursue a relationship for any reason. Every day on here people are told not to pursue relationships and focus on a child etc. Why is this any different?*

Indeed. Isn’t it one of the mumsnet mantras that anyone can end a relationship for any reason?!

But apparently if you’re a woman and you do it to care for a male relative you’re fulfilling sexist stereotypes and not sending out a great message!

🙌🙌

On a brighter note this is one of my parents favourite films and they like to say 'get your own life '... every. Time. We. Watch.

It's not gonna change this time hen.

@HerselfIndoors

It’s terrible but kind of watchable, much like four weddings. In four weddings john Hannah’s poetry reading is the best bit and in love actually the same powerful emotional bit Is Emma Thompson realising her h is unfaithful. Both brilliantly done bits but surrounded by appalling cliched sexist cheese and woeful plotting.

I don’t have a problem with Alan Rickman risking everything for an obviously flirtatious younger woman he has nothing in common with - that’s realistic. But I hate the Liam neeson, Colin firth, kris Marshall, creepy Andrew Lincoln and worst of all Hugh grant stories.

It is so male-centric - almost all the key characters are males pulling (or just perving on) younger women, except a couple of key female characters who are long-suffering victims who don’t get what they want.

I like Hugh grant generally but I hate his relationship with martine mccutcheon SO MUCH. They even manage to be sneery about her weight when she jumps into his arms. Urgh hate it!

I always find it amazing that Richard Curtis can be SO sexist and classist while clearly congratulating himself on being patronisingly inclusive of the disabled.

Like the endless gags about Bridget Jones who isn't overweight either...

@MerchantOfVenom

Not one of their films would be likely to pass the Bechamel test.

Yeah, I know.

I'd blame autocorrect but the real reason is I got stuck into the sauce early while wrapping presents... 🤣

Of course your not the only one to find it cringey. I think it's universally acknowledged to be cringey as fuck. Doesn't mean it's bad. But no more so than many other Christmas films.

The worst love-in is the children. I really thought the girl was leaving forever but it turns out it was only for Christmas. Was it worth nearly getting arrested for? The first time I watched the film I thought the Rowan Atkinson skit was out of kilter with the rest of the film (a bit like his vicar in Four Weddings) but I've come to realise it's the only really enjoyable part. Bill Nighy is good. Anyone else think that Andrew Lincoln was secretly in love with his friend not KK? I thought the video was going to show the groom not the bride.

A couple of enjoyable reviews which sum the film up I think

jezebel.com/i-rewatched-love-actually-and-am-here-to-ruin-it-for-al-1485136388

www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/love-actually-richard-curtis-comic-relief-keira-knightley-a7643801.html

In fairness Liam Neesom shows his raw love by tearing up Paris and killing numerous East European gangsters and Saudi sex trafficers in a bid to save his kidnapped daughter. Love Actually is a nuanced high brow film that carefully explores the dichotomy of man through the lens of violence and emotion.

@MarieIVanArkleStinks

Aware I sound like the old curmudgeon muttering away in the corner, but the whole production company that is 'Working Title' should have a bomb put under it as far as I'm concerned.

Not one of their films would be likely to pass the Bechamel test. Same tired troupe of actors in many of them - I can't compute why people think Judi Dench so wonderful - and the schmaltz could be scraped off your TV screen with a knife. The gender stereotyping, misogyny and tokenism are so painfully embarrassing and patronising it makes me wince. Even Donald Sutherland couldn't save the monstrosity that was Pride and Prejudice, and as for everything that's wrong with Bridget Jones don't get me started, or I'll rant for an hour. 😡😡

The gong for the worst of the humiliating, patronising tokenism featuring gay or disabled people goes to Four Weddings and Notting Hill. 🥇 But Love Actually truly caps a woeful catalogue of bilge.

I never post this icon but this is truly worthy of this:

Bah, humbug.

So true.

@M4J4

There’s the love Laura Linney has for her brother.

Woman sacrifices herself to care for male relative. Typical.

I know. It's just so shitty when people take care of their vulnerable family members. She should have just left the institution to take care of him.

Or in reality:

Many people who have bene in a similar position, and yes, many are women, recognise themselves in that story, and know that their love is real, and their struggle is real, and that struggle and love have a close relationship.

Basically you are saying all those people are just pathetic, their work and love is meaningless, and they should just go and get laid.

@M4J4

Deciding not to pursue a relationship because she’s caring for her DB doesn’t send a great message either.

?

It's a film, not a lesson.

@kursaalflyer

The worst love-in is the children. I really thought the girl was leaving forever but it turns out it was only for Christmas. Was it worth nearly getting arrested for? The first time I watched the film I thought the Rowan Atkinson skit was out of kilter with the rest of the film (a bit like his vicar in Four Weddings) but I've come to realise it's the only really enjoyable part. Bill Nighy is good. Anyone else think that Andrew Lincoln was secretly in love with his friend not KK? I thought the video was going to show the groom not the bride.

A couple of enjoyable reviews which sum the film up I think

jezebel.com/i-rewatched-love-actually-and-am-here-to-ruin-it-for-al-1485136388

www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/love-actually-richard-curtis-comic-relief-keira-knightley-a7643801.html

Apparently the original RA character was a guardian angel /moral character ie putting off the necklace buying a d helping the wee boy and appeared in a lot more scenes

I'm always surprised that people prefer Four Weddings - I find it unwatchable.

Or typical Christmas things like Holiday - maybe people just expect those to be bad?

@ChestnutStuffing

I'm always surprised that people prefer Four Weddings - I find it unwatchable.

Or typical Christmas things like Holiday - maybe people just expect those to be bad?

I literally LOATHED Four Weddings and a Funeral...

the lead character played by Andie McDowell, struck me as an utter classless person... just awful....

I agree.. dreadful movie.. and I just didn't get the appeal....

yet I love Love Actually...and the Holiday weird right

Woah ...lovely mumsnetters! Thanks for all your responses. There are some strong opinions out there and its also a kind of find a relief to discover it's not just me that wants to pull my eyelashes out when I see it on TV

And there is only one true christmas film with Alan Rickman in....yippee kayay anyone?

Well is that really a Christmas movie?

Don’t think it’s dated well at all. The Keira Knightley storyline is so creepy. Realistically any woman would have told their husband about his creepy sleazy mate straight away.

Always end up feeling sorry for Emma Thompson’s character too. Loved Alan Rickman but he’s a dickhead in that film.

the lead character played by Andie McDowell, struck me as an utter classless person... just awful....

Andie McDowell is beautiful but she cannot act.

Maybe a better actress could have made something out of that insipid character, but I couldn't see why Hugh Grant was so crazy about her. And were we meant to ignore the fact that she was repeatedly cheating on her Scottish fiance?

If anyone deserved to be cheated on, it was that profoundly dire Scottish fiancé, to be fair...

@MerchantOfVenom

If anyone deserved to be cheated on, it was that profoundly dire Scottish fiancé, to be fair...

Yeah, he was a tosser.

But nobody forced her to get married to him. She should have done the decent thing and say she'd met someone else.

You’re right.

Most of the stories in Love Actually are not heart warming at all, they're actually quite sad or problematic.