I know, I don't like romantic comedies. And I don't like romances. But this one's different. First off, it's British.
Second, it's honest. Yes, it's a bit overstuffed and fluffy at times, but at many times it's an honest portrayal of love.
In fact I would go so far to say that it's always an honest portrayal of love, even when it gets sugary. And the third reason
I like this one? Keep reading.
Have you seen the cast list? Who am I kidding. You've probably even seen this
movie already. The cast is charming. Absolutely charming. I can only think of two other films where the cast is as charming
as they are here. Just because the cast is good for a film and they work well together or by themselves doesn't mean that
they're charming. A charming cast is so memorable and so good that you could watch them all day and still love ever second.
There's such chemistry there that you think they really could be related, or in love, or friends in real life. This is much
the case here. The whole cast does so well together that it's a blast to watch. There really isn't one person here who has
acting issues; everyone's very good. Obviously, as you might expect, those like Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and Liam Neeson
(i.e. those who have been acting a very long time, veterans) are better than those others who aren't acting veterans and we
haven't seen before. But even the kids, who tend not to be the greatest actors in films, are good. So lauds to the cast;
well done!
There are a lot of stories here to keep track of, but they all intertwine in some way and most come together
as a whole by the end of the film (for example, Karen is the PM's sister, who is also friends with Daniel....etc.). So if
you're forgotten someone when it all comes together it's all good. For the most part the stories themselves are enjoyable.
It's nice to have a romance that gives you all side of love--the fairy tale ending that some lucky few get, the lost love
that some get, friendship love, doomed love, ruined love, and so on. Jaime and Aurelia might have a fairy tale ending, but
Mark certainly doesn't. He falls in love with his best friend's new wife. Disaster. Karen and Harry start off great, but
then Harry has a midlife crisis and succumbs to the advances of a hot secretary in his office. There's no affair, but it
comes close to one. Doomed. By the end it's not clear if the two stayed together; but we know their marriage isn't good.
And some people--Colin, who falls in lust; forget love; and Bill, no love there either--don't even get love stories. Colin
gets a shag load (no pun intended) of American girls to fall for him and Bill comes to realize that the only love in his life
has been his manager. The film makes it clear that yes, true love and happily ever after do happen for some people, but for
others, it doesn't. Some of the stories get too sugary at times (David subtlely berating the US President for trying to snog
Natalie, and Jamie getting the whole of Marseilles to witness his proposal to Aurelia) but it's balanced by the depressing
and ridiculously funny stories. By the end though, the sugaryness takes over, but did you not expect a happy ending in a
film like this? Nah. The only story I didn't care for was the Sam/Daniel/Joanna one. The two actors have good chemistry,
and it's cute how much Sam means to Daniel. But I was a little disturbed at how foul mouthed Daniel was around Sam and how
he's only like 11 and watching 'Titanic'....not to mention how foul mouthed Sam is. And he's only 11 and he's in love, according
to him for ever. Really. That's ridiculous. When you're that young do you even know what love is, and if you do, can you
really truly love? I don't think so.....and most of the film Daniel pines away for his newly desceased wife, only to fall
flat in love with Carol at the school play, only a month or so after his wife died. Really, what was up with that? That's
not right. I admit it's a little cute how infatuated Sam is with Joanna, but I think making her be 'the one' for him was
extreme. He's too young.
Some people might find some of the portrayals of Americans a but iffy here. The President
is a bully and the American girls are sluts. But Sarah is nice and friendly, as is Joanna, and Karl too (I think he's American...he
sounds so). So it's not all the American characters that are given a bad or sketchy role, and honestly the portrayal of American
girls and Colin's opinion of them isn't too far off. I agree, American girls have some inate desire to shag anyone with an
accent, and Englishmen are irresistable. Could it be because they are much more polite to us than American boys are? When
I first watched this film the way the Americans were shown jarred me a bit, and still, our president isn't very good, but
when I watch this film again, I think those American girls, as bad and immoral as they are, are probably realistic, sadly.
And I say, we'd be screwed if Billy Bob were really President, although Bush isn't too far off from him, but then Britain
would be in trouble too if Hugh Grant were in charge over there. So if this bothers you then you don't have to watch the
film. But it's not as bad as you think.
The music is good; it fits well with what is happening in the film.
And the musical score, while simple and repetitive, is lovely. The script is at times a bit cheesy, but at others witty and
charming. Some parts a absurd in a funny way, but such is British humor. Lobsters and sea animals at the birth of Christ?
Duh.
And did I mention Bill? Haha. This wasn't the first film I saw him in because I saw this film for the first
time a little late, as in last fall? Pathetic, I know. Dude. He's so absolutely hysterically funny here you wouldn't believe.
Props to him for having to wear the most hideous clothes ever and act permanently stoned and/or drunk the entire time he's
on screen. He's easily the funniest here, and has the funniest story. But Martin Freeman is as funny as ever; his story
is a bit embarassing, however in a delightfully funny embarassing way. I love Bill.
This without a doubt one
of my favorite films. There are some flaws but I love it. I find that with films I really love I can overlook those flaws
after a while and they don't bother me as much. You've probably all seen it before, but oh well. So it happens when I review
a film four years after it comes out. Haha. This film is delightful. There's something for everyone here. Props to the
writers for looking at love from all angles, not just the fluffy ones. There's few films out there that don't give an unrealistic
unsugary view on that emotion. Lauds to whoever thought up something like this; and lauds to whoever did the casting. Was
that for me? :)
Best
moment: Hmmm, I guess Aurelia and Jamie 'swimming' in the lake trying to retrieve Jamie's book which blew in......look out
for eels!
Worst moment: Ah, I guess Sam running through Heathrow to get to Joanna; too much cheese. (I ran through
Heathrow once to catch a flight, and I was sick that day too). Oh and also Jamie proposing to Aurelia. Why did it have to
be in a crowded restaurant with the whole village watching/following? Way too much cheese.
Best quote: I had an
epiphany. It is Bill's rant at the beginning when he says some very choice words which I will not dare repeat here because
he botched his song up again.
Why you should see it: Very funny. Charming cast. Honest look at love, from all
sides, good and very bad. And have I said Bill yet?
Why you shouldn't: It gets a little overly sugary at times,
and some people might not like the happy ending. But would you expect otherwise? You also might not like the portrayal of
Americans here as either bullies or ignorant people, or even sluts. But I don't think this is far from the truth.
