It’s nearly Christmas and some things are traditional. Like Christmas movies, Die Hard, Scrooged and, inevitably, Love Actually.
I know some people find it a poor film but we are all entitled to our opinions and, for me, this is one of the greatest romantic comedies ever written. It was actually the most rented DVD in the UK in 2004.
Did you know:
- Kris Marshall returned his pay check for the scene where the three American girls undress him. He said he had such a great time having three girls undress him for twenty-one takes, that he was willing to do it for free, and thus returned his check for that day.
- The lake, in which Lúcia Moniz and Colin Firth are “swimming”, was actually only eighteen inches deep and they had to kneel down and pretend to be in deeper water. It was also over-run by mosquitoes, and Colin Firth was badly bitten, and his elbow swelled up to the size of an avocado, requiring medical attention.
- The video for Billy Mack’s “Christmas is All Around” single is a clear reference to a series of memorable, and very popular, videos that Robert Palmer had done – “Addicted to Love”, “Simply Irresistible”, and “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” – in which Palmer sings in a good suit, backed up by an all-female band, all dressed alike and dancing in a back-and-forth manner.
The bit where we all clap and cheer:
(The speech given by Hugh Grant in this film (where he extols the virtues of Great Britain and refuses to cave to the pressure of its longstanding ally, the United States) was etched in the transatlantic memory as a satirical, wishful statement on the concurrent relationship with George W. Bush.
Tony Blair responded by saying in 2005, “I know there’s a bit of us that would like me to do a Hugh Grant in Love Actually (2003) and tell America where to get off. But the difference between a good film and real life is that in real life there’s the next day, the next year, the next lifetime to contemplate the ruinous consequences of easy applause.”)
The most romantic scene? It could be this one:
…or it could be this one:
…or even this one:
Whichever one floats your boat, there are so many beautifully intertwined stories weaving a magical euphoric experience. And it’s so perfectly a Christmas movie, perfect for lying on the couch and snuggling with the warmth inside and the cold wet outside. Just a glass of good wine and an early box of chocolate covered cherries. Heaven awaits you!
Paddling 