Loved it "Actually"

Rating: 9/10 (12 December 2008)

****Spoilers ahead**** 5 years after this movie was released, I still LOVE it. Having read lots of the bad reviews, I had to comment. Seems there are many 'critics' on IMDb, some harsh wannabe Eberts out there, imho. 'LA' is a romantic comedy. I'm not sure what those who rated it so poorly, expected? Realism? A documentary? I'm puzzled. Yes, your typical rom-com is going to contain fluff, cheesy story lines & dialogue, but with a rom-com, you have to suspend your common sense & just believe! This is a movie to extract from. It's a myriad of messages about, love. And what this movie shows is, love is 'all around, actually'. I rated it 9/10, not a 10, because, yes, a few of story lines were....er...silly? An very far fetched (the subplot of the so called 'cute Brit who goes to America' in search of 'cool American babes' & actually sleeps with 4, just by being a 'cute Brit'? Not so, sorry, what were they thinking in the casting dept with that guy?? not cute!) Not to mention the stand ins for the porn movie..?? if that story line was really necessary? To omit it & focus some more on Colin Firth's character's subplot would have been a wiser choice. But again, it's not a perfect movie. If you look at the movie & analyze it, you will find that there IS truth to the movie. How? *The love of a brother from a sister (Laura Linney's Sarah is fantastic) you can FEEL her turmoil. Her need for romantic love overcome by her love & responsibility for her brother. And yes to those nay sayers....sometimes we do give up love for familial love. That happens. You're in a fantasy world if you think not. -The unrequited love of being in love with your best friend's partner. Tell me there aren't people out there who haven't fallen in love in that situation?? I'm sure that has broken up a marriage or two, considering the divorce rate... *The comfortable love faced with a mid life crisis that crosses the line into an almost office affair. Oh yeah, that's NEVER happened either. Never has a man fallen for his secretary. Nope never heard of that happening. *Then we have the Cinderella story. Prime Minister falls for 'fat, help'. I suppose love has never sprouted across social class either? Sure some of it's a bit cheesy, the happy ending where the PM & Natalie DO hook up, but, hey it is a rom-com. Hugh Grant is hilarious in his own "Risky Business" moment. I personally thought it was comical. *You also get healthy doses of heartbreak. Neeson's character broken hearted over the lose of his 'perfect girl/wife', Emma Thompson's character who's emotional pain is SO palpable. I know, I've been in that situation & ever so clearly, remember a very similar time of shaking my hands trying to hide that intensely crushing moment of revelation at the worst possible second. Oh yes, that's VERY real. And what is ALSO real about that sequence IS THIS..sometimes a marriage does survive a betrayal...and it doesn't fold nicely, as in ever so happily ever after.... *Falling in love across a language wall? Could happen. IN five weeks, doubtful. But,I think the message is, yes, we love, are sometimes betrayed, but we can & do, find love again in the most unusual places. (a family member of mine met his wife in Spain, during the war, married her & brought her home, & SHE DIDN'T SPEAK ANY English, NOR DID HE SPEAK ANY Spanish - they were married 30 something years & had 4 lovely children) -As for the 11 yr old, yes, while us adults KNOW that it's not 'real love' most of us have a 'first love' tucked away in our minds and hearts. And while I will admit 99.9% of us ARE not with our puppy loves, we did have one. *You also find a bit of blended love. Love between a stepfather and stepson. Under horrible circumstances (But when is that blended love not under difficult circumstances?) That story 's ending may be sugary, but it serves its purpose in the film. This movie, while not perfect, comes pretty close. Its underlying theme, the theme that if we look around us, we will see that love is all around. Between friends (just like that of Billy Mack & his manager) between step families, between co-workers, between brother sister, man & woman, new 'strangers' who meet, husbands & wives, etc. And it doesn't always have a scripted perfect ending. THAT is life.. Oh & on the 'fat' comments...I think the meaning is...fat is so often distorted, it is so often not true, & a real dilemma for those girls who think they are, when they're not..so don't knock yourself. Just because you're not as skinny as the overrated Keira Knightley, does NOT mean you're fat. I see no offense by the reference to that in the movie. Nor do I see the insult to America. The president, wonderfully portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton. It is what it is. Obviously a reference to ol Bill. Not unjust in poking fun at that one, considering it was an embarrassing happening that dominated the news for quite some time....If Britain wants to stand up to America for once, so what, big deal. Remember again folks, it's a R O M A N T I C comedy! Fabulous acting by Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, (the young boy who portrays Sam, don't know his name), and Andrew Lincoln. Don't expect heavy character development, there isn't time allowed. But that's not the point. The point is, it's Christmas, pull yourself up by the bootstraps & take a look, all around. Love is, actually all around. Just open your eyes & you won't be disappointed!