The ultimate romantic comedy

Rating: 10/10 (28 November 2003)

This is a film for adults. Everybody must have found themselves in one of the situations portrayed, and in that sense it is very true to life. Because it is a film, and a comedy, the situations are exaggerrated obviously but nevertheless the underlying truths are there.
LA: best man is in love with the bride (but doesn't talk to her for "self-preservation") RL: you find yourself attracted to your friend's partner, and what on earth do you do about it when seeing them both all the time
LA: nice girl is in love with intelligent Adonis dream male but sadly every time she has a chance of getting it together with him her mentally disabled brother gets in the way RL: family or other obstacles thwart your romantic objectives
LA: sexy young PA makes a powerful and sustained pass at her married boss RL: many workplaces mix together older married men and younger women, often creating difficult temptations (although most commonly the younger women are simply not sexually interested in the older married men, which is probably a good thing for the future of the species)
LA: English writer loves Portugeuse housekeeper but they don't have a language in common RL: this is a metaphor for any barrier to communication between lovers
LA: naive young Brit goes to America in search of girls and lands in a wet dream situation in the first bar he visits, just by virtue of his 'cute' accent RL: many people find foreigners more attractive and interesting due to cultural and linguistic differences and stereotyping - the 'cute accent' phenomenon is a real one which I have personally experienced in both directions. (Of course in real life American girls are not typically so attractive or so thin, sadly. Sorry to say, but that's the way it is.)
LA: new Prime Minister finds himself attracted to the tea girl RL: we often find sexual attraction where it is socially inappropriate, indeed that can heighten the attraction, the theme of many books and films
I could go on, but the long and the short of it is that I found this film simultaneously the most intelligent, apt, warm, human and humorous film I have seen for many years. I don't agree with those who say it is too rose-tinted or too unrealistic. For me every moment was sheer brilliance. The writing, acting, and direction are the best bar none. If it does not get loads of Oscars it will only be due to xenophobia by the Hollywood establishment. 10/10