Love Actually (2003)

Rating: 7/10 (26 December 2016)

I remember seeing this film a long time ago and at first I didn't like it.
I didn't like it for a while.
I felt like it was overrated and odd and ingratiating at the same time.
I felt solitary in my point of view however, like I wasn't seeing what perhaps others were seeing, though I never thought it was an awful film.
The main thing that lessens it for me is that it jumps around a lot. I understand that it is about several lives, which mostly intersect throughout the course of the film, but challenging in getting used to one story-line; some I like more than others.
Deciding to give this film a go again recently, I like it a great deal. Colin Firth is always charming; my favorite character here, but his segments feel really short. Hugh Grant is always entertaining. Laura Linney is good here also. The scenes between her and her brother that take place where he is in a mental care facility are some of my favorites. This film certainly can hit some emotional highs. I like Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, especially the scene in the department store with Rowan Atkinson as a salesman.
It can be a pretty sexy film sometimes. There's quite a bit of eye candy to be sure such as seeing Martin Freeman and well, there are some other blokes. I also like the guy who plays the longtime manager of the rock and roll singer; I like their relationship (Gregor Fisher and Bill Nighy, respectively).
Other story lines could have been completely omitted, or edited down to a lesser degree.
Overall I think it's a delightful film. Sometimes it's good to go back and watch again because first impressions aren't always set. Grade: B-