Dec 5, 2010

A Christmas Tradition vol. 1: Love Actually


Yesterday the holiday season really kicked in for my part, as me and my friends held the annual (you can call it annual after the second time, right?) Love Actually night. It's funny how we all love the film so much and basically know it by heart, so we're just going "ooooh, I love this scene and the scene after this" and reciting the lines together with the characters. Must've been a blast for a friend's boyfriend who watched it with us... (Well, he also watched Titanic with us a while back, so he knew what he signed up for.)


Love Actually is not only one of my most important Christmas traditions, it's also my number one favourite romantic comedy of all time. Not many romcom's are actually both so romantic that your faith in love is restored every time you see them and so funny that you laugh aloud even on the thousandth rewatch. Love Actually is so very charming, sweet, hilarious and witty, and never cheesy or corny. And sometimes so damn sad, too! It's full of wonderful British actors, like Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Rowan Atkinson, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley... Not everyone gets a happy ending, but oh how we wish they would! I think the most painful scene to watch is the one with Emma Thompson, and the Joni Mitchell song in the background. Oh dear... Luckily, there are many happy endings, too.

Instead of some more verbal praise, I'll link you some of my favourite scenes and then list my favourite quotes.


"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you find that love actually is all around." 

"Oh! Fuck wank bugger shitting arse head and hole!"
 
"Tell me, exactly, how long it is that you've been working here?"
"Two years, seven months, three days and, I suppose, what... two hours?"
"And how long have you been in love with Karl, our enigmatic chief designer?"
"Ahm, two years, seven months, three days and, I suppose, an hour and thirty minutes."

"Aren't you a bit young to be in love?"
"No."
"Oh, well, okay... right. Well, I mean, I'm a little relieved."
"Why?"
"Well, because I thought it would be something worse."
"Worse than the total agony of being in love?"
"Oh. No, you're right. Yeah, total agony."


"Hello, David. I mean 'sir'. Shit, I can't believe I've just said that. And now I've gone and said 'shit' - twice. I'm so sorry, sir."
"It's fine, it's fine. You could've said 'fuck,' and then we'd have been in real trouble."
"Thank you, sir. I did have an awful premonition that I was gonna fuck up on the first day. Oh, piss it!"



 "Billy, I understand you've got a prize for our competition winners."
"Yes I have, Ant or Dec."


"Golden oldie for a golden oldie." 
 
"Hiya kids. Here is an important message from your Uncle Bill. Don't buy drugs. Become a pop star, and they give you them for free!"

"I am Colin. God of Sex. I'm just on the wrong continent, that's all."

"We may be a small country, but we're a great one, too. The country of Shakespeare, Churchill, the Beatles, Sean Connery, Harry Potter. David Beckham's right foot. David Beckham's left foot, come to that."


"Ask me anything you like, I'll tell you the truth."
"Uh, best shag you've ever had?"
"Britney Spears."
"Wow!"
"No, only kidding. She was rubbish."


"Grandi, uh... grande familio. Grande traditsione- The Christmas presents... Stupido."
 

"Let's go get the shit kicked out of us by love."

"All I want for Christmas is you."


It's sucks a bit that Love Actually is a Christmas film. That means it's appropriate to watch it only in the certain time of the year. (Of course, that hasn't stopped me from watching it in the middle of the summer.) Anyway, the first one of my various Christmas traditions is now done! So many to go, so little time! Aaaaaah panic panic panic! Isn't it wonderfully healthy that I'm more stressed about my Christmas traditions than the millions of exams and deadlines?

6 comments:

June said...

I usually hate romantic comedies, but Love Actually is brilliant :) Well, obviously mostly so because of the gorgeous Alan Rickman, but still. Aww. I'm starting to panic about Xmas as well. I don't have time to do anything! Next week is totally booked with all sorts of things that are not related to christmas preparations in any way.. Oh well. I guess the festivities come to you anyway. But I won't have time to watch this movie, at least not before Xmas day, sob!

Eeva said...

Oh yes, Love Actually is the king and queen and crown prince of romcoms! And Alan Rickman is indeed brilliant, I love that one little gesture he does with his finger, if you know what I mean. :D

It's ridiculous how much time all the non-Christmassy nonsense will take in the next few weeks! (Of course I can't blame myself for not doing some of it earlier... ;)) But well, I'm happy as long as on Christmas Eve I get to sit down and breath normally and eat so much ham and chocolate that someone has to roll me to bed at the end of the day!

Anonymous said...

Aaaaawwww, thank you for all the lovey-dovey quotes <3! This film can be a bit too sugary (especially the little kid & Liam Neeson- parts) for me but still I kinda love it. Billy Mack is just one of the reasons, Rickman is another.
I love it when Emma Thompson gets all weepy listening Joni Mitchell.. Or when Mr. PM gets all "funky dancer" and the lady butler sees him :) Good holiday times!

Helinä Laajalahti said...

Love Actually is a lovable romcom and men like it too, I've heard :) Billy Mack is one of my favourites from the film and every time I hear Love is all around, I start hearing (and seeing) Bill Nighy...

Definitely a must see christmas flick!

Eeva said...

cinefiliaa: For you as well! :) I forgot to mention one of my absolute favourite moments: When the prime minister goes from door to door trying to find Natalie and the kids ask him to sing carols, so he does and then the body guard joins him... Hugh Grant's face is so freaking hilarious!

Paivi: Well yeah, I guess Love Actually is not like most of the silly, cheesy, predictable romcoms out there, so it's no wonder men find it enjoyable, too!

Leena said...

Ah, olisikohan tämä tarpeeksi hyvä syy kaivaa dvd-soitin laatikosta? Tai sitten vaan tulen sun telkkarille.

Hugh Grant ja se Keiran bestman on mun suosikit.