Rating: 
Summary: British Christmas Tripe
Review: So..............the British now make films as badly as the Americans. I have not been this disappointed with a major studio release in years. The director took far too many characters, watered down their storylines so they had about 10 minutes screen time each, accompanied them with music of the heartstrings, and attempted to wrap it up nicely with a Christmas wreath.What an embarrassing waste of talent. The only bright spot in this film is the marvelous talent of Emma Thompson. Her crying scene, accompanied by Joni Mitchell, makes you want her to make more films! The wonderful Laura Linney, Liam Neeson and Colin Firth are all under utilized in this sad hodgepodge. Please do not read the other reviews that promise you a wonderful holiday movie. I am as sentimental as the next guy but you knew where this film was going in the first ten minutes. And even then, characters were never allowed to resolve any of their dilemmas. What drivel! Bah Humbug
Rating:
Summary: I Give It The Hairbrains Award
Review: This movie seemed to be more of a patchwork of poorly scripted, barely coherent flat characters. At times it seemed like a multi-cultural ad campaign put together by a dimwitted government agency that really doesn't understand any culture at all. Its sickening sentiments which substitute, mostly, for real love are a nightmare of shallow goop. It is, without a doubt, one of the worse films, with some of the best stars, that I've ever seen. One bright light was Emma Thompson. But then, she barely has to walk into a scene and she's already raised the bar for everyone involved.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely lovely
Review: This is such a heart-warming and touching story, with the usual British style humour, which is very charming. Several love stories told in parallel to each other, with the characters somehow connected in life, I find the characters are more realistic than most of the romantic films. For example, we're not always brave enough to confront to someone. And even if we are brave enough, it seldom is like the typical love movie where the guy gives a passionate speech. In this film, there are full of this kind of characters and moments, which I think most of us can relate to. This film is particularly successful at portraiting the character's inner emotions, which is done in a very convincing way, with nice background music and not too much talking. Some elements of this film might be cliches, but if you don't want any cliche then I suggest you to go to another department. In summary I enojoyed this film, and I recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Feel Good Flick
Review: First I'm a total Anglophile, I love the U.K. and many of the movies made or set there. This movie is even better than Notting Hill. A jumble of many stories, every one is entertaining, heartwarming, funny, you name it. A fantastic cast tops it. Please, for those still in the dark, ignore the full screen edition. I have no clue why DVD's are even made in the full format. Listen folks, you do not see the entire picture in full screen! That was the big mistake VHS made when it came out, every thing was pan and scan. I never understood that. Back to the movie, get it, it's wonderful.
Rating:
Summary: Keira Knightley is in it...
Review: other than that this movie stunk. Yuck, yuppie love.
Rating:
Summary: very, very disappointing
Review: Look at the other reviews on this site; people either love it or hate it. I generally enjoy romances, comedies and romantic comedies. For the reasons below, I loathe this film and feel that I must speak out ("I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore") against garbage. 1) there is not an original thought or premise in this whole film. everything is cliche, trite, cloying sweetness, trying way too hard to be "cute". It is a disjointed barrage of pap. as another reviewer pointed out, this is 10 bad episodes of the old TV series "love american style" torn apart and shuffled together randomly. 2) there is no romance in this film. there is only lust, infatuation and obsession. there is no "feel good" here. for the only mature, genuine characters who might actually be experiencing love, their love is a source of emotional pain. most of the other characters are shallow, creepy losers. the characterization is so paper-thin that frankly I didn't care about any of them. 3) there is no humor in this film. plenty of attempts at humor, but it's not funny, It's not intelligent, it's not even clever. Even making allowances for "British humor". this is at a 5-year-old level. "she said the F-word in front of the prime minister!!! get it?! get it?!" not funny, stupid. 4) this film completely lacks integrity. the 10 sub-plots are woven together by the thinnest of pretenses, and I find this very annoying. is that the best the writers could do? 5) the actors and actresses are top-notch, but completely wasted in meaningless shallow roles. 6) I have the feeling that whoever's responsible knew what they were doing: recycle some sappy, air-headed drivel, wrap it in Christmas and "romance" and people will buy it. I could go on and on. Don't waste your time on this. see When Harry met Sally, Room with a View, Shop around the Corner, anything by Jane Austen. see and support something real, funny, heartwarming, not this cultural Twinkie.
Rating:
Summary: LOVE DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO HURT
Review: I have to admit it...I LOVED This movie...Maybe it is a "chick" movie; maybe it borders on schmaltz and sentimentality..who cares? Richard Curtis has crafted a movie that is wonderfully entertaining, peopled it with an outstanding list of well known and not so well known actors, set it at Christmastime, and I had a smile on my face almost the entire movie. This is brilliant film-making. I even enjoyed the deleted scenes!!!
BILL NIGHY & GREGOR FISHER - Bill is outstanding as the has-been rock star who wants his new unabashedly awful Christmas song to be the # 1 song for the holidays. He is rude, crude, potty mouthed, obnoxious, but ultimately loveable. His relationship with his manager Joe (Fisher) culminates in a wonderfully tender scene where Billy admits his love.
COLIN FIRTH & LUCIA MONIZ as Jamie and his Portuguese housekeeper are a delightful pair, whose descent into love is touching, poignant and humorous. The scene where Firth proposes and the whole town joins in is cinematic hoodoo, but what fun it is!
LIAM NEESON & THOMAS SANGSTER - this is Liam's finest work since SCHINDLER'S LIST. His recently widowed stepdad to Sangster's brilliantly precocious Sam is a highlight of the movie. Tender, warm, and extremely funny at times. Sangster's love for his schoolmate Joanna is so representative of young puppy love.
EMMA THOMPSON & ALAN RICKMAN - Thompson is superb; her scene alone in the bedroom without one word of dialogue reflects the kind of actress this lady is. Rickman is good too as the husband tempted by his lucscious secretary (played very well by Heike Makatsch).
LAURA LINNEY & RODRIGO SANTORO have the less uplifting relationship. She is a hard working woman who feels responsible for her mentally ill brother, who is institutionalized, paranoid and schizophrenic. Rodrigo is the office nerd who is really quite a stud and when he and Linney finally get a chance to express their feelings, phone calls from her brother interfere. Linney is a brilliant actress and she does wonders with this difficult role.
HUGH GRANT & MARTINE MCCUTCHEON - Hugh is at home in this movie, even improbably cast as the Prime Minister. But Hugh is Hugh, and his dashing aplomb and carefree masculinity match the torrid undercurrent of McCutcheon's Natalie. His putdown of President Billy Bob Thornton is marvelous.
MARTIN FREEMAN & JOANNA PAGE - what a hoot! Here we have two young people who are standins for sexual scenes of some movie, and they talk about the weather, the Prime Minister and all other kinds of things while in very compromising positions. Quite original and well played.
KRIS MARSHALL is Colin, a self-proclaimed stud who ventures off to America to find babes. One would think that he would turn out luckless, especially since he chooses to go to Wisconsin. But true to Curtis' originality, Colin scores right away with not one, but four luscious babes. Charming.
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY and ANDREW LINCOLN - she's recently wed to Lincoln's best friend, and for all intents and purposes, it looks like he resents the marriage. We all know of course the real reason for his behavior. Wonderfully played out by these two charming actors.
There are so many wonderful scenes in this movie, and the entire cast is sublime and perfect!
I didn't think I would like this movie at first, but it is one of my favorite movies I've seen in some time.
Forget the schmaltz, just enjoy the company!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Yes, of course it's a bit schmaltzy
Review: But it was released at Christmastime, has a holiday theme, a feel-good montage at the end... of course it's a little schmaltzy. On the other hand, it's a lovely romantic comedy in the Bridget Jones/Four Weddings and a Funeral tradition -- even complete with Hugh Grant proving he just can't shake that adorably pink-cheeked thing he has, whether he's playing the shy young fellow, the basta*d boyfriend, or the Prime Minister. But -- it's not *just* a chick flick. Okay, the Keira Knightly plot and the Colin Firth bit, that was all pretty standard. Liam Neeson gave a wonderful performance but his girl-obsessed yet oddly-not-mourning-his-mum son was a bit off. Still, how many feel-good movies can boast the inclusion of a couple who meets while simulating sex, a sex-crazed fellow who finds bliss in Milwaukee, an oddly warming story about an over the hill rocker, and Emma Thompson, glorious in her non-gloriousness? So, yes, of course it has the obligatory soundtrack, the corny moments, the schmaltz at the end. There are also quite a few funny bits along the way. Personally, I'm adding this one to the holiday repetoire, for annual enjoyment.
Rating:
Summary: Worthless piece of Crap, actually..
Review: I expected this to be an interesting romantic comedy, but it turned out to be more like a fast-paced television sitcom with a mish-mash of insignificant plots, none of which had any good characterisations. Good actors were wasted in their roles. this movie is so hackneyed, dull, stupid. the director has made movies like this 15 times already.. dont waste time and money on this one. not even worth renting.
Rating:
Summary: SAPPY
Review: How could so many wonderful actors including some of my very favorites (i e., Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Colin Firth) be in such a sappy movie? (I guess it had to be for the money-I hope they made lots!) I purchased this movie on DVD simply because it featured actors that I hold in high regard, and with the expectation of a non-run-of-the-mill Hollywood-type holiday movie. I WAS WRONG. This has to be the most Hollywood-type, Hallmark made-for-Television move that I have ever seen (something I try to avoid, at all costs)-with even the ubiquitous black-gospel choir singing dippy love songs and Xmas carols. While at the same time it is a movie about the most un-diverse group of dreary people that I have seen in a recent film for a very long time. I had hoped for, at least, an ethnic couple of some sort or a gay couple of some kind. Instead we are served up a bunch of very boring people having love problems including a cherubic grade school boy in love with another cherubic girl who OF COURSE leads the kiddies, in school, at Xmas time, in song with not one word of the song being intelligible. Which brings me to another point-why did every featured seasonal musical number have to disintegrate into some pseudo rock, gospel type (come to the Lord) song? Was it to appeal to the masses or to show that the people making this clunker were very very hip? Anyway buy this film if you are into sappy holiday movies and would love to see Hugh Grant dance (which is actually the best part of the film).
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