Love Actually (2003 Movie) Reviewed- Again, the Clean Version is Better

[Mashmont]

Ladies and gentlemen, it happened again. When I saw 2003’s Love Actually on network TV years ago I thought it was pretty good. And funny.

But last night I saw the Christmas-themed film again on Demand TV. This time it was the theater version, which hadn't realized was so different from the ‘sanitized’ TV version I had seen earlier. In fact, I didn't know there were two versions.

And Like “There’s Something About Mary”, the clean version was far funnier than the filthy theater version. If only Hollywood would learn what the Hallmark Channel has already figured out!

There are nine star-studded vignettes in Love Actually:

• Jamie and his Portuguese housekeeper, Aurelia. Nice story except for the cheating first girlfriend, even though they had profane subtitles portraying Aurelia’s speech, which were ill-fitting, considering the sweetness of Aurelia
• Colin and his harem of American women. Silly, stupid and vulgar.
• The prime minister (Hugh Grant) and his secretary, Natalie. Sweet story, except once again the girl’s vulgarity which again belied her wholesome mien.
• The nude models. Trashy X-rated stuff. Yes, but they were detached from it and very shy in reality.
• The cheating husband. Probably the best acted vignette. Although it does portray betrayal. This part had Rowan Atkinson playing a jeweler, which was the funniest (and cleanest) part of the movie.
• Laura Linney and her ten-years-younger co-worker. She had a crush on him that was finally requited. It was going fine until they did the obligatory sack scene. That ruined a really touching story of her having to drop everything to care for her institutionalized brother.
• Liam Neeson and his young son. Totally inappropriate interactions. The father treated the nine-year-old like a drinking buddy. Using the F word, etc.
• Billy Mack. He was pretty funny as an aging drug-addled rocker, but was way too profane and filthy.
• Besties Mark and Peter with Juliet (Keira Knightley). The cleanest and most touching story. The best man had always loved his friend’s new bride. Finally he told her in the coolest way possible. I wouldn’t have done this, but it worked.

This movie had far too much vulgarity that was completely unnecessary. Loved the background music. Loved Billy Mack’s cover song. The movie could have been a near-classic. The dirty stuff ensured that it won’t be.

 

[fncceo]

"Just because it's Xmas" ...

"I'm asking you to cheat your your husband with his best friend"

 

[Mashmont]

"Just because it's Xmas" ...

"I'm asking you to cheat your your husband with his best friend"

View attachment 593589

I don't think he asked her to cheat. He did say 'without agenda'. And then he was satisfied with the final result. He exclaimed "Enough!"
Now in reality his action may have opened the door to trouble in the future., as he probably wouldn't have just stopped.

 

[candycorn]

I know it's 20 years old but I wish you'd have put a "spoiler" tag on those.

Well-thought out review. Can't say I agree--but kudos.

 

[Mashmont]

I know it's 20 years old but I wish you'd have put a "spoiler" tag on those.

Well-thought out review. Can't say I agree--but kudos.

I tried not to, but I guess I did.

 

[Flopper]

Ladies and gentlemen, it happened again. When I saw 2003’s Love Actually on network TV years ago I thought it was pretty good. And funny.

But last night I saw the Christmas-themed film again on Demand TV. This time it was the theater version, which hadn't realized was so different from the ‘sanitized’ TV version I had seen earlier. In fact, I didn't know there were two versions.

And Like “There’s Something About Mary”, the clean version was far funnier than the filthy theater version. If only Hollywood would learn what the Hallmark Channel has already figured out!

There are nine star-studded vignettes in Love Actually:

• Jamie and his Portuguese housekeeper, Aurelia. Nice story except for the cheating first girlfriend, even though they had profane subtitles portraying Aurelia’s speech, which were ill-fitting, considering the sweetness of Aurelia
• Colin and his harem of American women. Silly, stupid and vulgar.
• The prime minister (Hugh Grant) and his secretary, Natalie. Sweet story, except once again the girl’s vulgarity which again belied her wholesome mien.
• The nude models. Trashy X-rated stuff. Yes, but they were detached from it and very shy in reality.
• The cheating husband. Probably the best acted vignette. Although it does portray betrayal. This part had Rowan Atkinson playing a jeweler, which was the funniest (and cleanest) part of the movie.
• Laura Linney and her ten-years-younger co-worker. She had a crush on him that was finally requited. It was going fine until they did the obligatory sack scene. That ruined a really touching story of her having to drop everything to care for her institutionalized brother.
• Liam Neeson and his young son. Totally inappropriate interactions. The father treated the nine-year-old like a drinking buddy. Using the F word, etc.
• Billy Mack. He was pretty funny as an aging drug-addled rocker, but was way too profane and filthy.
• Besties Mark and Peter with Juliet (Keira Knightley). The cleanest and most touching story. The best man had always loved his friend’s new bride. Finally he told her in the coolest way possible. I wouldn’t have done this, but it worked.

This movie had far too much vulgarity that was completely unnecessary. Loved the background music. Loved Billy Mack’s cover song. The movie could have been a near-classic. The dirty stuff ensured that it won’t be.

I thought it was a funny, feel good movie. I never saw the censored (sanitized) version and I'm not interested in seeing it.

I really liked the sex scene where Joanna Page and partner were having movie sex as they made small talked about the prime minster and then the guy said how really nice it is having someone like you to talk to. I think Richard Curtis who wrote and directed the movie wanted to give the audience a funny look at how unsexy sex sciences really are in movie making.

Bill Nighly's portal of Billy Mack was perfect. He had some of best lines in movie especially the line in one of the finally scenes when he foregoes a victory party hosted by Elton John to celebrate Christmas with Joe his manager by getting drunk and watching porn. He say to Joe, "It's a terrible, terrible mistake, Chubs, but you turn out to be the fucking love of my life. And to be honest, despite all of my complaining, we have had a wonderful life."

Billy Mack, was an old foul mouth reprobate. I believe cleaning him up to please the virtuous viewers or little kids, who should not be watching R rated movies would certainly detract from the movie. In good movies, sex, violence, and filth is include because it helps build a character or is important to plot, or provides needed comedy or drama. That's not to say that sex and violence are not thrown into movies to attract younger viewers. However, I'm addressing good movies, not the 75% that's junk.

BTW, How is that censoring movies and then showing them or selling them is not a violation of the copywrite? Most directors are pretty sensitive about having their movie chopped up.

 

[Mashmont]

I thought it was a funny, feel good movie. I never saw the censored (sanitized) version and I'm not interested in seeing it.

I really liked the sex scene where Joanna Page and partner were having movie sex as they made small talked about the prime minster and then the guy said how really nice it is having someone like you to talk to. I think Richard Curtis who wrote and directed the movie wanted to give the audience a funny look at how unsexy sex sciences really are in movie making.

Bill Nighly's portal of Billy Mack was perfect. He had some of best lines in movie especially the line in one of the finally scenes when he foregoes a victory party hosted by Elton John to celebrate Christmas with Joe his manager by getting drunk and watching porn. He say to Joe, "It's a terrible, terrible mistake, Chubs, but you turn out to be the fucking love of my life. And to be honest, despite all of my complaining, we have had a wonderful life."

Billy Mack, was an old foul mouth reprobate. I believe cleaning him up to make the virtuous viewers would certainly detract from the movie.

BTW, How is that censoring movies and then showing them or selling them is not a violation of the copywrite? Most directors are pretty sensitive about having their movie chopped up.

Many movies are edited for network TV, thankfully.

 

[Mashmont]

Trivia Question: Only one of the nine main protagonists of each of the nine vignettes never met any of the other eight. Which was he/she?

 

[Flopper]

Many movies are edited for network TV, thankfully.

I guess whoever owns the copywrite waves their rights in order to sell it to TV and cable. IMHO, I believe what should happen is the director should provide several cuts of the movie so it fits the time frame of TV and cable channels. Some of the cutting I have seen is just plain horrible sometimes even cutting off the end of movie or cutting footage out that makes the movie completely incomprehensible.

 

[Flopper]

Trivia Question: Only one of the nine main protagonists of each of the nine vignettes never met any of the other eight. Which was he/she?

I think that might be Jamie, Colin Firth and Aurelia, Sienna Guillory. I don't remember any connection with any of the over couples.

​

​

 

[Mashmont]

I think that might be Jamie, Colin Firth and Aurelia, Sienna Guillory. I don't remember any connection with any of the over couples.

​

​

No, Jamie attended Peter and Juliet's wedding and sat beside Laura Linney.

 

[Flopper]

No, Jamie attended Peter and Juliet's wedding and sat beside Laura Linney

No, Jamie attended Peter and Juliet's wedding and sat beside Laura Linney.

Don't remember that but it's been a while since I watched it.

 

[Mashmont]

Don't remember that but it's been a while since I watched it.

Billy Mack. Though other characters saw him on TV, Billy never met any of them.

 

[Mashmont]

I thought it was a funny, feel good movie. I never saw the censored (sanitized) version and I'm not interested in seeing it.

I really liked the sex scene where Joanna Page and partner were having movie sex as they made small talked about the prime minster and then the guy said how really nice it is having someone like you to talk to. I think Richard Curtis who wrote and directed the movie wanted to give the audience a funny look at how unsexy sex sciences really are in movie making.

Bill Nighly's portal of Billy Mack was perfect. He had some of best lines in movie especially the line in one of the finally scenes when he foregoes a victory party hosted by Elton John to celebrate Christmas with Joe his manager by getting drunk and watching porn. He say to Joe, "It's a terrible, terrible mistake, Chubs, but you turn out to be the fucking love of my life. And to be honest, despite all of my complaining, we have had a wonderful life."

Billy Mack, was an old foul mouth reprobate. I believe cleaning him up to please the virtuous viewers or little kids, who should not be watching R rated movies would certainly detract from the movie. In good movies, sex, violence, and filth is include because it helps build a character or is important to plot, or provides needed comedy or drama. That's not to say that sex and violence are not thrown into movies to attract younger viewers. However, I'm addressing good movies, not the 75% that's junk.

BTW, How is that censoring movies and then showing them or selling them is not a violation of the copywrite? Most directors are pretty sensitive about having their movie chopped up.

I will agree that Billy Mack was a rogue and was well-played by Nighy.
I actually like the opening-scene version of Christmas is All Around better than the original song Love is All Around. I like Nighy's wavering voice singing it. The blonde backup singer is a fox.

 

[Flopper]

I will agree that Billy Mack was a rogue and was well-played by Nighy.
I actually like the opening-scene version of Christmas is All Around better than the original song Love is All Around. I like Nighy's wavering voice singing it. The blonde backup singer is a fox.

If you're interested..........
Billy Nighy is an accomplished English actor who has played a number of roles in British film, stage and television in both comedies and drama. Nighy became widely known for his performance as Billy Mack in Love Actually (2003). Other notable roles in cinema include his portrayal of Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series, and Viktor in the Underworld film series. He is also known for his roles in the films Still Crazy (1998), Shaun of the Dead (2004), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), The Constant Gardener (2005), Notes on a Scandal (2006), Hot Fuzz (2007), Valkyrie (2008), The Boat That Rocked (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010), voicing Grandsanta in Arthur Christmas (2011), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), and About Time (2013).

Nighy was born on 12 December 1949 in Caterham, Surrey. His mother, Catherine Josephine Nighy (née Whittaker), was a psychiatric nurse of Irish descent born in Glasgow, and his English father, Alfred Martin Nighy, managed a car garage after working in the family chimney sweeping business.

Nighy was brought up as a Roman Catholic, and served as an altar boy. He has two older siblings, Martin and Anna. Nighy attended the John Fisher School, a Roman Catholic grammar school in Purley, where he was a member of the school theatre group. After leaving the school with two O-levels, he worked as a messenger for The Croydon Advertiser. He entered the Guildford School of Acting to train for stage and film.

Bill Nighy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[fncceo]

Trashy X-rated stuff

You've clearly never seen an X-Rated movie ...

 

[Mashmont]

You've clearly never seen an X-Rated movie ...

I saw a clip of one once. The acting was horrible. It was silly and grotesque at the same time. Nothing erotic or sexy about it.