Love Actually Movie

SPOILERS AHEAD

“ I can’t do the talk like the talk on the tv

Can’t do anything except be in love with you “

- Dire Straits (Romeo and Juliet -Sultans of Swing Album)

Every person has his or her own definition of what love is…In fact, in my opinion, it is very difficult to define the word “love”...That is because it has so many meanings ...If we delve deep into what exactly love is, we can understand that love is everywhere and is more of a feeling rather than a particular emotion..The film, “Love Actually” has around 10 stories .Each of these stories tries to give us an interpretation of what love is ….... Unless we express it outside, one cannot say that it is love. In the words of Shakespeare, ” They do not love that do not show their love” ... But, there are some barriers one has to overcome before we can actually love…What is it and how can we overcome it..? This, I feel, is the crux of most of the sub-plots in this movie.

Sub-plot 1: A post-Tony Blair Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) falls in love with his assistant (Martine McClutcheon)...But he starts to move away from her when he sees her close with the U.S president(Billy Bob Thornton) who is on a visit to Britain….Do they come together in the end ?

This is a typical “Love at first sight “ story. It is more like a fairy tale. Hugh Grant does a great job in this role ...But it is kinda repetitive because you have seen him in similar roles in his previous movies…This story deals with how jealousy and lack of trust are detrimental to love ..These are the barriers that prevent Hugh Grant from showing his love to his assistant

Sub-plot 2 : A British writer (Colin Firth) spends his time in his cottage after his divorce. His wife had cheated on him . He happens to employ a Portuguese maid(Lucia Moniz) in order to clean his dirty cottage and falls in love with her. But before he could express his feelings, she finishes her job and leaves. Is he able to express his love to her in the end?

We see from this story that language is not a big problem at all in order to love a person . Initially, he is hesitant because they are from different backgrounds and considers it as a big barrier. But when she leaves him , he realizes that he was wrong and overcomes this barrier..

Sub-plot 3 : A sandwich vendor takes a trip to US in order to quench his lustful desires…. Will his dreams come true?

Many people argue that lust is also love …The sandwich vendor guy is one of those guys who confuses lust with love , I suppose...That is his interpretation of love.. The director doesn’t try to argue which is right or wrong…He just wants to convey to us that each one have their own opinions and act accordingly..

Sub-plot 4 : Daniel is a widower who has just lost his wife. His wife has a son from a former marriage and he has to take care of him.. How does he handle this situation?

The barrier which prevents Daniel from reaching out to his step son initially is the fear of rejection. He is not sure about whether his step-son would accept him as his father. But then, he overcomes this barrier and helps his son to talk to his school-mate with whom he is infatuated with ….Also, the story ends with Daniel meeting somebody with whom he can relate to and love ... It shows that one shouldn’t be dejected forever if they lose their loved ones ..Love will find its way to you and one should just be patient till then.

Sub-plot 5: Bill Nighy is an old rock star who is very frank and outspoken. He realizes that he prefers to spend time with his long-time friend who happens to be his manager too rather than hang around aimlessly in a Christmas party..

This story goes to prove that love is not gender-specific…Also, it is necessary for us to understand our priorities. Once we have the priorities , then we can base our decisions on it

Sub-plot 6 : Laura Linney falls in love with a coworker ..But then, she is not able to express her feelings to him …But that is not the only barrier she has to overcome!!…

We (humans) are the creatures of circumstances and this story shows that sometimes, even certain situations can prove to be a barrier in expressing our love … The director doesn’t try to give a solution in this story….Sometimes, we have to face the reality that is staring at us and make decisions accordingly…

Sub-plot 7: Martin Freeman and Joanna Page are movie stand ins who act in simulated sex scenes. Martin realizes that they have lots of things in common and asks her for a date…

Many times, even though there is physical intimacy, certain relationships dont work because of the lack of emotional connections. This story indirectly stresses the importance of having to “connect” mentally so that a couple can succeed in love.. I am reminded of a William Shakespeare quote in Midsummer Night’s dream when he summarizes this message like this : ” Love looks not with the eye, but with the mind, And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind. “…

Sub-plot 8: Emma , who plays the role of Hugh Grant’s sister , starts to suspect that her husband is having an affair with a young girl in his office. She is not sure about what to do…

Sometimes, love is painful too …when u realize that the one you love so much is cheating on you . Emma is in a very tough situation and she has to decide her course of action. Should she remain quite and act as if she doesn’t know for the sake of her kids ? Or should she ask his husband boldly about whether he is having an affair knowing that there are chances that it could very well end in divorce? Emma excels in this role and does a great job...

   Sub-plot 9: Mark is in love with Juliet(Keira Knightley) but when Juliet marries his best friend, he is unsure about whether he had to tell her that he is in love with her..

It is a tough situation for Mark …Since Juliet is already married to his best friend, he very well knows that nothing is going to happen if he conveys his love to her. But then , if he doesn’t convey his love , she might not know about this at all forever...In the end , he takes a bold decision and decides that there is nothing wrong in expressing his love. After all , it is better to have loved and lost rather than not to have loved at all!

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