Love Actually
135 mins, 2003. Director: Richard Curtis
If you want laughs laced with feeling, this movie is for you. It depicts the serious and foolish side of love with a series of sweetheart stories. Little boy falls in love with a little girl and becomes a rock drummer. Writer falls for his maid and doesn’t care when his book gets ruined. The Prime Minister tells off the President of the US and then falls dropdead in love with a member of his staff. Multiple plot lines carry the movie forward, some funny, some sad, but all to the accompaniment of some great music. The underlying message? Love, actually is, all around, but sometimes love doesn’t work out. Trite and contrived it may be, but it’s undeniably sincere and polished in its delivery. The film scores because of its light-on-its-feet casualness. Love Actually makes you feel like there still might be hope for all of us. Stars Hugh Grant, Rowan Atkinson and Keira Knightley.
Notting Hill
124 mins, 1999. Director: Roger Michell
Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant forge memorable chemistry in this charmer about two very different people – William, an unassuming bookstore owner in London’s Notting Hill section, and Anna, a Hollywood actress – who, against the odds, fall in love. After Anna wanders into William’s shop while filming on location in London, the two share an instant attraction and find themselves attempting to forge a normal relationship despite Anna’s megawatt star power. Some of the funniest moments in the film come from Rhys Ifans, who portrays Spike, William’s not-so-bright roommate. His screen presence is outrageous and he gives the film some of its funniest moments. The movie is surprisingly frank in its depiction of the lives of the rich and famous and the price they pay for success. Notting Hill doesn’t just refresh. Its deadpan wit, ingenious fairy-tale premise and superbly accomplished cast will leave you feeling positively oxygenated.
50 First Dates
99 mins, 2004. Director: Peter Segal
Scatological and sentimental, satirical and sincere, this film pairs Adam Sandler with Drew Barrymore to showcase the power of love and short-term memory loss in Hawaii. Henry Roth (Sandler), the local veterinarian, only dates tourists because he’s afraid of commitment, until he meets Lucy (Barrymore). Unfortunately, Lucy lost her short-term memory months ago in a car accident, and for her, each day is October the 13th. She follows the same routine every day – breakfast at the same restaurant, pineapple-picking with her dad, and eventually bed time, where sleep wipes away her short-term memory. Will Henry make Lucy fall in love with him every day? Though the story line appears contrived and stretches the limits of believability, what sticks out is the hard-to-resist goo-goo chemistry between Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. They make the film not only romantic but also very funny. A must-watch.
Music and Lyrics
105 mins, 2007. Director: Marc Lawrence
The film is on a song right from the first sequence. Watch it for Grant’s irresistible screen presence, amusing dialogue, and some great acting. It’s got that certain something you noticed in Notting Hill and Pretty Woman. It’s witty and intelligent in the same frame, making it a sweet enough V Day confection. Maybe it’s to do with the candy floss chemistry between Hugh Grant (a fading pop singer) and Drew Barrymore (a goofy plant sitter who ends up writing his lyrics). Maybe it’s the lyrical quality of the film that enchants you with its symphony – it’s unexpectedly catchy and yet so indulgently believable. Or maybe it’s just puppy love that the protagonists share for each other in this undeniably breezy romantic comedy. Any way you look at it, Music and Lyrics is a story that will linger on you long after it’s over.
(This piece appeared in Windows & Aisles, the inflight magazine of Paramount Airways, South India’s business airline)