BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / Love actually

**Posted by Sammy** May 25, 2012 7:32 pm

Since there isn't a topic for it.

The movie "follows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely and interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England" (source: imdb).

Has anyone seen it?
As mentioned, it features quite a lot of different characters and Martin really has a rather small role in this. He plays the body double for the sex scenes in a film and during the movie flirts with his female "co-star".
So yes, you don't really see him that much because he has not so much screen time, but when you see him, well, you see a lot of him .

But the whole movie is quite cute and has great actors! I would highly recommend it.
(Although, yes, it's - as you've probably guessed - a romantic comedy, so that's not everybody's cup of tea.)

**Posted by Irene Adler** May 25, 2012 8:38 pm

I love this movie, Sammy. I'm not very much into romantic comedies, I usually find them too cheesy, but this is... so funny... so well done... with such a great soundtrack.
How could I not enjoy a movie with Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson and Bill Nighy on it? They're all great. And yes, Martin's character has little time, but it's always sooooo funny. I love it.

Best moments, for me: Bill Nighy at the beginning, trying to sing Christmas is all around me and Hugh Grant dancing in Downing Street.
Ah, and that phrase from Bill Nighy's character... it was something like "Kids, don't buy drugs. Become a rock star and you'll get them for free!"

**Posted by Sammy** May 28, 2012 10:26 pm

True
Actually I've known the movie for quite a while and when I got into Sherlock and found out Martin Freeman was in it my mind did this really weird thing... you know, I couldn't picture the porn guy but I was absouletly sure that he did not look like Martin. Which of course he does.

Oh and don't forget - Colin Firth!
This movie is especially great for Christmas time it's always on TV then, anyway, I guess.

And yes, the scenes you mentioned are hilarious :D

**Posted by veecee** June 14, 2012 8:40 pm

It was a charming movie. I was a little gaga over Snape in it, even though he was a cad.

My friend told me she had taken her mother to see it, and I said that it was a lovely choice for a mom and daughter outing. She replied, "Don't you remember...?!" She meant the scenes of Martin and friend (sorry, I don't remember who she was). Their story was done so sweetly that I had completely forgotten that it was not mom-friendly (mum-friendly).

**Posted by Dramagod** June 14, 2012 8:51 pm

A pretty good movie. The reason I saw it in the first place because I wanted to see Lucia Moniz in it, this portuguese singer who played Arelia in the movie. I saw it when it came out and I don't even remember Freeman being in it.

I'm a sucker for good relationship movies. (500) DAYS OF SUMMER, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, BEFORE SUNRISE, ONCE... All great movies that even a cynic male like me could enjoy.

**Posted by deerstalker** June 28, 2012 11:04 pm

I think it's one of the better romantic movies; I liked it quite a lot.

**Posted by SusiGo** June 29, 2012 6:35 am

We are watching it every Christmas, it has become a must-see . Most of all I love the story of Colin Firth and Aurelia, so sweet and funny. And I remembered Martin at once when we watched Sherlock for the first time.

**Posted by hypergreenfrog** June 29, 2012 6:57 am

It's a very Christmassy film, and it has some hilarious and surprisingly quite touching bits in it (my favorite is the Colin Firth storyline, and also the photographer, can't remember the actor now).
Martin Freeman plays a minor character in it, but still worth watching.
I would say if you like British comedies, you will like it... but I wouldn't recommend watching it during the summer, that might be a bit weird, because Christmas is a very strong theme in the film.

**Posted by SusiGo** June 29, 2012 7:11 am

And I like the fact that there is room for tragedy as well, not just love, peace and harmony, for example in the Rickman/Thompson relationship. My daughter, however, wondered why a German actress had to be the "bad girl". But I think Heike Makatsch played the role really well. And the scene in front of Keira Knightley's door, it kills me everytime .

**Posted by Mattlocked** June 29, 2012 3:15 pm

I started with Love Actually because I'm collecting every movie starring Alan Rickman (I'm not only Cumberbatched but also a Rickmaniac ).
Can't even tell my favourite theme or scene... F.e. I also love the story between the Prime Minister and Fluffy (?) very much....
My husband likes especially the Bill Nighy-scenes and HE is the one who reminds us every year around Christmas that it's time to watch!
His only problem now: He still cannot really concentrate on Martin Freeman as Watson so far....

No, Love Actually really isn't the "usual romantic stuff"!

**Posted by Carol the Dabbler** July 24, 2012 8:31 pm

A minor clarification: Everyone (not just here) seems to describe Martin Freeman's character as a body double in a porn movie, but that's not really accurate. He's a stand-in, a person who is chosen for his general resemblance (size, coloring) to an actor, and whose job it is to stand/sit/whatever in the actor's place during the tedious business of fine-tuning the blocking, adjusting the lighting, etc. The stand-in will not appear at all in the movie.

Also, though this may not compute for those accustomed only to "American version" movies, the movie they were making did not appear to be porn, but rather a "European version" romantic film. I've seen examples where a director had shot the same scene twice, once for the American market, and again (with fewer garments and/or different camera angles) for the European market. The American version is therefore, as veecee said, more "mom-friendly," while the European version may be more naturalistic.

**Posted by Davina** July 24, 2012 9:35 pm

A bit like being on the beach in the US compared with being on the beach in Europe then.

**Posted by josabby** December 23, 2013 2:28 am

I showed this movie to my mother a few years ago and she had no idea who Colin Firth, Martin Freeman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, or Bill Nighy were. Now she owns Mama Mia and The King's Speech; as well as The Hobbit, Sherlock (well that's what my brother bought with his graduation money), Serenity, and Pirates. Those actors are household names for her.

**Posted by Russell** December 23, 2013 5:31 am

Swan - yes to the likes and dislikes! I know it's a classic christmas favorite for many people, but I somehow never came across it until last year. Definitely cute and didn't realize so many 'name' favorites were in it. Love the different portrayals of love mixed with the holiday spirit. Although since we don't usually get around to a family christmas movie night, this year I grabbed 'Nativity!' for the first time (thanks to discovering Martin's films ;)) and did that with a friend. Cheesy as expected, various moments of surprised hilarity, and meltingly sweet.
Josabby - cool…. I don't suppose Nighy and Freeman's sharp hilarity in 'Wild Target' will pop up in the future with her, then? ;)

**Posted by Michele** December 29, 2013 9:39 pm

Love that movie!!!

**Posted by sherlocked4ever** February 4, 2014 7:31 pm

I have to see that movie ...

**Posted by maryagrawatson** May 12, 2014 12:32 am

I can thank Martin, and this movie, for my getting into Sherlock. I don't watch much TV, so much crap out there. My best friend sent me the first series and I left it on my desk for months since I had zero interest whatsoever in Sherlock Holmes. My friend was desperate for me to give it a chance and knows that I will get into a project if there's an actor I like in it and she knew I'd seen Love Actually, so she dropped Martin's name and the rest is history.

My favourite Jack and Judy scene in Love Actually: "Sorry to be a bit forward", while he is standing stark naked in front of her and she is pretending to do fellatio on him. Classic. Or maybe when he was recounting standing in for Brad Pitt once.

Mary

**Posted by dartmoordoggers** May 12, 2014 11:57 am

veecee wrote:
It was a charming movie. I was a little gaga over Snape in it, even though he was a cad.

My friend told me she had taken her mother to see it, and I said that it was a lovely choice for a mom and daughter outing. She replied, "Don't you remember...?!" She meant the scenes of Martin and friend (sorry, I don't remember who she was). Their story was done so sweetly that I had completely forgotten that it was not mom-friendly (mum-friendly).

His 'friend' was Joanna Page. The star of the brit comedy Gavin & Stacey. She was also Queen Elizibeth in The Day of the Doctor.

**Posted by tonnaree** May 12, 2014 12:36 pm

dartmoordoggers wrote:
veecee wrote:
It was a charming movie. I was a little gaga over Snape in it, even though he was a cad.

My friend told me she had taken her mother to see it, and I said that it was a lovely choice for a mom and daughter outing. She replied, "Don't you remember...?!" She meant the scenes of Martin and friend (sorry, I don't remember who she was). Their story was done so sweetly that I had completely forgotten that it was not mom-friendly (mum-friendly).
His 'friend' was Joanna Page. The star of the brit comedy Gavin & Stacey. She was also Queen Elizibeth in The Day of the Doctor.

Joanna has a connection to Benedict too. She was in To The Ends of the Earth with him.

I had to be convinced to watch Love Actually also. Most romance movies or romantic comedies are just the same old cookie cutter stories and I can't stand them. But Love Actually did have two things going for it. One, that amazing cast and two, my best friend loved it and she doesn't like cookie cutter romances either.

So glad I watched it. Everyone in it is wonderful and the stories are really touching.