Not really a romance movie, turns out it’s a father/son bonding flick with some incidental women: perfect girlfriend/wife Rachel McAdams (Passion), and troubled sister Lydia Wilson (kidnapped princess in the first episode of Black Mirror). Father (Bill Nighy, natch) and son Tim (Domhnall “son of Brendan” Gleeson) have the boys-only inherited ability to revisit previous moments in their lives, change things then return. Movie starts out having Tim use his power to impress girls, but later to teach us that life should be enjoyed and fully experienced the first time through. Non-time-travelers: Tim’s mum (Lindsay Duncan of Traffik) and first crush (Margot Robbie, Leo’s second wife in Wolf of Wall Street), and I can’t remember if they explained whether Tim’s weird uncle Richard Cordery could time-travel. Nighy has Nick Cave’s “Into My Arms” play during his funeral, so now I’ve gotta find a new Nick Cave song to request for mine. “Push The Sky Away” sounds too obviously like funeral music with that organ, and “Babe I’m On Fire” goes too far the other way, so maybe “People Ain’t No Good”? I guess “The Weeping Song” would work, or “Let The Bells Ring”. I’ll have to listen to those two again, and maybe “No More Shall We Part” before deciding for sure, but for now I’m leaning “People Ain’t No Good”.
Tag: Richard Curtis
Love Actually (2003, Richard Curtis)
Generally enjoyable little Christmas movie. One of Katy’s faves, but I still thought I’d hate it… was surprised not to. Lost my notes, if I made any, so attempted story reconstruction:
Hugh Grant is the Prime Minister in love with his fired secretary. Liam Neeson lost his wife and his young son is crushing on a classmate. A young black guy marries Keira Knightley while his young white guy friend secretly loved her. An aging rocker wins the irony vote with his self-consciously awful xmas song. Laura Linney has a retarded brother and likes a co-worker. A writer likes his translator. Alan Rickman wants to cheat on Emma Thompson. A dude from the Office likes his co-star in a porn movie. A lame dude goes to rural US to get chicks. BB Thorton’s the president, R Atkinson’s some giftwrapping guy in a fancy store. That cover it?