Let me frame this review by stating that I’m not huge fan of Hugh Grant. It has nothing to do with the fact that he is rich, great looking, has a good sense of comic timing and everyone likes him. No, those are admirable features. My issue with Hugh is that he ALWAYS plays the same proper, quick witted English gentleman, which come to think of it, he probably is in real life. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I wish I were a lot more proper and good looking myself. I’ll take a pass on the English part.
It’s probably his agent who’s to blame, or his manager. Maybe the people that bankroll movies don’t want to risk tainting his image – it’s worked very well for them so far.
I took my mom, stepfather and wife to this movie to celebrate my mom’s birthday. Mom loves Hugh Grant. Mom would like me to be a whole lot more like Hugh Grant.
This movie starts out with a wedding. Sure Hugh Grant has never done that before. But it gets better very quickly. The premise is that it follows a number of interconnected characters as they wrestle with love in it’s many stages against the backdrop of the Xmas season. Everything from a fresh crush to love worn down by years of a loathsome marriage. This film runs the gamut.
All the actors are terrific and the story is tight. One of my new favorite actresses is Martine McCutcheon who is paired with Hugh Grant. Note that she looks suspiciously like Elizabeth Hurley. Hugh Grant has never done that. Well, he doesn’t do that anymore.
The direction is good, the timing and pacing serve the movie very well. Guys, take note, you could probably win some points with your significant other if you take her to see this. If you don’t take her while it’s still in the theaters, rent it. Odds are good you’ll recognize some version of your own relationship in one of the stories. And you can laugh at the characters who crash and burn, and/or celebrate the winners.
Overall this is a nice light, comedy with a simple message and lots of screen time for Hugh Grant. Yep, Hugh Grant never does that.