20s Movie Review - Heretic

Director: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Hugh Grant, Topher Grace

Description: Two young religious women (Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East) are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a strange man (Hugh Grant).

Review: Two young women go door to door to spread their religion. Many people do no appreciate such practices, let alone take them seriously. Consequently, the task of sisters Barnes and Paxton is difficult. Who would allow themselves to be convinced of a controversial faith in an afternoon? Yet that doesn’t stop the women from passionately proclaiming their beliefs.

In the pouring rain, sisters Barnes and Paxton finally knock on the door of Mr. Reed. He seems to be the only one open to their story. Mr. Reed is not easily persuaded, however; he has done thorough research on several religions.

The whole setting creates a strong sense of unease. Although Barnes and Paxton calmly answer the critical questions, the atmosphere is uncomfortable. Mr. Reed says his wife is baking a cake, but she never shows; Reef himself does not have the best social skills and asks some sensitive questions.

Hugh Grant, as Reid, undoubtedly steals the show. He has a perfect balance of charisma, charm and obnoxiousness. Despite his likeable demeanor, he is intimidating and convincing as a psychopathic bad guy.

The concept of “Heretic” is entertaining, but lacks some depth. Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods attempt to provide profound insights into religious dogma via Reed’s sadistic cat-and-mouse game, but unfortunately don’t get beyond surface level.  

The cinematography stood out to me, especially an impressive shot in which one of the sisters appears to be running through a miniature version of the house. That was phenomenal. And the psychological element is quite good, but the pretentious undertone doesn’t work in its favor. Moreover, Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher are completely overshadowed by Hugh Grant. It’s his movie and the focus is on his role. And the conclustion was a little bit of a let down. 

I have mixed feelings about “Heretic”.

Rating: 3/ 5

20s Movie Review - Wonka

Director: Paul King
Genre: Musical/ Fantasy/ Adventure/ Family/ Comedy
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Oliva Colman, Calah Lane, Keegan-Michael Key, Jim Carter, Matt Lucas, Paterson Joseph, Hugh Grant, Sally Hawkins

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 14: A FANTASY FILM
 
Description: With dreams of opening a ship in a city renowned for its chocolate, a young and poor Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) discovers that the industry is run by a cartel of greedy chocolatiers.

Review: A young Willy Wonka has traveled all over the world, and is now ready to settle down somewhere and reveal his homemade chocolate to people. Easier said than done, especially since the mall in which he plans to open his own business us run by an evil trio of chocolatiers. Soon Wonka finds himself locked up working in a laundry basement, where his dream feel impossible.

There are many unsublte references to “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” and the original book. However, they are woven into the story and are not just simple crowd pleasers.

Wonka has been eccentric since he was a child. Timothée Chalamet took some mannerisms from Gene Wilder’s rendition. But her otherwise plays him in his own way. He portrays an energetic and naïve Willy Wonka who has yet to experience the necessary fall backs and has too much faith in human kind. Logical to approach it that way. Chalamet carries the movie effortlessly. Is there anything he can’t do?
Besides Willy Wonka, only two characters were in the original story: the Oempa Loempa and Slugworth as one of the evil chocolatiers. The other characters are all new and feel like they come from Roald Dahl’s imagination. Especially the ruthless and opportunistic adults.

“Wonka” contains a number of original songs. Again, not forced copies from the old movie, but no heavily modernized either. They are charming and some have the potential to be memorable.

The bond between Wonka and the young girl Noodle was so heartwarming, that scene in the zoo stole my heart and made me so happy. I also loved the backstory of Noodle. Sad, yet hopeful in the end. I was kind of skeptical about Hugh Grant as the Oompa Loompa, but he was surprisingly funny, even though I still believe it looked a bit weird.

“Wonka is a delightful film for the entire family, and adventure with good characters against the bad without becoming one-dimensional. I absolutely loved this film and that it also happens to be a musical is just a major win for me.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Genre: Fantasy/ Adventure/ Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant, Regé-Jean Page

Description: A charming thief (Chris Pine) and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they tun afoul of the wrong people.

Review: After a theft that went wrong, Edgin and Holga try to get their lives back on track. This is harder than expected, as one of their friends seems to have betrayed them. To set things right and prove himself to his daughter, Edgin joins Holga and other magical misfits on an epic adventure full of bizarre monsters and plans that don’t always go according to plan.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” is a blockbuster the way we know them: special effects, action spectacle, funny main characters and an okay story. Yet the film distinguishes itself by cleverly making fun of both the game on which it is based on and the fantasy genre. The simplicity of the story and characters are also a definite plus.

Although a wide audience can enjoy this film, fans of the original game are rearded. Many typical things from the game occur: spells, failed plans and unnecessarily long backstories give the film a fairly authentic tone. But the writers took some creative liberties and this worked really well.

The magical side of the world where the story takes place is used in the craziest way. It gives the film a refreshing quirkiness. Aside from the CGI, there are also lots of practical effects and remarkable costumes.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” makes for a great viewing experience, which I now wished I had seen in the cinema. A strong cast portraying fun characters, and enjoyable world and setting with an entertaining story. A movie I will definitely rewatch at some point.

Rating: 4/ 5

00s Movie Review - Love Actually

Director: Richard Curtis
Genre: Comedy/ Romance/ Drama
Runtime: 135 minutes
Year: 2003
Starring: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Laura Linney, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Rowan Atkinson, Martine McCutheon, Martin Freeman, Joanna Page, Andrew Lincoln, Chiwetel, Ejiofor, Thomas Sangster, Rodrigo Santoro

Description: Follows the lives of several different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.

Review: With “Love Actually”, the directorial debut by Richard Curtis shows that life is full of small moments of love and affection. Me not being a romance girlie, this is one of the few exceptions in the genre that I’m absolutely in love with.

Richard Curtis is mostly know for his screenwriting, having been apart of “Blackadder”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Notting Hill”, among others. “Love Actually” is as smoothly put together as the romcoms for which he alone wrote the screenplay.

The fact that Curtis managed to have the best of the best actors at his disposal also work in his favor. It’s not hard to take them to heart. We follow several storylines in this film, some of them intertwine at some. We meet David, as he arrives on his first day as the Prime Minister, falling in love with Nathalie who is in his staff. Karen is painfully confronted with her husband’s potential adultery. Daniel has just lost his wife and has to deal with his young stepson’s first time being in love. Jamie leaves for France after he finds out his girlfriend is cheating on him with his brother. Here he meets Aurelia, but there is a language barrier. Sarah has been in love Karl for over two years, but because of her sick brother she never lets herself act on it. Jack and Judy meet each other while being movie stand-ins for nude scenes. Old rocker Billy Mack is trying to reach the number one spot with his Christmas song. Mark’s best friend Peter marries Juliet. Juliet feels like Mark doesn’t really like her, finding out that that’s not the reason he never talks to her. And finally Colin, who is sick of British girls and travels to America to find a woman.

Even though not all storylines are equally successful or enjoyable, the complete package is so lovely. This film has high rewatchability and I simply can’t get enough of it. I want to watch it every Christmas. And the ending is very satisfactory as well. Sugar sweet and overly romantic, but for some reason I am totally fine with it here.  

Rating: 5/ 5

TV Show Review - The Undoing (Mini Series)

Season: Mini Series
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2020
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Noah Jupe, Donald Sutherland, Lily Rabe, Matilda de Angelis, Edgar Ramirez, Michael Devine

Description: The life of a New York therapist (Nicole Kidman) is turned upside after she and her family get involved with a murder case.

Review: In this psychological thriller, you follow the lives a Grace and her husband Jonathan. They are live the perfect life in New York, with their son Henry. Until Elena, a mother at Henry’s school, is found dead in her art gallery. It turns out to be a murder and Grace and Jonathan’s life is turned upside down. Especially when one of them becomes a suspect.

You think you know, but think again. “The Undoing” has plot twist after plot twist. And just when you think, you figured it out, things turn again. There moments you believe that this certain person has done it, and then you believe they might be innocent. You go back and forth constantly. It’s like a rollercoaster with a new exit each time. Just when you think you are sure of the culprit, they drop a small hint that makes you question everything again.

“The Undoing” is very America, it’s all very polished. The only thing I would’ve changed, is to make the characters look a less “perfect” all the time.  

The cast of “The Undoing” alone is worth watching. Nicole Kidman plays the lead and she is very strong in her role. The same goes for Hugh Grant, especially as the series progresses. And Donald Sutherland, in his 80s, still knows how to intrigue. Noah Jupe, who plays son Henry, is such a great talent. You might also know him from the movie “A Quiet Place”.

“The Undoing” is absolutely worth watching, it’s exactly that kind of psychological thriller that gets under you skin after watching it. The who, why and how are very interesting questions you keep asking yourself constantly while watching this series.

Movie Review - Glass Onion

Director: Rian Johnson
Genre: Comedy/ Mystery/ Crime
Runtime: 140 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Daniel Craig, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., Kathryn Hahn, Jessica Henwick, Madeline Cline, Ethan Hawke, Hugh Grant
 
I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 52: A MOVIE RELEASED THIS YEAR
 
    
Description: Famed Southern detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) travels to Greece for his latest case.

Review: The best murder mysteries have something to say about the world outside the mansion in which the murder takes place. It is the competing interests of people from all sorts of backgrounds, that provide most of the suspense and intrigue; the murder is merely the fuse to the bomb.

This was the strength of “Knives Out”, written and directed by Rian Johnson, which gestured to the cruelty and narrow-mindedness of white America via a bizarre murder in a wealthy family. The sequel “Glass Onion” is set on the private island of the wealthy tech entrepreneur Miles Bron, which is inevitable rocked by murder and intrigue. Once again, old-fashioned detective Benoit Blanc finds himself at the center of the mystery. And once again, the murder prompts digging into the ills of our society.  

“Glass Onion” has to take a few big leaps to get going, we meet all the characters. Not a family this time, but a group of old friends. All invited by Miles, we meet YouTuber Duke, controversial politician Claire, scientist Lionel, star Birdie and longtime associate Andie.  

“Glass Onion” mocks the very richest people, the characters are enhanced and fit perfectly into this crazy, sometimes hilarious murder mystery. Even though this film follows the same story telling structure as “Knives Out”, it being non-linear, “Glass Onion” is a very different movie. Besides the setting, the story is far from the family drama we had in “Knives Out”. Which makes it just as unique. I loved both movies equally.

Again, the film has a fantastic cast. Benoit Blanc is the only character we already knew, played fantastically by Daniel Craig. I think he is one of my newer favorite movie characters. I love his detective style, his way with words, the things that annoy him, the situations he gets himself into or gets into due to others. From the other guest, Janelle Monáe was the one that most impressed me and her character is the most interesting one. Up until the halfway point, her character Andie is a mystery. I loved that.  

“Glass Onion” is one of those films that you need to watch at least one more time, since there will be a lot of things you missed the first time. You have different things to focus on on second viewing, because of the non-linear storyline, things are revealed. On a second viewing, you will be looking for hints, if you could pick them up. And that’s why I love murder mysteries and whodunits like this.

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was one of my most-anticipated films of 2022 and it didn’t disappoint. This might even be my favorite film of the year.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - The Gentlemen

Director: Guy Ritchie
Genre: Crime/ Action/ Comedy
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farrell, Henry Golding, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan

Description: An American expat (Matthew McConaughey) tries to sell his highly profitable marijuana empire in London, triggering plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.

Review: After directing some more conventional films like “Sherlock Holmes” and “Aladdin”, Guy Ritchie returns with a movie that is more his style. More than 20 years after “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” Ritchie is back with a type of film that he’s best at. It’s a clever, quick and self-written British gangster film that is fast-paced and never has a dull moment.
A lot of the plot elements in this film a recognizable from movies like “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch”, where it’s about big deals. In “The Gentlemen” this deal is the sale of a British marijuana empire, lead by the American Mickey Pearson. Many people show interest and have their own reasons for it. And that sometimes a machine gun needs to be fired or a fist fight has to happen, only adds to the spectacle.
Like the other aforementioned movies by Ritchie, there are several plots going on. Essential is the one of tabloid journalist and movie director wannabe Fletcher, played by Hugh Grant, who I am thankful for leaving his romcom image aside. He isn’t a gentleman at all and doesn’t mind bribing or blackmailing a drug lord. Fletcher know exactly what is going on in this world and even writes a script for a film. This script is presented to Pearson’s right hand Ray, a gangster played by Charlie Hunnam (these two were definitely my favorite element of the film, they are so good in it). This is the main plot line in the film and is connected with several others. And soon you realize that almost everyone has a double agenda and isn’t as loyal as you might think. A lot of intrigue and betrayal. With that, the film has dry and dark humor, which Ritchie is known for.
The movie might not have the most original story, but if you are a fan of Ritchie’s previous work it won’t bother you. Because it has all the elements that his other crime films had and what make him such a great filmmaker. If you likes “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch”, you will enjoy “The Gentlemen” as well.

Rating: 4 / 5

Movie Reviews - Paddington 2

Director: Paul King
Genre: Adventure/ Family/ Comedy/ Fantasy
Runtime: 103 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Ben Wishaw, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Imelda Staunton, Michael Gambon, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent

Description: Paddington (Ben Wishaw), now happily settled with the Brown family and a popular member of the local community, picks up a series of odd jobs to buy the perfect present for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.

Review: The British have a thing for bears, at least when it comes to children’s literature. Pooh, Rupert, SuperTed, Baloo. And they also have a special place for Paddington, with his signature red hat and blue coat. The first film, I liked very much. It was loveable and heartwarming. But “Paddington 2” I absolutely love and is even more loveable and heartwarming!!!
Paddington lives a happy life with the Brown family and puts a smile on all his neighbor’s faces. His wish is to find the perfect gift for his aunt Lucy, who lives in South America. Because aunt Lucy also dreams of a trip to London, Paddington finds an antique pop-up book about the British capitol. He gets a job to earn money to buy this gift.
If you don’t like this movie, you seriously suck! It’s only the British that can manage to add so much humor and warmth to a film like this. There is a good mix of adventure, tension, slapstick humor and tenderness. Even the extreme situation of Paddington going to jail, is brought to us with warmth and heart. Paddington is an example for us, he stays polite in every situation, without being annoying or sugar sweet.
Hugh Grant plays the villain in this second film. He is a egotistical, self-loving actor, who has his eyes on the same book as Paddington. But for other reasons. And Grant is really solid as the bad guy.
You don’t have to be a kid to love this film. “Paddington 2” puts an instant smile on your face. I love this film!

Rating: 5 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 108: The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Director: Guy Ritchie
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Adventure/ Crime
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Hugh Grant, Jared Harris

Description: In the early 1960s, CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons.

Review: Since his Sherlock Holmes movies were a success, director Guy Ritchie looks like someone who can bring back old franchises. This time it’s “The Man from U.N.C.L.E., based on a televions show from the 1960s. And although the film isn’t as memorablem “The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is definitely a very entertaining comedic espionage.
During the cold war, the American CIA agent Napoleon Solo joins forces with the Russian KGB agent Ilya Kuryakin. Not very surprising is their rivalry at the beginning of the film. During an action packed opening, Solo manages to escape Kuryakin, together with the beautiful car mechanic Gaby. Gaby is the daughter of a nuclear scientist who is missing and she is probably the only clue to a potential conspiracy.That’s the reason why the two agents decide to work together.
Of course working together is not going to go smoothly, because of the differences between the two. And the interaction between actors Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer is fun to watch. Cavill works his charm as womanizer Solo and Hammer is more physically present. But it’s Alicia Vikander who steals the show as Gaby.
The atmosphere and the look of the film is great. It’s like we are really in the sixties. The location, sunny Rome, is perfect and the costumes are beautiful.
“The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” isn’t as surprising as espionage rival “Kingsman: The Secret Service” was, but certainly entertaining and enjoyable.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 119: The Pirates! Band of Misfits

Director: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt

Genre: Animation/ Family/ Adventure

Runtime: 88 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Imelda Staunton, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, David Tennant, Brendan Gleeson

Description: Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.

Review: If you are a pirate or a scientist, eventually it’s all about the fame, the booty or the girl. At least, if we believe “The Pirates! Band of Misfits”. We see how a failed pirate tries to win the ‘Pirate of the Year Award’ and how Charles Darwin discovers a rare parrot.

“The Pirates! Band of Misfits” is a so-called Claymation, made by the companies Aardman and Sony. It gets an English touch because of the voice actors, the absurd humor and the atmospheric streets of 19th century London. The American touch is noticeable because of the movies moral and postmodern humor. Like a 19th century scientist playing around with a Rubik’s cube and funny remarks about the Academy Awards. With that the film is filled with physical jokes and word jokes.

The movie isn’t innovative, but it looks stunning. And “The Pirates! Band of Misfits” is a successful animation with a high entertainment level. That it never lives up to movies like “Chicken Run” and “Wallace and Grommit”, doesn’t matter. We weren’t expecting that.

Rating: 3/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 41: Cloud Atlas

Director: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Genre: Drama/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 164 minutes
Year: 2012
Starring: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, James D’Arcy, Ben Wishaw, Susan Sarandon, Doona Bae, Keith David

Description: An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.

Review: I finished the book by David Mitchell in 2011 and I remember thinking this would be impossible to make into a film. The book has six separate stories, all in different eras and told in its own unique way. Directors Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachoswki decided to give it a go.
The stories in “Clous Atlas” shift in time, where some elements from one story return in the other. The makers took a huge risk to change one important element . The book has five unfinished stories and the sixth is told completely. Then the other five stories are completed. De movie shifts between those stories in pretty much every scene. It’s a miracle that this doesn’t bother you, because you’re literally going from one point to another very abruptly.
Another risk is the cast. The most important actors play five or six different roles. Ýou can easily trust actors like Tom Hanks, Jim Broadbent and Hugo Weaving with that task, because they did a great job. The décor and make-up is just sublime.
“Cloud Atlas” could have been a masterpiece, but I stand with my first thought: It’s really hard to turn this magnificent book into a film. It didn’t capture the power of the novel. But that doesn’t take away that you can’t miss “Cloud Atlas”.

Rating: 4/ 5

Top 5 Thursday: "Love Actually" Storylines

Last week I shared my favourite Christmas movies, so one of them is the centre of this week’s top five. I decided to share with you my favourite storylines from the movie “Love Actually”.

5. Jamie & Aurelia
Jamie’s girlfriend cheated on him with his brother and he goes to France to write his novel. The Portugese Aurelia is his new housekeeper there and they don’t understand each other. When Jamie has to leave, Aurelia kisses him. When back in England, Jamie learns Portugese and travels back to see Aurelia. He asks her to marry him and she says yes.

4. John & Just Judy
John and Judy meet while acting as stand-ins for a sex scene in a movie. They get along immediately. They get in all sorts of weird sexual positions, but they start talking about everyday things. Eventually John asks her out and Judy says yes.

3. Daniel & Sam
Daniel just lost his wife and is left alone with her son Sam. Sam isn’t talking and Daniel is worried about him, but when he starts to talk Daniel finds out he’s in love. He’s trying to help Sam to win over the girl of his dreams.

2. Mark & Juliet
Although Juliet just got married, the grooms best friend Mark is actually in love with her. Juliet always thought Mark hated her, because he never talked to her, but it was just self-preservation. Because it’s Christmas he decides to tell Juliet the truth and he does that with the help of cue cards.

1. David & Natalie
David is the new Prime Minister of England and when he meets his household staff, he also meets Natalie. She leaves an immediate impression on him and he falls for her. It’s very inconvenient. But eventually they both tell each other how they feel. They are trying to keep it a secret, but it’s revealed very soon.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Billy Mack, Harry & Karen

In the Picture: The Characters from "Love Actually"

"Love Actually" is the perfect film for the holidays. Christmas is coming near so it's time to take a look at this film again. There are so many characters, that I had to cut a little bit. Here are the characters from "Love Actually".

Harry
Played by: Alan Rickman
Harry is a manager at a designer agency. He recently got a new, young assistant. Harry feels attracted to her, but he’s also very happily married and the father of two. He buys his assistant an expensive necklace for Christmas. He later admits his foolishness.

Karen
Played by: Emma Thompson
Karen is Harry’s wife and she’s busy dealing with her children Daisy and Bernard. She finds the necklace in Harry’s pocket, assuming that it’s for her. When she’s opening presents, she realizes that the necklace wasn’t for her, but she doesn’t want anyone to know that she has been crying over it. Karen does confront him.

David
Played by: Hugh Grant
David is Karen’s sister and is the recently elected Prime Minister. He’s a young and single man. He meets his household staff and has an instant click with Natalie. Because of his position, he thinks it’s inappropriate to have feelings for her.

Jamie
Played by: Colin Firth
Jamie walks in on his brother, while he’s sleeping with his girlfriend. Crushed by this, Jamie retires to his French cottage where he meets Portugese housekeeper Aurélia who speaks only her native tongue. There’s an instant attraction between them and when he returns to England he realizes how much he loves her. For her, Jamie learns Portugese and visits her to ask her to marry him.

Juliet
Played by: Keira Knightley
Juliet is a happy newlywed woman and got married in a lovely ceremony to Peter. Juliet doesn’t get along with Mark, but she has no idea why he doesn’t like her. She tries to bond with him, but he never talks to her. When Juliet visits him, she find out that Mark has actually been madly in love with her all that time.

Daniel
Played by: Liam Neeson
Daniel is Karen’s best friend. He just lost his wife and is left behind with his stepson Sam. Daniel wants to help Sam with his mission to win over the girl he’s in love with. With that he also tries to deal with losing his love and tries to move on.

Sam
Played by: Thomas Sangster
Sam has fallen in love with his classmate Joanna. He found out that there’s only one way to win her over: become a musician. He starts to play drums to impress her at the school Christmas party. When she’s leaving for America, Sam follows her at the airport to tell her about his feelings.

Billy Mack
Played by: Bill Nighy
Billy Mack is a worn off rockstar with only one more goal: He wants to score the number one Christmas single. His longtime manager Joe is the only one who always stood by him and he realizes that he’s been ‘the love of his life’.

Natalie
Played by: Martine McCutcheon
Natalie is one of the members in David’s household staff. She appears to be very nervous while meeting him for the first time, because she starts rambling and swears a couple of times. David finds it endeering. Natalie is pushed into a corner by the American president, who’s tried to seduce her.

Mark
Played by: Andrew Lincoln
Mark is Peter’s best friend and is secretly in love with Juliet. He never talks to her because of self-preservation and out of respect to his friend Peter. Mark does take a moment to truly confess his feelings for Juliet, which she acknowledges with a kiss.

Sarah
Played by: Laura Linney
Sarah works for Harry and she has been in love with her co-worker Karl for years. At a Christmas party, the two dance and eventually Karl drives her home. Sarah invites him in, where they start kissing. They are interrupted by Sarah’s mentally ill brother, which effectivly ends things between Sarah and Karl.

Rufus
Played by: Rowan Atkinson
Rufus is a minor but significant character. He is a jewelry salesman and is obsessed with gift wrapping things. With that obsession, Harry almost gets caught while buying the necklace. Rufus is also the distraction at the airport, so that Sam can run to Joanna.

Favorite Character: Mark

Movie Tip #3 - Love Actually

Director: Richard Curtis

Starring: Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, Colin Firth, Rowan Atkinson, Martine McCutcheon, Andrew Lincoln, Martin Freeman

Description: We follow the lives of eight different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely and interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London.

Review: This movie stands for the perfect Christmas feeling and each story gives you different emotions. I especially like the story about the Prime minister (Hugh Grant) and the one with widower Daniel (Liam Neeson) and his stepson. This movie will probably be on TV during Christmas, so go watch it, because it's funny, sad, heartwarming and very romantic.