Love Actually: Overrated or the Perfect Christmas Movie?

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Courtesy of Universal Pictures and Vox.com

What do the movies Die Hard and Love Actually have in common? Well, they both star the late great Alan Rickman, and they are both Christmas movies. However, unlike Die Hard, this movie will leave you with a warm feeling after watching it (unless, of course, Die Hard does that sort of thing for you). The film was released in 2003 and was written and directed by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill). Starring an ensemble cast consisting of, among others, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, and Colin Firth, this wonderfully delightful comedy will tug at your heartstrings and become your new holiday favourite, just as it has become mine. 

Courtesy of Universal Pictures and IMDB

This holiday movie takes place over the five weeks leading up to Christmas and consists of 10 stories that are somehow connected in various ways, telling different tales of love. These multiple tales of love consist of the different types of love and the impact the holiday season has on them. While it is a Christmas movie, it should be noted that it is not suitable for children as it indulges in adult themes.

The film begins with a narration by Hugh Grant (who portrays the Prime Minister of the U.K. in the film). He talks about the times where he feels gloomy about the state of the world and explains what he thinks of to cheer himself up. This beautiful anecdote is told over a montage of people arriving at Heathrow Airport. Viewers are then introduced to the hilarious Billy Mack (Bill Nighy), a legendary rock and roll musician who is attempting to create a Christmas version of the famous song Love is all Around by The Troggs.

From that point on, the movie introduces various characters that are each dealing with the themes of love and the holidays in their own unique stories. Throughout the film, viewers are shown how some of the characters from one story might have a connection with characters from another. The various characters in the movie are wonderfully portrayed by the numerous performers who each manage to bring their character to life. Some characters you will love, some you might end up hating. But in the end, you will laugh, cry, and cheer for the various characters and the stories they are participating in.

The following video is a clip to show just how much fun can be had by watching this wonderful film.

What makes this the perfect Christmas movie is that its various stories can fill the needs of several viewers at once with these beautiful and different stories. But, of course, what makes this ideal movie even more entertaining, is a fun cameo with the appearance of none other than Mr. Bean himself, Rowan Atkinson as a salesman who loves to go the extra mile for his clients. This movie will also give you the intriguing revelation that at the birth of Jesus, there was not one, but at least two lobsters who showed up. So, if you’re looking for a good Christmas movie to enjoy this holiday season, either by yourself, your loved ones or even with a few friends, then I highly recommend this delightful holiday treat to keep you warm on a cold winter’s night.

If you’ve already seen the movie, and want to know what happened to some of the characters, here is a short film called Red Nose Day Actually. The short film was once again written and directed by Richard Curtis and shows the return of some of the cast. It was released as part of the Red Nose Day 2017 fundraiser.

Philippe MacDonald

Philippe MacDonald

Philippe MacDonald is a second-year Professional Writing student. He enjoys food (both cooking and eating), watching movies and television, reading, spending time with his friends and family and gets easily distrac… ooh, red ball…ted.

Quotes about Philippe

Mother: “He’s my favourite son.”
Complete stranger: “Who?”
Annie the cat: just stares blankly

Extended and shared universes: Opening a realm of possibilities, one story at a time

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The MCU, the DCEU, The NCIS franchise, The Law & Order franchise, Star Trek. These are but a few examples of film and television worlds that have managed to create a large expansion of exciting stories for viewers to enjoy. This has allowed characters from different series or films to crossover into another series or film to further explore their shared universes.

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Currently, the biggest shared universe is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Beginning in 2008 with the blockbuster Ironman, this franchise has expanded significantly by having released an impressive 26 films to date, with at least 12 more in various stages production. This franchise has also created numerous television series, with several more also in various stages of early to late production. The stories that have been shown have not only allowed for numerous characters to be introduced, but to also create storylines that continue in various productions.

Another popular franchise (but hasn’t managed to fully live to up its competitor’s level), is the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). While it hasn’t fully lived up to the same reputation as the MCU, it has still produced notable hits such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Shazam. But while it has had some wins, it has also included some loses that have caused to the studio to make various changes throughout the years regarding certain characters.

Courtesy of NBC

Another franchise that is all too familiar to crime show buffs, is the all too familiar Law & Order. The first series, also named Law & Order, originally aired on September 13th, 1990. The series went on to span numerous spinoffs including the long-lasting Law & Order: SVU as well as the newest entry into the franchise, Law & Order: Organized Crime. Most recently, fans of the original series were given a huge surprise when it was revealed that the original series, which ended on May 24th, 2010, would be returning for a 21st season. Aside from these direct series, characters from some these shows have made crossovers on other franchises, including One Chicago (consisting of Chicago Med, Chicago PD, and Chicago Fire), as well as the series F.B.I. which itself has had a few spinoffs. While all of these various series are more based in actual reality, they manage to still create a world that shows that events that happen in one city can easily have some kind of an effect elsewhere.

Finally, another successful franchise is Star Trek. Originally airing in 1966 by Gene Roddenberry, the series portrayed various individuals who were exploring space, went on numerous adventures and faced various foes. The original series produced six films that were sequels, and another 3 films that were a reboot of it. Meanwhile, the original series also produced numerous other sequel series that have introduced new characters and alien species, new adventures, and of course new foes. While following the following series mostly took place in a more future time (one series, Enterprise was actually a prequel to the entire series), the shows only had minor crossovers here and there to only further show that they were connected. More recently a new entry in the franchise, Star Trek: Discovery, which has very recently started its fourth season, was revealed to have a direct connection to the original series. which has not only allowed for the series to give more stories but has also allowed them to re-use memorable characters from the past and give them new life.

The amazing thing about these numerous franchises is that they allow the storytellers to further expand upon numerous ideas, but also allow the people who enjoy these stories to see different stories from perspectives. It also allows these different characters to interact outside of their normal stories and participate in even larger adventures.

Here are a few other exciting franchises and series that have made crossovers with other series that have created extended universes:

  • JAG, NCIS, NCIS: LA, Hawaii Five-0 NCIS: New Orleans, NCIS: Hawaii. NCIS: LA has had some crossovers with Scorpion and Hawaii-Five O, which in turn, has had crossover with MacGyver and Magnum P.I.

  • The various CSI series

  • The Arrowverse (Also known as the CWverse)

  • Star Wars

Philippe MacDonald

Philippe MacDonald

Philippe MacDonald is a second-year Professional Writing student. He enjoys food (both cooking and eating), watching movies and television, reading, spending time with his friends and family and gets easily distrac… ooh, red ball…ted.

Quotes about Philippe

Mother: “He’s my favourite son.”
Complete stranger: “Who?”
Annie the cat: just stares blankly

The Librarians: protecting the world, one magical artifact at a time

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Courtesy of TNT and IMDB

Have you ever wondered who takes care of all the magical artifacts in the world? Well, look no further. The Librarians are here to protect the world. The Librarians is a television sequel to the film trilogy- The Librarian. The movies starred Noah Wyle (ER, Falling Skies) as Flynn Carsen, a man with 22 academic decrees, who is hired by The Library, a secret organization dedicated to protecting the world from magical artifacts by finding them and cataloging them within the walls of The Library. Joining him on his adventures were Jane Curtin (SNL, 3rd Rock From the Sun) and Bob Newhart (Newhart, ELF). After three very entertaining films involving the Spear of Destiny, King Solomon’s Mines and even vampires, a series was made to follow up on the adventures of The Library.

A polymath, a scientist, a world class thief, and a soldier- what do these four individuals all have in common? Well, they all work for the Library. The show starred Christian Kane (Angel, Leverage) as polymath Jacob Stone, Lindy Booth (Relic Hunter) as scientist Cassandra Cillian, and John Harlan Kim as world class thief, Ezekiel Jones, as the eponymous Librarians. Joining them on their adventures is Rebecca Romijn (X-Men, Ugly Betty) as their Guardian, Colonel Eve Baird, a soldier chosen to be the brawn to their brains. The cast was rounded out with John Laroquette (Night court, The John Laroquette Show) who portrayed Jenkins, the hesitant caretaker of the four, as well as The Library. Our heroes spent each episode solving an exciting mystery that left viewers on the edge of their seats. Fighting cults, monsters and and even gods is just another day for these incredible heroes.

Like the movies, the show mixed adventure with various myths, mysteries and several laughs. Every week, the characters would be made aware of a new case, usually involving a powerful magical artifact. Like the movies, the series used all kinds of myths and legends that have been part of our history. Myths and legends such as Excalibur, the Minotaur and the maze, dragons, fairies, ancient gods and even Santa Clause were incorporated to create beautifully written episodes that allowed viewers to be transported into this amazing world.

I personally enjoyed this show as it created a perfect combination of humour and fantasy. I loved how the characters’ personalities were in tune with both their roles in the series, as well as the storylines. Various villains throughout the series run created formidable antagonists that kept The Librarians and their Guardian on their toes and of course, gave them a run for their money.

Not only was the series a success, but it also produced three novels that tied into the series. Sadly, the show ended with the end of the fourth season. With all shows returning and getting sequels and prequels, here’s hoping that someday, this amazing show is given new life either with new movies or a new series so that we can all enjoy more adventures with The Library and its staff.

 

“A Librarian is more than a person. A Librarian is a shining beacon,

reminding us of the best humanity has to offer.”

Jenkins, Episode: And some dude named Jeff

Philippe MacDonald

Philippe MacDonald

Philippe MacDonald is a second-year Professional Writing student. He enjoys food (both cooking and eating), watching movies and television, reading, spending time with his friends and family and gets easily distrac… ooh, red ball…ted.

Quotes about Philippe

Mother: “He’s my favourite son.”
Complete stranger: “Who?”
Annie the cat: just stares blankly

Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Gone too soon

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courtesy of Fox

courtesy of Fox

On September 17th, 2013, Fox premiered a program that highlighted the comedic adventures of a group of detectives set at the fictional 99th precinct located in Brooklyn, New York City. The series stars the always funny Andy Samberg as Detective Jake Peralta, who, as his yogurt-loving Sergeant Terry Jeffords (played by the loveable Terry Crews) puts it: "He likes putting away bad guys, and he loves solving puzzles. The only puzzle he hasn't solved is how to grow up." The series continued for eight seasons, with the final two episodes airing on September 16th, 2021.

The writers managed to create a cop show fun by injecting humour into serious issues. The show talks about important topics such as racism, homophobia, and sexism. One of the essential issues that became a recurring theme was the issue of homophobia and racism. This storyline was represented by the captain of the Nine-Nine, Captain Raymond Holt. The character, perfectly portrayed by Andre Braugher, is a gay black man who sadly had to deal with both homophobia and racism during his time coming up through the ranks of the NYPD. But while some of these more serious topics are presented while adding humour without crossing a line, other problems such as murders, thefts, mobsters, and assaults, allow for some comedic moments that will have you laughing over and over again.

A group of detectives rounds out the main cast: the tough Rosa Diaz, the inept Charles Boyle, Amy Santiago, who has a type-A personality, ending with Norm Scully and Michael Hitchcock, two lazy detectives who would rather do the paperwork than solve crimes. The cast is also joined by Captain Holt's administrative assistant, the sarcastic and self-centred Gina Linetti. In addition, several memorable minor characters were introduced throughout the series run that only added to the wonderfully funny memories that this show produced. A couple of examples of these characters are loveable criminal Doug Judy, aka, the Pontiac Bandit (portrayed by The Office's Craig Robinson), and the hilariously psychotic Adrian Pimento, who is portrayed by Jason Mantzoukas (who I believe can do no wrong playing this type of character).

One of the best stories that happened to become a series tradition was the Halloween Heist. Originally started as a competition between Detective Peralta and Captain Holt, the activity became one of the best recurring gags involving incredibly elaborate plans that basically become borderline overkill for such a small reward on their end. But for those of us watching? The prize was much bigger. Every season, the heist would become more elaborate, while the backstabbing even funnier. This fun tradition is one reason why I continued to watch this show.

While I understand all good things must come to an end, it is unfortunate that this hilariously delightful and entertaining comedy has decided to end. But while we must bid adieu, as someone who watches a possibly unhealthy amount of television and has seen many good shows end, I can honestly say that the show managed to do what few shows managed to do- have a good ending. So, if you haven't seen the show yet, and need an excellent laugh, I highly recommend it. And if you have seen it, why not watch it again?

Nine-Nine!

Courtesy of NBC

Courtesy of NBC

Philippe MacDonald

Philippe MacDonald

Philippe MacDonald is a second-year Professional Writing student. He enjoys food (both cooking and eating), watching movies and television, reading, spending time with his friends and family and gets easily distrac… ooh, red ball…ted.

Quotes about Philippe

Mother: “He’s my favourite son.”
Complete stranger: “Who?”
Annie the cat: just stares blankly