‘Tis the season to watch a movie falalalala lalalala. In this season of holidays, get-togethers, gifts and spirit of cheer and giving, two films have captured the meaning of this season. “Love Actually” (2003) and “New Year’s Eve” (2011) are two films that both revolve around different stories of various individuals that become linked as the story develops. They both feature an ensemble cast. “Love Actually” is a 2003 British romantic comedy written and directed by Richard Curtis while “New Year’s Eve” is a 2011 Hollywood romantic comedy directed by Garry Marshall.
| Plot | “Love Actually” revolves around different kind of love in the season of holiday and Christmas. | “New Year’s Eve” circles around numerous romantic situations amidst the busy preparations of the holiday season. | |
| Characters | Characters of “Love Actually” varied from the British prime minister and a member of his staff, a singer and his manager, a couple and the best friend who secretly loved the girl, a man who fell in love with a Portuguese house keeper, a man who lost his wife and was left to take care of his stepson, who is in love with his American classmate and many more! | Characters of “New Year’s Eve” include a secretary and a deliveryman, a mother and her adolescent daughter, a vice president of the big-time company and her dying father, a couple competing with another to win a prize money for the first born of the year, a musician and his ex-girlfriend chef and many more! | |
| Reception & Criticism | “Love Actually” garnered mixed reviews from critics. Some said it is very cheeky and plain corny, untrue and shallow. On the other hand, some said it was silly, entertaining and surprisingly sweet. Some said it was vibrant, cozy and warm especially during the holidays while some said it was unconvincing, yet festive and enjoyable. | Critics gave “New Year’s Eve” several negative reviews. Critics said the film is poorly constructed, even worse than Garry Marshall’s romcom “Valentine’s Day” that also received numerous negative reviews. Many said it was not very memorable, extremely predictable and terribly unsatisfying. |
Comparing the two films might be difficult because of several similarities but personally; “Love Actually” is far more delightful than “New Year’s Eve.” Despite several characters and stories, “Love Actually” is more genuine and the actors and actresses embraced their characters more than the cast of “New Year’s Eve.” Even if “Love Actually” is not a typical Hollywood film (note that it is a British film), it sold like a Hollywood film, establishing a newfound glory for the English film industry. “New Year’s Eve,” despite a very famous and “in” cast, suffered because of lack of foundation and story. The story suffered because of the numerous characters blotching the full success of the film.
This season, watch “Love Actually” and “New Year’s Eve” and see why “Love Actually” got the vote! How about you, which do you think is the better holiday film?
Catch a glimpse of these holiday flicks!
Love Actually
New Year’s Eve
REFERENCES
French, P. (2011, Dec 11). New Year’s Eve-review. The Guardian. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/dec/11/new-years-eve-review-marshall
Love Actually. (2003). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314331/
Love Actually Review. TalkTalk. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://www.talktalk.co.uk/entertainment/film/review/films/love-actually/316
Murray, R. “Love Actually” Movie Review: Warm Fuzzies Abound in Curtis’ Directorial Debut. About.com. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://movies.about.com/cs/loveactually/a/loveactuallyrev.htm
New Year’s Eve. (2011). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved December 20, 2011, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598822/
