Martha trifft Frank, Daniel & Laurence

I'm a fan of Joseph Fiennes, so naturally, this was a film I've been wanting to see for ages. And it didn't disapoint me one bit!

The plot is basiclly three English friends meet an American girl within three days, at seperate times, and they all fall for her. First, I was excited to see a romantic comedy set in Britain ... I always look forward to those. And then, despite the ending being pretty predictable, I came to the conclusion that this is definately one of the best Romantic Comedy films I've ever seen.

Monica Potter does a great job at Martha, the American girl who's had enough of her life in America so buys the first plane ticket to anywhere for $99, and ends up in London. There were one liners from Martha that made me laugh so much.

Tom Hollander is a great Daniel, the rich and spoilt British guy who's a bit of a ladies man, and just loves to get a rise out of Frank. It's by not trying to be funny that makes us love and laugh at Daniel. Hollander does a great job at achieving this.

Joseph Fiennes ... is there any criticism you can give this man? He's perfect for the role of Laurence, and that's why it works so well. When you look into his eyes, you can dive deep into his soul, and he has the sort of face which you love. Laurence is the romantic and sensitive character, and I can't imagine a better person than Fiennes playing him.

Rufus Sewell as Frank steals the show. Frank is the funniest character, despite how serious he is. Frank, the depressed and failed actor who is constantly getting into arguements with Daniel, will have you laughing your ass off! I can't think of a time when he said something I didn't laugh at. If you're not a big fan of Romantic Comedies, this movie is worth watching, just for Sewell.

Stars out of 10 : 10

I happened to flick across the beginning of this film last night on cable. I missed the title, but saw "Joesph Fiennes", "Rufus Sewell", and "Ray Winstone" - and decided it was worth a look.

Though the beginning was a tad slow (the first five minutes makes you think it's going to be very depressing), this is actually a sweet comedy about love and friendship and the nature of "love at first sight".

Joesph Fiennes is heart-stoppingly beautiful, with his lovely puppy-dog eyes put to good use in his character as an overly-sensitive young man wedged between two aggressive friends who are less-than-sensitive.

I dislike most "romance" films; yet this one was different, for a reason I can't quite put my finger on. It tugs at your heart, and for all it's improbable situations (de rigeur in most romantic comedy), it rings true to life.

Definitely a good film for watching on a rainy afternoon.

I will agree that this film was predictable in some ways, but had a few strategically placed plot twists that made up for it. Monica Potter is beautiful, funny and charming as the object of three lifelong friends' affection. I liked Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare In Love but he's absolutely wonderful here. I didn't think he and Gwyneth Paltrow shared much chemistry in Shakespeare but here he has a warm and special chemistry with Ms. Potter. It really looks like they are in love, and I love the way when he repeated his ideal of the perfect woman, they filled in the gaps.

This is an underrated but enjoyable romance, along the lines of Sliding Doors.

I seen this at the video store but passed it by because I thought it was the typical Sarah Michelle-Melissa Joan-Freddie Prinze-Katie Holmes type of romantic comedy. I didn't realize it was a British movie(otherwise I might have given it a second look at the video store) and caught it on cable. I was pleasantly surprised by the acting. I liked the fact that it didn't go the typical sex route, although I didn't think about that until the movie was over. I was pleasantly surprised that it was a British film, it seemed more in the Hollywood vein, not as dark and gritty as a lot of British cinema. The mood of the film was cheerful, upbeat and somewhat witty. I particularly liked the technique of going back in the story to fill in the gaps of the storyline. It reminded me of an old fashioned type of movie; and I have to admit the lead actress did remind me of a Julia Roberts type. Very entertaining.

So I'm walking through the video store late one friday night. I'm looking for something that will make me think. I'm tired of seeing movies that bore me.

I'm in the comedy section, I see "The out of towners", "forces of Nature", other crap like that and then I see this film.

I know...I know, checl out my other reviews, not my kind of film. So I pick it up, and read the box. I usually don't go for romantic comedies, but I like Joseph Fiennes, so I did the unthinkable. I rented it.

Now if you knew me, you would know that I spend hours in the video store just so I can smile when I get home. I hate to be letdown by films that suck.

I popped it in the VCR and poof, 88 minutes later, my smile was from ear to ear. This movie is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Here's why:

Without giving away to much, this film tells the story of love and friendship in London. Monica Potter plays Martha, an american looking for something. The Brits, which are all impressive in their own way, deliver great, hearfelt performances. Rufus Sewell and Tom Hollander should pat themselves on the back for playing so unpredictably. And Fiennes, should play this way more often.

I feel very priveliged to have seen this great little film.

4/4