Martha da legare

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.

Martha (Monica Potter) is single, sexy and she's so sick of her life she's off to London with the last of her money.

Daniel (Tom Hollander) is single, successful and after one look at Martha he thinks he's in love. Frank (Rufus Sewell) is one of Daniel's friends, despite the fact he is always trying to get one up on him. Lawrence (Joseph Fiennes) is another of Daniel's friends, and he is always caught between Frank and Daniel as they jostle for supremacy.

The casing and script are both strong, and the feel of the movie is nice and original, even with the usual clichés in the romance element. It's funny, it's romantic and it has sex appeal for both men and ladies, so obviously its worth a watch; if you don't try it, you'll never know.

7/10

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 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.

I saw this film with the title "The Very Thought of You" and think that "Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence" is far more apropos and distinctive, although a bit of a mouthful to casually mention the film to friends. I expect that far too few persons will see this delightful film. I was particularly charmed by Laurence's description of the "perfect woman" and even more charmed when (as if I might have missed it) it was replayed! The film is worthy of smiles and laughs throughout, with an especially funny moment which rippled through the audience in laughter for many moments into the next scene. It is artistically directed and edited, intelligently written, and well acted (except when Monica Potter seemed to sound like Julia Roberts -- I can't imagine why she would want to do that). Interestingly, Joseph Finnes is also outstanding in one of the films that I believe is among the best of the decade: "Shakespeare in Love." I find the implausibility of this is irrelevant -- it's an 83-minute movie that sets out to capture a mood, tell a story, and entertain. I expect that many will easily brush this film off as "cute and sweet" but I personally would love to see more films that are as well-constructed and intelligent.