Colin Firth - Part 17

I'm first!:-) Review from reel.com: Girl With a Pearl Earring (2003) *** Country: Luxembourg Running Time: 95 mins. Director: Peter Webber Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth Not a lot is known about 17th-century painter Johannes Vermeer, except that he died in early middle age, leaving 11 surviving children and 35 paintings that have survived into the 21st century. One of those paintings, "Girl with a Pearl Earring," was only re-discovered in 1882 and its origins remain a mystery. Inspired by a reproduction of the portrait on her wall, author Tracy Chevalier attempted to solve the enigma in novel form. It is Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring that now inspires Peter Webber's drama of the same name, a portrait of artist and model as well drawn as anything painted by Vermeer himself. The Vermeer (Colin Firth) of Girl with a Pearl Earring is a man under constant pressure. He lives in his mother-in-law Maria's (Judy Parfitt) home with his many children and demanding, usually pregnant wife Catharina (Essie Davis). Money is always an issue as he depends on the capricious whims of his patron, van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson). Into this situation steps 17-year-old Griet (Scarlett Johansson), forced into servitude by her own family's money troubles. Assigned the task of cleaning Vermeer's studio, she becomes increasingly intrigued by the painter's art. For his part, Vermeer is gratified to have someone in his household show genuine interest in his work. The two grow ever closer as Vermeer trains her to mix his paints and she begins spending more and more time in his studio. She becomes his reluctant model when van Ruijven, a vulgar man with a taste for beauty, commissions her portrait. Webber's drama could be a Vermeer painting itself; it is uncommonly beautiful, shot through with an amber glow by cinematographer Eduardo Serra with 17th-century Delft expertly re-created by production designer Ben van Os. But this is a delicate drama, a romance where the emotions are necessarily repressed by the conventions of the times. It calls for subtle performances from Firth and Johansson. Webber draws that out of them. The relationship between Griet and Vermeer plays out almost like a dance. The whole movie plays like that, a romance and a history told in waltz time. � PAM GRADY

(Mari) I'm first!:-) #^&&!! And I was watching out for it, too. Ok, well not really. Thanks for the review anyway. ;-D

aha mari, hilarious interview, total perfunctory mode, will give us another opportunity to groan, sigh and occasionaly rant (and we're sooo good at it) (mr. f) �I do like to mix and match� now, that would explain not only the choice of roles, but the brown shoes/blue suits heresy as well... (the interviewer) �the light stuff� as he puts it, because for the classically trained actor, stardom occurred through the pages of Jane Austin and one Mr Darcy jane austen, light stuff ? have i missed something somewhere ? �sporadically romantic which means that I don�t have a permanent romantic view of life,� says the cynical Firth how do you jump from "sporadically romantic" to "cynical" ? don't you just love it when interviewers try to cram as many adjectives as they can ? mix n match indeed... it�s Firth�s decade-old image of the shirtless Darcy have i missed something somewhere, again ? Perhaps for that reason he allowed himself to play the predominantly silent, internal and not particularly sexy Vermeer... (tress) Not particularly sexy? Hmmmmm.....I beg to differ! was about to comment along the same lines. clueless interviewers, love it ! (karen's comment) Do you think he goes down to the union hall and waits for jobs, like a plumber or an electrician? now karen, you didn't read well : he just sits around at home aimlessly, waiting for the role of the century to come in the mail. sort of a 'mission impossible' thing (tugudugudu, wawawawawa, peeloolee, etc. [am trying my hand at verbally reproducing the theme]). do you think he's hoping for HS copies to self-destruct ?

Both movies playing at this fest in France that begins tomorrow... http://bossa.nerim.net/actualite/2003/Dinard_03/ecrans_dinard/version_comque_9_sept_03.htm www.festivaldufilm-dinard.com

(Sophie) now karen, you didn't read well : he just sits around at home aimlessly, waiting for the role of the century to come in the mail. LOL! Evelyn has already corrected but I have it on good authority there is a Starbucks next door. Thanks, Mari, for the review and Maria for news about the Dinard Fest of Brit films.

(Sophie)he just sits around at home aimlessly, waiting for the role of the century to come in the mail. ...and I thought those roles arrived with Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny;-)

Hommage aux Studios Ealing cette section comprendra la projection d�un documentaire intitul� ForeverEaling, r�alis� par Andrew Snelle et narr� par Daniel Day-Lewis. The Dinard FF will have Colin in three films! GWAPW, LA and this. Thanks, Maria! Sophie, tu peut aller? The relationship between Griet and Vermeer plays out almost like a dance. The whole movie plays like that, a romance and a history told in waltz time. We are starting to see a difference between the female reviewers and the males. Chick flick. Thanks, Mari!

(Linda) ...and I thought those roles arrived with Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny;-) ROTFL...you mean they don't? Don't tell me that the tooth fairy has nothing to do with scripts too? Oooohhhh....I am grieved indeed. Grieved and shocked...but is is certain - absolutely certain? ;-) Even if ODB is a good boy? No scripts in his stocking? Thanks Mari....and Maria...that FF would be a blast, but I do think the DH will begin to draw the line somewhere. Dinard is just a short little 'boat ride' from the UK too. Wonder if ODB will attend?

Sorry if this has been posted, or if the source is unreliable. Rotten Tomatoes has the release date for T as Feb.27 (wide) http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/Trauma-10003310/preview.php

(moon) Sophie, tu peut aller? aaargh! non, j'peux pas y aller ! due to previous engagements, i'll be a good 500 miles away from dinard... yeah, i can hear the chorus already, wot is 500 miles, etc... and to think that i don't even have a release date for france... oh well, i might be in l.a. this christmas.

(Linda) Rotten Tomatoes has the release date for T as Feb.27 (wide) The width of that release date is only as far as the Union Jack flies. That is when the film comes out in the UK only. The latest word (as of a week or two ago) is they haven't worked out the details yet on US distribution.

(Karen) The latest word (as of a week or two ago) is they haven't worked out the details yet on US distribution. GAH! Nearly had a heart attack thinking about LA in November, GWAPE in January and Trauma in February! Too much (Not! But you know what a mean...ODB Bliss Overload is a powerful thing)!! But, by your remark Karen, are we to then assume that there will be a US distribution on this film (getting ready to do Snoopy Dance in my cube)!??

2003 Fund Raising Status!! Over 75% There!! Before tallying up the results from our regional bake sales and kissing booths, I want to congratulate those Drooleurs who have been baking up luscious goodies and kissing anything with or without lips in the supreme service of Firthettes everywhere. Still, we need everyone of you, both active Drool participants and lurkers, to make this place viable for another fun-filled year. I want to thank all the wonderful people who have come forward, contacted me about making donations, and followed through with checks, money orders or PayPal transfers. What truly amazes me is the wonderful community of lurkers, who tell me how much they love it here at Drool and that it has become a fixture in their day. With the number of hits we get here, I know it is a daily *must visit* for many more who rely on Drool for current information on Colin and for the lively banter amongst die-hard Firthettes, with nothing better to do than eat chocolate truffles and paint their nails. Here's this week's list of Drool Darlings: So, let's keep this fund drive rolling and I hope to hear from more of you soon. If you're in another country and want to make a contribution, please email me at nomdedrool@yahoo.com to discuss your options. And, if I haven't emailed you an acknowledgment, then I haven't received your donation. Remember, as Colin has stated in many of his interviews:

One more Important administrative note. Nomdedrool has gotten off her #$%^^ and started to compile Drool Darling email listings by geographic area (UK, US, Eur, Asia, Australia, Planet Zharg, etc.) because there are a couple of offers that will be done in advance by email before being publicized here or on firth.com. Sorry to be cryptic about it, but, well, I like being cryptic when I'm not dragging my wet blanket around. ;-)

Renee in London last night: http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30500-12808239,00.html

Another Review http://www.reelfilm.com/tiff0302.htm#girl It doesn't really matter whether or not you're aware of the fact that Girl with a Pearl Earring is an actual painting from the 17th century; the film works as a drama involving a young peasant girl. Scarlett Johansson stars as Griet, a 17-year-old sent to work as a servant in the Vermeer household. Patriarch Johannes (Colin Firth) is a tortured painter that hardly seems to enjoy his work, but there's no denying his ample talent. But Vermeer's lack of inspiration changes after he spots Griet cleaning a window in his study, and though his family and village disapprove, Vermeer begins to paint the young woman. Unlike a lot of films set in this time period, Girl with a Pearl Earring manages to entertain throughout - primarily due to Griet's compelling nature. She's someone we sympathize with, and because it occasionally seems as if everyone is against her (particularly Vermeer's wife, who presumably suspects the two of having an affair), her plight becomes all-the-more intriguing. It's that fish-out-of-water lement that keeps the film interesting initially, with Griet working to insinuate herself into the lives of the Vermeer family (particularly Johannes, obviously). But as the movie progresses, it becomes more about Griet being painted secretly - which isn't quite as compelling as her attempts to blend into the household. Still, director Peter Webber (making his debut) does a fantastic job of establishing the Dutch landscape of the past; the poorer areas are dank and dirty, while the wealthy neighborhoods are as elegant and ornate as one might imagine. It's interesting to note that certain sequences - such as when Griet and a suitor walk through a forest - are shot in such a way as to look like paintings; as it turns out, this was intentional and such moments have been crafted to replicate actual, well-known paintings. *** out of ****

Great sleuthing Murph and Katty! Leaves me time to do my nails and eat those bon bons, hey Karen?;-) Where is that damn polish anyway..........

Remember the scapular/panic button everyone noticed around ODB's neck at the TIFF? He appears to be wearing the same thing in some of the location photos for Trauma ????

(Bonnie)Remember the scapular/panic button everyone noticed around ODB's neck at the TIFF? He appears to be wearing the same thing in some of the location photos for Trauma ???? Scapular? Perhaps the Lady in Red is a rogue Nun?;-)

dear droolers..since delurking, have not had the chance to participate...but have learned that for those of us who have not had the opportunity to see HS (as they have taken their sweet time distributing it in the US), have learned it is to open nation wide Dec 26. don't care if it's good or bad...can't wait for a new Firth fix...for us on this side of the pond, Nov and Dec will be banner months...hope this is something you can share....

*yanking my wet blanket back to the computer* (Lori) HS...have learned it is to open nation wide Dec 26. Afraid not. That date has been around since the April one was canceled way back in Feb or March. I thought the studio used that to indicate that it would be released by the end of the year, but it is truly meaningless. At that time of year, theater screens are at a premium for the potential Oscar contenders and the megablockbusters for the kiddies. No one dumps a film then. The date is totally bogus. (of course, I thought the Florida rumor was idiotic too) ;-)

My gawd! Taken for an upcoming magazine article perhaps? http://colinfirth.casa-feliz.net/images/categories.php?cat_id=107

Whoopsie Daisies, I see Maria had already posted it on Firthology. (Sorry, I figured they were "new";-)

Thanks for the pics Mari and Maria. He is just a dream.

Mari and Maria-Thank You for brightening my day!!!!! # 6 is the favorite.

Wow! Mari/Maria excellent find. Thank you. Firthology? I'll be right there!

(Pam)Thanks for the pics Mari and Maria. He is just a dream. You are sooo right! All I get in my woodpile is spiders and snakes.... What am I doing wrong? Lovely pics, I thank you.

Thanks for the pics Mari and Maria. I'll just have to repeat it again, That man is Gorgeous !

GWAPE at the Hamptons FF 10/22-26.. http://hiff.ezmweb.com/2003/hifffilms2003.pdf

GWAPE at the Hamptons FF 10/22-26. Season's over. Stephen Speilberg and that crowd are gone. Only the beachcombers & housekeepers are left;-((

For non-Acrobat folks, just go here and you can click on the schedule and then the page for GWAPE: http://hiff.ezmweb.com/2003/boxofficeinfo.asp It is playing in two theaters on Friday, Oct 24th.

From Daily Mail Growing up in Tasmania, Essie Davis�s artist father used to tell her that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing well. �Do it with all your heart�, he said,� she recalls. That advice seems to be at the core of what makes Ms Davis such a compelling actress. In the movie Girl With a Pearl Earring (based on Tracy Chevalier�s fictionalised tale about how Johannes Vermeer was inspired by a scullery maid to paint his masterpiece), Ms Davis has taken the supporting part of Vermeer�s wife Catharina (pictured right, opposite Colin Firth as Vermeer) and turned her into a tortured soul. I don�t know that I would have taken much interest in Vermeer�s wife without her fully-fleshed performance. In the film, Vermeer bans his family from the studio where he paints, but allows entry to the maid, played with rare grace by Scarlett Johansson. �It�s terribly undermining when the maid is allowed in, and there is obviously more than work to be done in there,� Essie said. �It must be terribly saddening to watch your husband get a new best friend,� she added. �I was very concerned that she shouldn�t just be the bad, pain-in-the-ass wife�. Essie succeeds in her aim. (We�ve seen the pic)

Would that be the 'fondling' pic? ;-)

LOL. Yeeeeees

(Bonnie)# 6 is the favorite Same here! To die for . . . sigh. This lady has quite a collection. Among my faves are the ones from the SIL Los Angeles premiere--too funny, they're all half shot. Check out # 7 in particular--now we know there was a third party involved in the Bennifer break-up. ;-) ;-)

When did this guy get get so verbose? I get muddled reading it, shaking my head up and down and then back and forth... THE NEXT SMALL STEP towards the negative is for Love Actually: The Work In Progress, which screened here Sunday night for an enthusiastic and appreciative audience. The film, whether they change a single frame (or byte, since we saw the film projected digitally) or not, is going to be a success. There is no question. Richard Curtis is the current master of this form of film comedy - as a writer. Four Weddings & A Funeral, the adaptation of Bridget Jones's Diary, The Tall Guy, Notting Hill and now, Love Actually. A great run of films. And all the charm of those pictures is on display here. However, he is also a first-time director here and it does show. There are not a whole lot of overt problems in his direction, but there are a number of occasions where his work as a writer is less successful than it deserves to be because his director just doesn't have the tools he will, I'm sure, some day have. But the bigger problem is the room that one tends to get as a writer-director. Watching Love Actually, one gets the feeling that Curtis heard a lot of "yes" and not nearly enough "no." There are eight concurrent stories in ". That makes it by far Curtis' most ambitious piece of writing. And I can well understand why he would be so ambitious. After all, every one of these stories is smart, clever and full of promise. He could have done any one, two, three or four of them in his sleep. And that would probably have been a much better idea for someone attempting to direct a film for the first time. Because one of the things that happens in a good writer/director relationship is the creative tension between the person of words and the person of the bigger visual and written picture. Yes, as a writer, you have a visual sense of your script. But there is something to filmic language that demands a different set of tools. People are touting Sofia Coppola's screenplay for Lost in Translation for awards, but as good as the words are, I can't really consider separating them from her visuals. I'm not going to get into too many details about Love Actually. You don't need to know and I don't need to tell you. But the trouble telling eight concurrent stories is that while they can all have great beats and special moments, any traditional screenwriter - which Curtis certainly is - eventually looks to create a second and third act for each storyline. Second acts are often the hardest, since you have neither the freshness of the new nor the thrill of the completion of the journey to work with. And having 8 second acts is a pretty tall order for one movie - especially when half the stories are really not three act stories, but rather just elongated punchlines extended into "complete" stories. The problem is, all eight stories are treated in the same way. To be a little clearer, the Keira Knightly, the Liam Neeson and the Kris Marshall sequences are really set-up, punch-line, sweet conclusion pieces. There is nothing inherently wrong with them. I quite like them all. But they don't have the depth, in particular, of three of the other segments and there is no signal of that to the audience. In the middle is the Colin Firth sequence, which has more build that those three, but is still a bit of set-up, punchline, resolution. Finally, the Hugh Grant, the Emma Thompson/Alan Rickman and Laura Linney sequences are built to carry a complexity and richness that the others are not. The problem there is that none of them have enough time to really develop fully. And, in fact, both the Rickman/Thompson and Linney storylines are left hanging just as they get to the emotional vein that screams for significant additional screen time. I mean, they literately stop dead in their tracks. There may well have been more to them, but I would not be surprised if extended sequences amaged the pace of the film and the decision was made to stick with the happiness. The one sequence I haven't mentioned, which is one of my favorites, is the Bill Nighy stuff. It is really funny and really smart and deeply honest. But it is also feels like the rubber cement of the piece, flowing all over the movie, but concentrated only in a few special spots. But again, it isn't used that way now. The effect of all of this is the difference between a good movie and a truly great, perhaps legendary, romantic comedy. Every story works, but they are stuck together the way a nine-year-old does a woodshop project. The sharp edges of nails and the unbalanced angles and splinters hang out all over the place. But you forgive it all because you like these people so much. If I were in Working Title's shoes, I would reexamine the cut. I would unbalance the various storylines. I would open with the wedding and the chorus singing "All You Need Is Love" and let that play on through credits, somewhat like The Big Chill. I would consider dumping a few of the music cue gags, which are a Curtis signature, but displayed here to excess. I would be more careful about doing fat jokes in a movie that devotes a lot of time to being sensitive to the beauty of a woman who is not rail thin. And then there is the third act, which may be unfixable with what's been shot. The sense that there is true genius in this film would come, I think, with a closer that truly brings all eight stories together without making it feel like an absurd unreality. It is a huge request and I am not sure that I have ever seen any movie come close to making it happen. Even the frogs in Magnolia were more thematic than about story. But indeed, that was what would have satisfied me. If all eight stories were not compelled to come together in the third act, the load would be lightened enormously - because it may be impossible to do all eight. So instead, we get four of the stories just kind of petering out, three coming to a head in one joined sequence, one having its own stand-alone close. The result is that the film kind of stumbles at the finish line instead of coming in super strong. Again, Love Actually is a good movie that will do strong business and be well liked if they don't change a frame. But in the back of my mind, I know that Harvey Weinstein would unquestionably ride this movie to a Best Picture nomination. Though it has sickened me in the past, his hard ass attitude about cutting his movies would be welcome here. All the elements are there. But somehow, I don't see that happening here. And as a result, I saw a movie that I really like, but am having a hard time loving, actually. http://www.thehotbutton.com/today/hot.button/2003_thb/030908_mon.html

I have not seen this, but I often wondered how all of these storylines would play out be resolved. The guy has some valid points, though. But then, again, it's easy to be a Monday morning quarterback. Thanks Maria.

Thank you Maria! Odd that he keeps saying "eight story lines". I counted ten...and he did not mention the two that I disliked. The 'body doubles' and the 'condom boy'. Wish they would dump them...seems that they are forgettable enough. I'm not going to get into too many details about Love Actually. LOL! At least I warned you I would go on and on and on! He's a fibber! And, in fact, both the Rickman/Thompson and Linney storylines are left hanging just as they get to the emotional vein that screams for significant additional screen time. I mean, they literately stop dead in their tracks. I liked the suspended storylines, IRL we often don't know what happens to people we 'meet'. I like that Curtis left it up to the audience to work out/think about...I get tired of plots that are all nicely tied up and given Hollywood endings. Give me ambiguity and I'm a happy girl.

This originally appeared in the LA Times a couple of weeks ago, but I was too cheap to register for their subscription service.;-) True romance Even with Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson at his disposal, the writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bridget Jones's Diary is still nervous, writes Patrick Goldstein. As the author of a series of wildly successful British film comedies and sitcoms, including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bean, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary, you would imagine Richard Curtis might have conquered his fear of failure by now. But when the engaging 46-year-old writer took the stage recently at the venerable Elgin Theatre at the Toronto Film Festival to introduce Love Actually, his much-anticipated debut film as a director, it was clear all he could think about was not glittering prizes but impending doom. He recalled that when Four Weddings was shown in Salt Lake City, Utah, during a Sundance Film Festival in the early 1990s, a volley of obscenities that Hugh Grant sputtered at the beginning of the film didn't go over especially well with a large Mormon contingent in the audience. "Before the credits were over," Curtis dryly recalled, "47 very large people walked out of the theatre." History did not repeat itself in Toronto more recently. Packed with an all-star ensemble of British comedic actors, as well as a couple of American imports, Love Actually earned a rousing reception from the packed house. Set largely in London at Christmas, it weaves together an array of romantic entanglements, some broadly funny, others bittersweet. As with Curtis's other films, the humour is layered with authentic emotion - the wry comedy of awkward situations and rude surprises, as well as the wincing humour of longing and heartbreak. The jokes are stoked by Curtis's abiding affection for pop culture, whether in a scene where a bereaved husband blasts the Bay City Rollers at his wife's funeral, or a vignette at 10 Downing Street, where the prime minister, played by Grant, looks for inspiration from a photograph of Margaret Thatcher, muttering under his breath, "Oh, you saucy minx". Due out in December, the film features the return of such Curtis regulars as Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson, plus Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy, who plays an ageing rock star trying to make a comeback with a holiday-season remake of the lowbrow pop standard Love Is All Around. As in most Curtis films, love is the inspiration for both the story and the laughs, though the media-shy writer-director, who has only rarely given interviews until now, is loath to analyse the reasons behind his preoccupation with the subject. When asked for an explanation over lunch the day after his premiere, Curtis has quite a comeback. "I'm sure my girlfriend Emma could get to the bottom of it," he says, "since she's a real Freud - Sigmund Freud's great-granddaughter. But I haven't asked." Curtis sighs and stares at his soup. "A lot of it has to do with my first real girlfriend leaving me. I suppose I've been trying to repair the damage ever since." He cannily pauses for a moment before adding: "I guess I owe her a lot of money for sleeping with that other guy." As someone whose films are unabashedly commercial, Curtis is hardly the sort of edgy artiste you would expect to see at a film festival like this. But in the past couple of years, the Toronto festival has undergone a transformation, presenting Hollywood fare alongside obscure Korean dramas and Brazilian documentaries. Nearly every studio has a big release here, including such star-driven films as Matchstick Men (Warner Bros), Out of Time (MGM), School of Rock (Paramount), Veronica Guerin (Disney) and The Human Stain (Miramax). Love Actually is sure to cause a mini-stir in England for Grant's depiction of a bachelor prime minister who takes potshots at Tony Blair and falls for a quirky female staffer. (When she complains about her nasty ex-boyfriend, he says, "You know, being prime minister, I could just have him killed.") It also offers a tart political exchange between Grant and Billy Bob Thornton, who plays a bellicose, philandering American president that Curtis views as a partial mix of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Curtis dreamed up the idea for the movie while in Bali on a six-month "life-experiment vacation" with his family, which includes girlfriend Freud and three young children. Forced to take a long walk each day to cure a back ailment, he gave himself the job of recalling the various romances he and his friends had experienced. Firth, for example, plays a broken-hearted writer who escapes to the south of France, where he falls in love with his housekeeper; she speaks only Portuguese, he only English. The inspiration came from a vacation Curtis and Freud took in the south of France; Curtis drove their beautiful housekeeper home each day, though neither spoke the same language. No romance ensued. "Still, it gave me plenty of time to think of plot points." Curtis has worked almost exclusively in recent years with the people he knows best, Working Title producers Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan. It was Bevan, before Working Title was founded, who produced The Tall Guy, Curtis's first film. "You won't find many people who've had an easier ride in movies than I," he says. "And that's almost entirely due to Tim and Eric." It's a sign of the producers' value for Curtis's work that, starting with Notting Hill, he has had final cut on his films, picking the directors as well as most of the cast. "Richard has been in the cutting room for years. His sense of quality control is as refined as anybody I've known," says Bevan. Finally, on Love Actually, Curtis put himself in the director's chair. "I really got the urge in the editing room," he says. "I found myself longing to see the things underneath a performance - for example, the vulnerability underneath a character's ambition. I really was a monster. I'd have a particular delivery for a line in mind and I couldn't understand why the director wouldn't get it for me. So I'd bully them until we got it and then we'd look at the rushes and I couldn't tell which version was mine after all." The best surprise of being on set each day was seeing how the actors constantly breathed fresh life into his script. After watching the footage of a brief sequence between Neeson and the boy playing his young stepson, Curtis says, "I cut a 10-minute explanation of their relationship out of the film, simply because after you saw Liam's body language and heard the pitch of his voice, you didn't need it. That's a truth you get from the actor that's deeper than anything you can write." - Los Angeles Times

Thanks, Mari, for the article. More has been added to the official site for Love Actually, though nothing important or even additional pics of Colin (still a big goose egg): http://www.loveactuallythemovie.com/

Gah! Non gore Trauma pics!!(And look, leather necklace/leash etc. still on neck!) And bed head for Tress!! http://www.myriadpictures.com/film.php?film=17

Maria, thank you so much! And thanks to all for the article, reviews, news and all. Believe I am grateful for every detail, provided to this great place, even though I don't post my gratitude that often ! About the necklace, a friend suggested it could be a medalion of some sort (perhaps Sct. Christopher, protecter of travellers or something like that). Perhaps Livia is Catholic and he got it from her??? BlackStar has set a releasedate for Hope Springs, dvd (R2) to Dec. 6th, 2003. They are usually very accurate in their dates, so I hope this is correct.

(Tress)And bed head for Tress!! ...and stubble for Linda. LOL, everytime you say 'bed head' I think hair products. (Tress)And look, leather necklace/leash Leash? LMAO. Electrically charged or plain?

(Linda)Leash? LMAO. Electrically charged or plain? LOL. Can't help but recall the line in FF in the convenience store when they are watching and commenting on the lady stacking cat food and Ms. Zane's character says to Joe, "You come when I call." ;-)

About the necklace, a friend suggested it could be a medalion of some sort (perhaps Sct. Christopher, protecter of travellers or something like that). Perhaps Livia is Catholic and he got it from her??? I assumed it was a medal of some sort. We have Catholic friends that wear a necklace with a Saint's medallion all the time. Even if he's not Catholic, it could be some symbol that he feels very strongly about. Michelle

(Maria) And bed head for Tress!! GAH! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Thanks Maria for the traumatic find! Scarred, scruffy and in need of a hug! I'm dying to know what's at the end of the leash (besides the "If lost, please call Tress for immediate pick-up" thing ;-D) and am wondering if it is the same thing he had on in Toronto. I bet it could be a medalion of some sort. The shirt he wore to TIFF was pretty snug. Pics show no evidence of anything big/bulky (ID/Pass or rumored panic button). Hopefully we'll get to see in Trauma!!! Can't wait for this one.

He loves this hidden look...

(Mary)He loves this hidden look... And it loves him back! Thanks Mary! (Tress)I'm dying to know what's at the end of the leash He seems so fond of it lately, my guess is that it is kid-made or related...awwww (getting sentimental about something I just made up..sheesh..)

(synopsis of "Trauma" from site) When he learns that his wife, Elisa, was killed in the accident, his entire world collapses.... But his mind starts playing tricks on him. Elisa, Elisa, can you hear me, Elisa? ;-) (Tress)I'm dying to know what's at the end of the leash Do you mean aside from the red fingernail? ;-)

(Karen)More has been added to the official site for Love Actually, http://www.loveactuallythemovie.com/ Thanks, Karen--I just checked and they've added quite a bit today, including a much better (i.e., lotsa Colin;-) trailer! Nice find on the Trauma site, Maria--thanks. (Lisa)Do you mean aside from the red fingernail? ;-) Heh, heh, heh.:-)

Thanks for the finding the pics, Maria. They're high enough resolution to enlarge very well and have put them here: http://www.firth.com/trauma_gal1.html

"News" item from today's Mail on Sunday: I'm too sexy for my role TV star is cut from film for "stealing show" off Colin Firth By Claire Newbon His brilliant performance as Chancellor Gordon Brown in The Deal, the TV drama about the battle for the Labour leadership, won rave reviews. But David Morrissey says his next role, in the British film Girl With A Pearl Earring, has been edited out after producers realised his performances were overshadowing those of his co-star, Colin Firth. "Apparently they had real trouble in every scene I was in with Colin," said Morrissey, 40, last night. "All the tests they did, showing the film to an audience to gauge reaction, ended up with people saying, "Which guy are you supposed to fancy?" "So they have re-edited it and I have ended up on the cutting room floor. Angry? No - but I'm obviously rather disappointed." That disappointment is magnified by the producers tipping the film to be a strong contender at next year's Oscars ceremony. Liverpool-born Morrissey recorded his scenes earlier this year with Firth, who became a heart-throb after starring in TV's Pride and Prejudice. Firth plays artist Johannes Vermeer in the new film, based on a best-selling novel by Tracey Chevalier. Morrissey had been due to play 17th century scientist Antony van Leeuwenhoek, Vermeer's close friend and neighbour who achieved some of the greatest discoveries in the history of biology. The film also stars Essie Davis. Morrissey, whose long-term partner is novelist and former actress Esther Freud, has enjoyed a successful TV career. Earlier his year, he starred in the political drama State Of Play and won plaudits for his role as Kiffer Finzi in Hillary and Jackie, the 1998 biopic about Jacqueline du Pre, the brilliant British cellist who died from Multiple Sclerosis. His movie career has been less high profile and his last Hollywood part was a small role in the 2001 film Captain Corelli's Mandolin, which had mixed reviews. Last night producer Andy Paterson confirmed Morrissey had been edited out of GWAPE but denied the decision had been based on findings from a test audience. Paterson suggested that Morrissey had only been joking when he said that the decision had been taken to protect Firth's sex-symbol status. "David is an extraordinary actor but we really wanted to tell the story through the main character's eyes and for reasons of adaptation we found that David's part took you away from that," he said. "He has been very grown-up about what has happened and he knows how things work and that this is all part of the process. "He is a great mate of mine and Colin's and he also knows the author, Tracy Chevalier, so I can't imagine that there would be a problem." Text accompanied by pic of DM as himself and smaller one of CF and ED in GWAPE (the fondle scene).

Thanks Barbara, but it looks like this joking comment by Morrissey is destined to be repeated everywhere and taken seriously. If Paterson is such a good friend of DM's, he better tell him to cut it out but I guess it is too late as the quip is out of the bag. ;-) As if anyone could believe DM being more sexy than Colin...

You might want to read the review posted here: http://www.lff.org.uk/films_details.php?FilmID=99

Courtesy of Jennie, from the August/October 2003 issue of Schuh magazine (http://www.schuhmagazine.co.uk/) thought the entire article is not online FIRTH IMPRESSIONS by Mike Davies Renowned for his portrayal of two Darcys, one in period drama Pride & Prejudice and the other in box office smash Bridget Jones's Diary, Mike Davies finds out there's more to Colin Firth than meets the eye. An updated rework of 1958 romance The Reluctant Debutante given a Disneyfied makeover, there's a scene in What a Girl Wants which Colin Firth is hardly likely to forget. And it's a safe bet audiences will find it rather memorable too. Firth plays Lord Henry Dashwood, a man who's become weighed down by the responsibilities of an aristocratic family tradition and a blossoming political career and has forgotten that long ago, when he fell in love with a free thinking, beautiful young American he viewed the world in a rather different way and knew how to let his hair down. Back then he married the liberated Libby (Kelly Preston) in a romantic Moroccan ceremony but events - and his self-interested advisers - conspired to break up the romance. What he didn't know, until she turns up unexpectedly on his doorstep, was that he'd also fathered a child, Daphne (Amanda Bynes). And when this lively American teenager finally seeks out the father she's never know, his life is turned upside down. Misspent Youth Henry begins to remember what it was like when he rode a moteorbike and listened to the music he loved. Which gives rise to the scene in question as Firth pulls on his leather trousers and stands in front of a mirror giving it some serious air guitar to very loud rock music. The 43 year old Firth breaks into a huge grin. "Yes, dancing in leather trousers. I did wonder if there's a good chance it could kill my career," he laughs. "I very rarely get asked to do the self-mockery thing on a big scale. I certainly very rarely get asked to do it in front of a mirror! And I spent most of my youth doing exactly that. I mean, that was me. Far more than the guy in the suit I'm sort of known for playing." As yes, the guy in the suit. If even he believes that's how people think of him, doesn't this tend to suggest that, like Hugh Grant, Firth's got himself pigeonholed as, well, the Colin Firth character. "Actually I think the Colin Firth character is probably more easily identified by other people than by me," he says running a hand through casually tousled hair. "I usually get asked about the type of character I've been playing - the stiff English gentleman who's always in a suit or always in period costume or always confused. It used to be that I was always paranoid or that I was a loser. There's usually one character type that you seem to associate yourself with at one time or other." Born in Grayshott, Hampshire, Firth made his stage debut in the school panto as Jack Frost but it was while playing Hamlet during his final term at Chalk Farm Drama Centre in 1982 that he was discovered, making his stage debut opposite Rupert Everett in Another Country based on the Maclean/Burgess spy scandal, reprising their roles for the 1984 film version. However, obscurity beckoned and Firth spent much of the next decade going largely unnoticed. But then came the BBC's Pride & Prejudice placing him firmly into the spotlight as the thinking woman's crumpet. And it's there he's remained. For a long time, though, it did seem Firth was forever going to be seen only as Mr Darcy. More specifically Mr Darcy in that wet shirt image of sex on period drama legs. And just when it looked like the fuss was dying down what did he go and do? Bridget Jones's Diary playing someone called, that's right, Darcy. However, while he admits it's hard to get through an interview without the words "Pride & Prejudice" cropping up at some point, Firth has long since put it into perspective. "I don't think the Darcy thing will go away. If I brought about world peach the headlines would read, 'Mr Darcy solves world peace', but apart from the problem of trying to think of anything clever to say about it, the pin-up tag doesn't encroach on my life at all. I suppose there's worse things to be known for." Big Daddy Firth genuinely doesn't seem fussed about public perceptions nor does he dispute that the characters he plays can seem similar, because to some extent all parts are autobiographical. "Acting tens to be perceived as the art of transforming yourself", he muses. "I actually don't see it like that. With a couple of very notable exceptions I think all actors are pretty sameish in most of what they do." "And there's nothing wrong with that. I have made attempts - with greater or lesser success - at transformation. I find it quite a fun exercise, but I find it far more interesting taking whatever it is that I might bring to a situation and apply it to the [Ed note: something missing]. In fact it's harder in some ways to play a character closer to yourself than someone wildly different." So what is it that will tip the decision in favour of taking on a movie? "It can be the people you'd be working with, it could be the pay cheque, depending on the circumstances. Often it doesn't occur to me until I get asked that some things can be perceived as repeating oneself to the point of typecasting." Although most people probably won't clock the fact, What a Girl Wants isn't the first film for which Firth's taken parental duties on board either. He was also a dad in Hugh Hudson's barely seen My Life So Far. "Yeah, I was father of an already grown person in that one too. You'd think you'd start with a newborn baby wouldn't you, and work you way up." He laughs. Fairytale Fantasy It wasn't that though that almost caused him to pass on the movie. "I didn't take an interest in it initially. I was scanning the horizon for something and it didn't strike me as very new territory for me for obvious reasons. It's fairytale stuff and I was always slightly split about the whole issue of fairytale escapism versus keeping a foot in reality." However, director Dennie Gordon flew over to convince him to take the role. "She did say she wanted me to the exclusion of anyone else, which is quite a seductive thing to hear. We chatted and what often happens is that it starts to get personal and becomes an issue about working with someone you've started to know and like and you can get involved without realising you are involved. With What a Girl Wants I liked Dennie and I really started to like this guy Henry. Despite the trappings of his character, I actually found him strangely believable and it didn't feel like some of the characters I've played before." Even the whole fantasy thing grew on him. "What I really liked is how much it owns up to being a fairytale. It practically starts with Once Upon a Time...And it makes no bones about giving a very mythological view of London." Following on from the romantic comedy Hope Springs earlier this year, What a Girl Wants seems to be just the tip of a whole flurry of Firth movies. In November he dons a smock to play 17th century Dutch artist Vermeer in Girl with a Pearl Earring ("a bit ironic because I have no artistic talent whatsoever and it entailed hours of lessons just to look like someone who wouldn't drop his paintbrush"), to be followed a couple of weeks later playing a cuckolded husband in Love Actually, an ensemble romantic comedy that marks the directing debut of Bridget Jones's screenwriter Richard Curtis and reunites Colin with its co-star Hugh Grant. Then next year will see him ringing the dramatic changes with the Hitchcockian thriller Trauma as a man who wakes up from a coma to learn his wife died in the car accident. Trying to put his life back together he suddenly starts seeing her everywhere. Thinking he's losing it he visits a therapist who takes him to a psychic who chillingly says they think his wife might actually be alive. He's also due to travel to South Africa to film The Dead Wait playing a South African army officer in a story of retribution that spans 20 years from the bloody Angolan War of 1983 to present day South Africa. And, of course, there's the much anticipated Bridget Jones sequel, The Edge of Reason which, after a lengthy "on again off again" saga is finally set to go before the cameras now that Renee Zellweger has accepted a modest �15 million (a mere �13.5 million more than her fee for the original) to pile the pounds back on. Firth will be back as Mark Darcy, now Bridget's live-in lover, but despite appearing in the book he won't be called upon to play himself. "No," he smiles, "I think that will be cut out."

(Karen)As if anyone could believe DM being more sexy than Colin... In his dreams. Though DM does have a better American accent Thanks Jennie, Karen and Mari.But I can't get the railer to work on the LA site. "He's also due to travel to South Africa to film The Dead Wait playing a South African army officer in a story of retribution that spans 20 years from the bloody Angolan War of 1983 to present day South Africa. " There ya' go Leah. Glad to see this one mentioned. I don't want that book to take residence on my night table;-)

Sort of a Sixteen magazine or Tiger Beat type thing (am aging myself!) , courtesy of JennieT too: http://www.firth.com/articles/03womansown_929.html FYI, they've used a pic from the Rome Press Conference for TIOBE, in the hotel courtyard, leaning on a column.

(Evelyn)Thanks Jennie, Karen and Mari.But I can't get the railer to work on the LA site, I could only get it to work using Quicktime. Windows media was distorted. Ditto the thank you to Jennie, Karen and Mari. However, I can't get the link to work from Karen's post. (Evelyn)Glad to see this one mentioned. I don't want that book to take residence on my night table;-) Is it safe to read, yet? (Karen)Tiger Beat...Wow, was that a blast from the past...ah Bobby Sherman and Davy Jones.....

(closing tags)

Thank you all for the news and articles. :-) Nothing here, that we haven't seen before, but I do like this picture and the comments, switching over the site: http://www.girlwithapearlearringmovie.com/

Which link doesn't work?

Thank you ladies! The cf site gets better and better, Karen, thank you! Tokyo is a hugely seductive presence, gorgeous looking From the London FF. The same reviewer of GWAPE did Lost in Translation and she actually thought Tokyo looked gorgeous and Colin was tolerable as Vermeer? She is really out of it. Morrissey, whose long-term partner is novelist and former actress Esther Freud I wonder if Esther is related to Curtis's girlfirend who is also a Freud?

Yes, the Freuds are all related. Esther is the daughter of the painter Lucien and great-grandaughter of Sigmund. Matthew and Emma (Richard Curtis' partner) are cousins).

Thanks for all the goodies Karen (lovely 'blown up' bed head pic is getting a lot of viewing from me), Barbara, Murph (for 'hidden ODB' pics), JennieT.... Love this version of the LA trailer. (Maria) He seems so fond of it lately, my guess is that it is kid-made or related...awwww (getting sentimental about something I just made up..sheesh..) ROTFL...... (Karen) Sort of a Sixteen magazine or Tiger Beat type thing (am aging myself!) , courtesy of JennieT too: LOL! I remember those articles!!! I am just thankful that Tiger Beat doesn't make magazines for 'big girls'. The DH wouldn't be able to take it....and I don't like the idea of removing staples from ODB's abdomen to pin him up over my bed! ;-)

(Karen)Which link doesn't work? It works for me, now. It was the Love It Loathe It. Thank you

*Loved* Tiger Beat! (CF) I don't like it when someone comes up to me with a scrap of paper and a borrowed pen, and says, "Ere, sign this." I don't mind being recognised or signing autographs, but there is a well-mannered way of asking.... .....though I don't mind whining at me from behind. If I get annoyed, I just hand back the pen, point first, so it jabs them in the hand. ;-D

(Dorine)though I don't mind whining at me from behind. If I get annoyed ...I take refuge in the loo;-)

(Dorine) though I don't mind whining at me from behind. If I get annoyed.... (Linda) ...I take refuge in the loo;-) LOL...hey! I think I'm being mocked! ;-D That's alright....I am merely a 'fledgling fan'. Despite my numerous blunders, ODB was very kind (i.e. he didn't scream for security to haul me away). If he meant to poke me, he did it with panache and it was greatly enjoyed....the run to the loo I feel badly about....but he was staring....and then I was staring....and I'd still be there if he hadn't made a break for it. So thank goodness he had enough wits about him to run...quickly.....away.......;-D

Thanks Mari, Karen, Maria and anyone else I missed for all the reviews and links. Love the new Trauma pics, Maria. Have we seen ODB in anything other than that faded blue pullover in the Trauma pics? I am very curious about this film. Hope it is in the Hitchcock vein and not just another bloody horror film. Tress, I thought we had established that ODB was simply waiting for Scarlett outside the loo, and not hiding from you;-) You are still my hero!

Just saw this on aolnews: Updated: 09:40 PM EDT Pearl Earring' wins top prize at Dinard By Shiraz Sidhva, Reuters DINARD, France (Hollywood Reporter) - Director Peter Webber's visually striking film "Girl With a Pearl Earring," starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johannson, won the top award on Sunday, at the 14th Dinard Festival of British Films. Inspired by the enigmatic painting of the same name by 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, the film was a "technical tour de force," according to French producer Charles Gassot, who headed the jury of eight. The anonymous girl in the painting and the fact that there is little on record of the Dutch master's life, has generated centuries of historical speculation and three recent books. The film is based on Tracy Chevalier's eponymous tale of a young girl, Griet, who finds work in Vermeer's prosperous Delft household in the 1660s, after her family loses its fortune. The 16-year old girl attracts the master painter's attention and becomes his model until she is driven out of the house by the painter's jealous, perpetually pregnant wife and his meddling mother-in-law.

(Evelyn)"He's also due to travel to South Africa to film The Dead Wait playing a South African army officer in a story of retribution that spans 20 years from the bloody Angolan War of 1983 to present day South Africa. " There ya' go Leah. Glad to see this one mentioned. I don't want that book to take residence on my night table;-) I'm also glad it is mentioned. I am waiting patiently, VERY patiently ;-) and I can be so good at being patient. ;-);-)

So sorry I forgot to thank Annette for the link to the GWAPE poster. This one certainly produces vibratons and I can't wait to see it on the big screen. Our smoulderer is back in full force!! I keep telling myself that January is just around the corner.

Seattle Times on the Toronto FF films: A world away is "Girl with a Pearl Earring," based on Tracy Chevalier's novel. A quietly soulful first feature from British director Peter Webber, it's less about character and drama than about the way golden light from a dusty window catches a young woman's face. Colin Firth is the brooding 17th-century Dutch artist Vermeer, Scarlett Johansson is the servant girl who becomes his muse, and every frame of the film is ravishingly beautiful, thanks to Eduardo Serra's cinematography. Not much happens, but audiences will be far too busy devouring this gorgeous film with their eyes to care.

Following up on Ada's news . . . Firth, Johansson Vehicle Wins Top Prize Mon, Oct 06, 2003, 09:10 AM PT LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Known to many singletons as Mark Darcy, Colin Firth, along with his co-star, Scarlett Johansson, had something to celebrate over the weekend. Their latest movie, "Girl With a Pearl Earring," won the top prize at Dinard, a French film festival solely dedicated to British cinema, according the BBC. The film was awarded the Hitchcock D'Or prize, named for the legendary director, Alfred Hitchcock, who once lived in the Brittany town where the festival is held. Making his big screen debut is director Peter Webber. The film also stars veteran actor Tom Wilkinson and Essie Davis, who portrayed Maggie in "The Matrix Reloaded." Based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier, "Girl with a Pearl Earring" tells the tale of a 16-year-old Dutch girl (Johansson) who becomes a maid in the house of the painter Johannes Vermeer. She consequently becomes the subject of one of his most famous paintings. Johansson ("Ghost World," "The Horse Whisperer") can currently be seen in Sophia Coppola's indie hit, "Lost in Translation" alongside Bill Murray. Firth is busy reprising his role of Mark Darcy in the upcoming "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" which also stars Renee Zellweger. "Girl with a Pearl Earring" will be released in New York and Los Angeles in December.

From Box Office mag: GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING **1/2 "Girl With a Pearl Earring" is an adaptation of the kind of feminist fiction that is often no more than a high-art equivalent of Harlequin romance. This setting for 16th-century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer's famous portrait is told from the point of view of the maidservant who sat for it. Although it's an elegantly lit and beautifully composed literary conceit, the hushed tones of the picture are the kind usually reserved for lighting incense sticks instead. Colin Firth plays the tempestuous painter like a muted Heathcliff still prowling the moors in "Wuthering Heights." Tom Wilkinson, portraying the morally corrupt art patron who keeps Vermeer alive, goes in the opposite direction. He acts up a storm as if he thought the camera might forget that he's there. Only Scarlett Johansson as Griet, the subject of Vermeer's painting, gives a delicately nuanced performance. In what is essentially a pantomime role, Johansson infuses her character with enough emotional shadings to bring the painting to life for us. In "Girl With a Pearl Earring," she is the only gem among the scrap jewelry.-Kevin Courrier

Thaks, Mari and Ada. This bodes very well for the BAFTAS.

(Moon)This bodes very well for the BAFTAS.. My thoughts, exactly. V.exciting news, indeed! Thanks Mari, Ada, and Karen for the GWAPE/Dinard news

In addition to the Grand Prize, voted on by the judges, GWAPE also won the the Public Prize at the Dinard Film Festival, which I assume means it was voted best by the public. http://www.festivaldufilm-dinard.com/ "Girl with a Pearl Earring" de Peter Webber a re�u l'Hitchcock d'Or' (Grand Prix) et l'Hitchcock d'Argent (Prix du Public). " I'm surprised that it didn't also win the photography prize, since it was such a " "technical tour de force," and all critics agree that the cinematography was great, but maybe the judges wanted to spread the prizes out more. Dinard is a film festival that only includes British films, and GWAPE was in the running with only 5 other films I never heard of, but it still gives you hope that the film will be a success.

Saw an ad in this week's Entertainment Weekly for an advance screening of LA in certain U.S. cities. No VaBch (of course:-(.) but Philly, DC, NY, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, LA, SanFran. To win free passes go to www.ew.com/freescreening and register.

Colin is scheduled to be on E! News Live this Friday, October 10. Show airs at 7 PM. From their website: Lynda Lopez travels to London for a sit-down interview with Keira Knightley, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson and Colin Firth for their new movie Love Actually. Also, I saw the new GWAPE book in stores today, with the poster photo on the cover. Says "now a major motion picture." Also has a quote from Time mag (concerning the book) on the front. No pics inside.:-(

(Mari) Colin is scheduled to be on E! News Live this Friday, October 10 Oh, goodie! Hola did say this was the weekend for the LA press junkets there. More lovely courses to go! :-)

Re: the Box Office Mag review... Good grief. What crawled up that critic and died??? Obviously predisposed to dislike it based (his?) opinion of books written about and by women. Shouldn't have reviewed it since so clearly biased.

Have been away from Drooling in order to keep a sense of respect for Yom Kippur. But now's time to crawl back to the fun! (Meg)Good grief. What crawled up that critic and died??? LOL! Everyone is entitiled to her or his own opinion, right? But yes, he's obviously still wrong. ;-) (Ada)...an advance screening of LA in certain U.S. cities...Atlanta... Thanks Ada! For once something comes to my home town. Have no idea why I signed up for it, though, as I will be with the Drooler's contingent in NY. Maybe passes could be transferable from city to city... Of course, must win passes first. (Katty)"Girl with a Pearl Earring" de Peter Webber a re�u l'Hitchcock d'Or' (Grand Prix) et l'Hitchcock d'Argent (Prix du Public)." Bravo! May the accolades continue to come!!!

The new Premiere Mag with RZ on the cover also with interview. Nothing new on TEOR or Colin. Tells the interviewer she can't reveal much of the story, but that it follows the book [Ed Note: "Duh"]. But on page 40 there there is a nice paragraph ...top of page... ON LOCATION LONDON What if you woke up from a coma following a car accident that killed your wife and found the country mourning for a celebrity, like, say, Princess Diana, or a pop star? How would your grief measure up to the grief of a nation? Thus begins TRAUMA , a psychological thriller in which a widower (Colin Firth) starts seeing his dead wife around his creepy new apartment; meanwhile, his ethereal neighbor (Mena Suvari) begins introducing him to the spirit world. "You don't know if she's real or not." Suvari says of her character. "It's about someone whose grief leads him to a kind of madness," says director Marc Evans (My Little Eye) , on location at London's run-down St. Pancras Chambers,perhaps best known as the point of departure for the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films. "It reminded me a little bit of paranoia films I liked in the '70s, some of the Polanski films and Don't Look Now" Firth says. "It's unashamedly trying to mess with your mind." ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Accompanied with small map of UK with location on London and two head shots of Colin and MS. St. Pancras is about the closest he ever got to the Harry Potter films;-((

Thanks ladies for all the news bits. The Fall 2003 issue of FLM magazine, which you pick up free at Landmark Cinemas has a small listing for GWAPE, with usual pic of Colin and SJ, with one paragraph story synopsis. Hopefully, there will be a bigger article in the Winter edition.

Thanks, Evelyn, Katty and Mari. Let the games begin! Even Trauuuuuma news in Premiere. Excellent!

An interview with Laura Linney, talking a little bit about LA: http://www.darkhorizons.com/news03/laura.htm

Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone for all the news and pics. This is going to be such a great time.

Lion's Gate has the Academy and guild screening sessions set up for GWAPE: http://www.lionsgateawards.com/index_flash.html#

From Film Threat's Telluride FF round-up: An ebullient Peter Webber introduced his superb �Girl With a Pearl Earring� (****), based on the best-selling novel. Beautifully shot, the film is an extrapolation on the creation of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, played by Colin Firth with his usual aplomb. Marked by stunning cinematography evoking Vermeer�s work and a particularly effective score, Webber�s �Earring,� featuring a tour de force by actress Scarlett Johansson, was another fest highlight.

Thanks for the screening info, Mari! Wonder if there's a limit on the # of RSVP's. ;-D

A couple of relevant sections from Martin Grove's column: Although it would be nice to think that all movies put up for Academy consideration or for consideration in other key awards races have an equal chance of being seen, that's just not the case. There always have been the big movies that everybody's dying to see and that generate immediate RSVPs when their screening invitations are received. These are films that people have no problem making time to see. You don't have to ask your spouse if she or he wants to go because you know instantly that they'll be thrilled to go. Some recent examples of such films are "Intolerable Cruelty" and "Love Actually," both from Universal....As for "Love Actually," here we're talking about writer-director Richard Curtis, who wrote "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Bridget Jones's Diary." And we're talking about an ensemble cast including the likes of Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Colin Firth. Plus, we're talking about a film that looks terrific because it's set in London during the Christmas seaso . You'd have to be crazy not to go to a screening of "Love Actually! " [...] Of course, a good question is whether the pirates want to copy and then try to sell movies that nobody's really heard of. Only a handful of the pictures entering the year-end marketplace are really the kind of high profile blockbusters that a self-respecting pirate would stoop to digitizing....I'd be surprised if there were pirates out there drooling over the prospects of copying lower-profile films like "21 Grams," "Girl With a Pearl Earring" and "The Company." I don't mean to suggest that these aren't good movies. It's just that at this point they're still waiting to be acclaimed by the critics and endorsed by the awards givers. After that happens, the pirates may well want them, too. But for now it's hard to make a case that sending out DVD screeners of such films would result in global piracy. ~~~~~~ While I don't think all that much about Grove, he does explain the realities of situation on voters. You can read the whole thing here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/columns/grove_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1995638

They are chatting on BBC London this morning about who our celebrity leader should be after Arnie's win (oh my) - Colin has been mentioned. I like it.

I'd be surprised if there were pirates out there drooling over the prospects of copying lower-profile films like "21 Grams," "Girl With a Pearl Earring" and.... Ha ha ha ha, hee hee hee....ROTF!

(EmmaB)They are chatting on BBC London this morning about who our celebrity leader should be after Arnie's win (oh my) - Colin has been mentioned. OPB (Our Politico Boy) would love it.LOL;-)

(Emma), They are chatting on BBC London this morning about who our celebrity leader should be after Arnie's win (oh my) - Colin has been mentioned. I like it. You mean after Arnold California celebrity leader, England is looking for one? ;-) What exactly is that about? There always have been the big movies that everybody's dying to see and that generate immediate RSVPs when their screening invitations are received. That always happens. The independents are just going to have to offer popcorn or frapuccinos at their screenings. ;-)

Interesting tidbit from an Atlanta newspaper about this super scholar-athlete with EXCELLENT taste: http://www.al.com/sports/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/sports/1065604772149760.xml Female Scholar-Athlete of the week "Year: Senior; Sport: Volleyball. Academic highlights: Rachel has a 4.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 weighted scale, scored 32 on the ACT and 1,460 on the SAT... ...If you could have dinner with anyone of your choosing, who would it be? I would have dinner with COLIN FIRTH because I love him as Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice," and it's fun to talk to anyone who has a British accent..."

I would have dinner with COLIN FIRTH because I love him as Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice," That's why she's the Scholar of the week;-)Smart gel.

"I would have dinner with COLIN FIRTH because I love him as Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice," Indeed a young woman with great taste. And I would offer him dessert as well;-)

Not yet! But it could be. This is the final week of our Annual Drool Fundraising Drive. Please contact me to get information on how to make your contribution. If you haven't received an acknowledgment from me, then I haven't received it yet. There are still quite a few people who emailed me, but from whom I haven't received anything yet. So, if it's slipped your mind, now is the time to get that checkbook out. We are very near our goal, having collected approximately 90 percent of the coming year's basic operating expenses. Here is this week's list of Drool Darlings, who have dusted off the old checkbook and helped us get closer to that goal: Thanks again to everyone for their continuing generosity.

Well, I suck. I didn't get tickets for the night time GWAPE gala at the LFF, only one for the showing the following afternoon (meaning that I will have to be conveniently sick that day). At least I get to see it at the end of October instead of waiting, but still disappointed. Will console myself over the next week during my Grecian holiday...

(Emma)(meaning that I will have to be conveniently sick that day). Yes, we all have our 'off' days ;-)

Checkk out today's Daily Mail. Baz has some stuff on LA.

From Antonella: Blue don't feel the Love Actually Poor old Blue. Not only do the pop hunks have to contend with the daily grind of having Lee Ryan among their number but now they're set to become the laughing stock of the movie world - thanks to Richard Curtis's new film Love Actually. One of the strands of the multi-plotlined rom-com sees aging rocker Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) going head to head with the lads for the Christmas No. 1 and he doesn't pull any punches, especially when guesting on Ant & Dec's TV show. First he sarcastically describes Duncan, Anthony, Lee and Simon as "great musicians" before drawing a speech bubble on a poster of the boys, ridiculing the size of their manhood's. You'll have to go see the film, which opens on November 21, to find out who grabs the coveted top spot. 10.30am Thursday 9 October 2003

I'll post this here because it deals with the TFF. Not sure if it will include LA or GWAPE. http://www.aetv.com/global/listings/series_showcase.jsp?EGrpType=Series&Id=186433&NetwCode=AEN BREAKFAST WITH THE ARTS SUNDAY OCTOBER 12, 2003 8:00 AM eastern time Elliott Forrest, host Breakfast with the Arts. Fall Film Prevue. Breakfast with the Arts travels to the Toronto Film Festival to talk to producers, directors and actors about their newest projects. Includes

Oooooh!! I'll be up anyway, as the rude marathon volunteers will start whooping it up below my window at about 5ish. Seems more than likely Elliott would try to highlight (a) costume dramas and (b) A&E very own poster boy. ;-) Reminder for Today: E! News Live isn't that on today??

(EmmaB) Well, I suck. I didn't get tickets for the night time GWAPE gala at the LFF, only one for the showing the following afternoon. Emma, I'm glad you will see GWAPE finally! Are you sure there are no tickets left for the gala? When I searched for tickets for the GWAPE screening in Toronto I was told everywhere that all tickets were sold out. A scalpel offered me tickets very "generously" for 135 CAN $. So I went to the gala just to spot Colin in the belief that all tickets were sold out, and was left gaping open mouthed when I saw that there were plenty of tickets at the box office before the show, and the theatre was only about one third full. Do you live close enough to the "action" to try for the gala tix again? It might be worth a try.

Thanks for the E! News reminder. I had forgotten. Also, heads up for Queer Eye fans...marathon starting at 7 tonight on Bravo.

My A&E letter from the producer says.... "Breakfast with the Arts. Fall Film Prevue. Breakfast with the Arts travels to the Toronto Film Festival to talk to producers, directors and actors about their newest projects. Includes talks with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and actor Cate Blanchett on "Veronica Guerin"; director and screenwriter Peter Hedges, on "Pieces of April"; actor Mark Ruffalo on "In the Cut" directed by Jane Campion and co-starring Meg Ryan; and actors Val Kilmer and Josh Lucas on "Wonderland." [TV PG]

(Karen)Reminder for Today: E! News Live isn't that on today?? Maybe I blinked, but nothing on LA. :-(((

I apologize if this is posted elsewhere. Colin with glasses at Wireimage. http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====38737

Thanks so much, Kathy! Have to say I like HG's hair better than Colin's. You know I love the longer hair. Colin's is a tad to short for me, but no matter. I will say Colin is aging *much* better than HG. Matter of fact, I'd almost say he looks like he's had work done, but I find it hard to believe he'd do that. Especially after seeing what happened to Rupe. ;-) At the least, he looks like he's had a facial peel. His skin looks amazing. I kinda like the glasses, but I might like different frames a bit better. Still attractive though.

LOVE the pictures! Thanks KathyLC! As a person who must wear glasses, I just nearly fall over when I see them on him and these are REAL (as opposed the the fakes of TIOBE and AC)!! And I like the frames! They look like ringers for my old pair (that I just replaced)...dark frame with wire earpieces (or whatever you call the sides)... (Dorine) Have to say I like HG's hair better than Colin's. You know I love the longer hair. Colin's is a tad to short for me, but no matter. I was just thinking ODB's hair was a bit too long on top (makes it flat). Like the short sides and back...but he needs a bang trim! HG just has great hair (didn't ODB once say he envied HG's 'hair options'? LOL!). I agree that Colin is aging much better than HG...but I'm biased. I think he looks fantastic.

(Tress) I was just thinking ODB's hair was a bit too long on top (makes it flat). Yes, exactly. The length on top emphasizes to me how short the rest is. Except the sideburns which are just right. Rather see him grow out the sides and back. Reminds me of his hair in BJD, where his hair looked only fair more often than not to me.

Kathy--Thank you for the link to the photographs! (Tress)As a person who must wear glasses, I just nearly fall over when I see them on him and these are REAL (as opposed the the fakes of TIOBE and AC)!! Indeed! He looks amazing with glasses (coming from a fellow four-eyes). ;-)

I don't like the glasses at all; looks nerdy. But he looks better than Liam Neeson & Alan Rickman Which isn't saying much. Hair looks straight; used too much Potion 9 that day. And parted! Taking this fatherhood stuff seriously;-)

(Evelyn) I don't like the glasses at all; I don't love 'em, or hate 'em...just like Sylvia. And parted! Maybe that's what struck me as a bit odd about it. Liam Neeson Eeeek!! Missed those before. Alan Rickman He's a bit on the puffy side lately.

Thanks, Kathy! Oh my, there's a picture of Colin with those glasses from the Donmar lobby several years ago. I remember people thought he was trying to go incognito, but apparently not. I'm not big on the part either. Doesn't look v. Mark Darcy to me. I'll put up bigger ones later.

I don't care for the glasses, or at least those glasses. They hide too much of CF's beautiful face. I thought HG looked pretty good (dodging tomatoes) but not handsome enough to tempt me. Liam looks weird--what's with that hair?

Everyone may have figured this out already, but if you type in ODB's name in the search, it comes up with three additional pictures. Nice smiles! http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=SRH&logsrch=1&sfld=

Crikey! Link didn't work...just type in his name and you'll see....

(Evelyn) I don't like the glasses at all; looks nerdy He professes to be a nerd.... (Karen) Oh my, there's a picture of Colin with those glasses from the Donmar lobby several years ago. How many years ago?

It's just a matter of another photographer's pictures being added to the group. They do show up in the press conference gallery as well.

From January 2000. They look like the same glasses, though the lenses appear tinted a darker pink.

I wouldn't want to have to convince my naysaying friends how AFG he is on the basis of these pictures!

Kathy. thank you so much for the link. Love his looks with the glasses. Wouldn't have remembered what they looked like at the Donmar.

Thanks Kathy! I like his look with the glasses, they seem to me well suited to him and well chosen..Maybe his Roman optometrist fitted him, they somehow remind me of Italy...

Kathy, thanks for the link to the pics. I had hoped his hair would be slightly longer in TEOR than it was in BJD, but at least he's gained a little weight! And as for the glasses, I suppose presbyopia gets to us all, eventually.

Thank you, Kathy, for the pictures. I can like the glasses, but I'm not crazy about the hair. I hate the the piece that should be on the opposite side of the part. That left bit should be right;-)But those are lovely MD sideburns. I didn't blink, and there was no meniton of LA on E! The Live Weekend airs this morning. I'llcheck that out since the press conference was yesterday.

Thank you, Kathy, for the pictures. And thanks from me too. But have to say I hate the hair and hate the glasses. IMHO he looks rather priggish :-( I really hope he does not decide to parade this look to all the intrevies, press conferences etc. It would be too painful.

LOL, Sandy and Allison! Janet, I too, hoped his hair would be longer and noticed the weight. He has been too skinny before. I know the camera adds weight, but Tress, how does he compare, do you think? I know angles make a difference, too. And that hair on top just isn't settling right,is it? Hola, I hope he looked better in person. Didn't she say she was going to be there?

If anyone missed this morning's E News Live Weekend don't worry no mention of the LA interviews. The second segment this morning was the same as the second one last night. Also, no mention of it on their updates for the week ahead. Just have to wait and see.

(LindaK)The Live Weekend airs this morning. I'llcheck that out since the press conference was yesterday. Was there anything on LA? I was busy reading up on the red fingernail and missed almost all of the show.

Oops. Must have faster reflexes. Thanks Linda!

Great find Kathy! I have to say I don't like those frames on him. He's got such a lovely face, to cover any of it with dark frames is a sin. The glasses Curtis sports would be better suited for him maybe, with no frames visible we could see his face better. Other than that he looks gorgeous IMO. I even like his parted hair, although I hope he'll not make a habit of it... ;-) (Dorine) ...I too, hoped his hair would be longer and noticed the weight. He has been too skinny before. He still looks skinny to me. Where did I read the comment "He looks like a good meal would kill him"? I thought that was a rather nasty way to put it, but deep inside I had to agree with it. I'd like to see a few pounds more. Not all around his waist though. :-)

He still looks skinny to me No I think skinny is fine. The screen puts so much weight on an actor. I don't want him described again as stocky and jowly :-(

I have larger versions of the LA press conference pictures here: http://www.murphsplace.com/firth/lapress.html They are Wire Images, and protected, so I hesitate to allow downloading. He looks quite scholarly and quite attractive in those glasses.

The guy looks like a priest. Think that's a part? Or hair thinning. No one parts their hair in the middle. Thanks Murph.

The press conference gallery is up: http://www.firth.com/love_gal_pclond1.html

Hey, wait a minute, doesn't LD have glasses very similar? Maybe they got a 2-fer. Or maybe they're hers. ;-)

LOL, Dorine :-) I think, you may have hit upon something there!! Kathy and Karen, thank you for the pictures. I liked his "looks" much better in the Toronto pics, but glad he's doing some publicity :-)

(Dorine) Or maybe they're hers. ;-) LD has glasses (pic of her driving, probably in Italy due to location of steering wheel); they're similar but don't look exactly the same. Is there a more recent pic? My mind isn't functioning all that well.

OMG, it's Clark Kent!!!! So does he usually wear contacts? Thank you, Kathy, Murph and Karen!

(Karen)Is there a more recent pic? I believe, she wore glasses at the playground-pictures from earlier this year. (the Sun/Daily Star or whatever the tabloid was called).

(Moon) OMG, it's Clark Kent Now, it that really so bad? After all, Clark Kent was really Superman in disquise. Not a bad way to think of ODB.

Many thanks Kathy, Murph and Karen for the new pics. I can�t say I like the glasses either. Like EmmaB, I struck unlucky with tickets for the GWAPE gala, only for 31st. (I�ll still be hanging around though on the 30th). Yesterday�s Daily Mail - Baz�s comments on LA: Bill�s brill, actually�. Richard Curtis has completed his directional debut film, Love Actually, and it has been trimmed back a tad since I saw a work-in-progress version. I was glad, though, that he hasn�t cut back on Bill Nighy�s outrageously funny performance as a former rock star who is making a comeback with a �Christmas� version of Love Is All Around. Watching it a second time, I see that he�s actually the film�s soul because he�s the one you least expect to make a magnanimous gesture. There are some lovely moments, particularly with Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and two school children played by Thomas Sangster and Olivia Olson. The film�s going to be a huge hit and is most enjoyable. Some perceptive person worked out that I didn�t actually love the film. It was more a case of Like Actually. That�s probably because it�s so shamelessly manipulative and, sure enough, it hooked me. But then as my colleague astutely put it: �It does exactly what it says on the tin�.

(Annette) I believe, she wore glasses at the playground-pictures from earlier this year. I had checked those out and they almost seem a bit like sunglasses. Nevertheless, they don't have frames, like the ones she's wearing while driving a car. If the playground ones are presecription, then she's gotten a new pair, whereas Colin is still wearing his from the "twofer" deal. Colin looks great in some glasses (Playmaker, TIOBE) just not these.

What I dislike the most about the glasses is that it's *so* affected. I'm a Serious Actor and it's All About The Work, Not About Looking Good. I always laugh when I see great looking actors and actresses don these nerdy glasses. It's so transparent, IMO. He didn't need them in Toronto, or anywhere else in the past three years since the Donmar--you mean he can't see two feet in front of him at a press conference? What's to see? C'mon. Huge's big hair has taken on a life of its own. Teased and blown and sprayed to within an inch of its life. Still, it's *much* better than Colin's 'do. If Huge could have his styled before the press conference, why couldn't CF? Laura and Emma look cute. The rest--Rickman, Curtis, Neeson, Nighy--they're homely people and they can't help it, so I don't hold them responsible for their appearance.;-)

OMG, it's Clark Kent!!!! LOL, Moon! You've got it! I wondered why he had quite such a smug look on his face ;-)

(Mari)What I dislike the most about the glasses is that it's *so* affected. Mari, you are right. There is something in his expression in these photographs that I do not like. Smug perhaps. You have hit the nail on the head.

You know, Smallville, a show about Superman (which is very well written and I do watch), is very popular in the US. Maybe Colin should audition for the next Superman film, which I read is in the plans. A "Flashman" from the past? ;-) Earth, I mean Krypton to Colin, get your agent to make the call. :-D

(Dorine) He has been too skinny before. I know the camera adds weight, but Tress, how does he compare, do you think? I know angles make a difference, too. I thought he was rail thin in Toronto. I can't tell with these pics if he has put on a few pounds. Maybe if I saw a full body shot (just to see, not to make any judgements on his weight...*snicker*). I suppose he could have gone back to Italy to pick up the fam and eaten a bit before he left! I think he looks good here (not too jowly....LOL Allison!). (Dorine) And that hair on top just isn't settling right, is it? Nope. It's not. Looks odd (IMO of course). (Ildi) The glasses Curtis sports would be better suited for him maybe, with no frames visible we could see his face better. Love Curtis' frames and think ODB would look great in them....but I like the ones he's wearing. Something about them....makes him look all bookish, which I find v. sexy (like he needs 'props' to be a sexy beast...LOL!) Regarding wireless frames like C's,,,,,I wish I could wear them. My prescription won't work for them and they are 'fragile'. Meaning someone who tosses their glasses about or leaves them laying were 'little hands' can get them should probably avoid them. And the tinting...I've had that pinkish tint on past frames (not currently). They say (and I could never tell) that it cuts down on glare. Also, possible UV protection? But I think they can do that without tint now too. I think ODB's pink tint makes him look a bit tired (still think he looks great, but it makes the whites of his eyes look pink, so he doesn't look very rested....though this could be the case! He's got two at hope in nappies....). (Karen) LD has glasses (pic of her driving, probably in Italy due to location of steering wheel); they're similar but don't look exactly the same. Wasn't that picture taken during Fever Pitch days or a bit after (I remember ODB's hair being a bit wild)? Most eyeglass wearers (that I know) have their eyes checked every two years. She would have new glasses by now (I would think). (Karen) Is there a more recent pic? My mind isn't functioning all that well. (Annette) I believe, she wore glasses at the playground-pictures from earlier this year. The Now pics. She was wearing wireless frames or lighter colored frames. Looked quite nice on her. Still love the glasses (think about it this way....the dark frames make artificial eyebrows! He's got brows now!!), don't like the hair on top (like the short back/sides and MD sideburns. Wot happened to the lovely TIFF hair?? He needs a trim) and I'm not crazy about the shirt! Large brown and black stripes? He must be saving the white button down for the LA premiere (or he loaned it to Hugh)! ;-) All that said! I want to thank Kathy (again), Karen, and Murph for all the pics!!! Danke!

LOL, Moon, I thought he looked Clark Kentish, too. ;-) I don't think the glasses are so bad--but I like nerds. ;-) Makes him look vulnerable, IMO. I like him with glasses, without glasses; with clothes, without clothes....whatever!;-) The hair is odd in the pics. But I didn't like his hair in BJD, either. Thought his hair looked like a weird asymmetrical semi-bouffant throughout most of the film.

I think you see that "part" in BJD at times too. Could be that, if the front is long enough and no one is around to fluff it and stick it back, it will naturally fall like that. Again, am racking brain cause I've seen that part before and didn't like it.

am racking brain cause I've seen that part before and didn't like it. WAGW "interview" tape. But at least there, it wasn't so flat on top.

(Moon)Maybe Colin should audition for the next Superman film, which I read is in the plans. I'm sure I read something recently about him being considered for the George Reeves story. Seriously. (Mari)What I dislike the most about the glasses is that it's *so* affected. As long as they're real I can relate to having days where contacts just won't do. And I really can't see without some help. Funny though that we haven't seen any glasses before. I remember a series of Sting interviews in the '80's where Sting wore fake glasses the whole time. I wanted to ask him if he'd ever wear a fake hearing aid if he thought it was fashionable. Did ODB wear glasses like these in 3DOR? What's that word the Fab 5 use to fluff your hair up ;-) Speaking of Queer Eye, I saw my first LA ad during NBC's QE last night!

(Tress)They say (and I could never tell) that it cuts down on glare. And doesn't the pink tint also hide dark circles under the eyes? Maybe he's been helping with the baby at night since being away at TIFF. But regardless he's too young/young looking for a pink tint in his glasses. I forget, does Mark Darcy use glasses? Maybe he's been getting used to them for that. 8-) Thanks, Kathy, Murph, and Karen for the pictures. If the glasses are indeed his then now he's really looking at scripts through rose colored glasses! ;-)

Thanks Kathy, Murph and Karen. ...and Tress are you moonlighting at Lens Crafters, again? I did like him in the TIOBE and PM glasses better, too, but overall not bad. But I do agree that he has a very different look about him. Some of those pictures remind me of those back of dust jacket photos of authors. (Karen)Again, am racking brain cause I've seen that part before and didn't like it. I believe we discussed the part in his hair from WAGW...at the table discussing Favorite bands of the 70's, but he looked so AFG in all of that film that I don't think that's the one you are thinking of. From wireimage, HG is very much back in Daniel Cleaver mode. He's been wearing his hair much shorter than this since AAB.

Actually, I think at one point in BJD that part rears its ugly head too. His hair in BJD wasn't consistently styled. Sometimes there was this weird roll in the front (under the stairs at his parents' house), other times it was poufy, and sometimes flat. Hmmmm, maybe they're going for realism. A bad hair day??? ;-)

Translation a bit off but you get the gist, from the SSFF...Nothing like a good pinchazo in the ear to get you warmed up..;-) Warm welcome for "Girl with to pearl earring" Special San Sebasti�n 2003 There are days in which one is not for so large resistances... He is hard to happen of a so pretty tape (perhaps more than good, pretty), like "Girl with to pearl earring", in a same day, the one of this Thursday, to one of both only world-wide openings in the competition of this year, the one of "Dans him rouge du couchant", that will be titled in Spain "red Twilight", a filmic disaster that only can contribute like hypothetical explanation to its unusual selection the one that interprets Marisa Walls. One of the great protagonists of the day, in which the Colombian film "the shade of the traveller", of Ciro War has taken to the prize of the section Cinema in Construction, has been Bernardine Bertolucci, that showed its last film, "The dreamers", a history on the discovery of sex with the bottom of the May of the 68. Lamentably, like it happened with the other tape of the aid who enjoys a more or less stellar distribution international criteria, "Veronica Guerin", neither Colin Firth nor Scarlett Johannson have been dropped by San Sebasti�n, although at least this time yes made the director, Peter Webber. Good references had already arrived us from Toronto, mainly of the excellent interpretation of Johannson, an emergent actress who is giving much that to speak and that with this affluent tape could appear in palmar�s donostiarra that east Saturday will announce. One is based on "best-seller" of Tracy Chevalier on the world of the painting. Flagrant any comparison between this British film with the French of Argentinean the settled down in Paris Edgardo Cozarinsky, incoherent, bad writing, pretencioso and decidedly old. The drama "red Twilight" deserves to be neither in this nor in no other festival (for that reason it is released world-wide in San Sebasti�n). If its purpose were to move to us with the traumas of the Argentine past and of the cruel passage of time on those who a day was young and beautiful, the failure could not be more resounding. "GIRL WITH To PEARL EARRING", of Peter Webber (G.B./Luxemburgo) Something extraordinary happened in the projection for the press of this film: after the ovaci�n that received when finalizing the same one, when in the final titles of credit the room appeared the names of their director of photography (Eduardo Serra), the one of the composer of the sound track (Alexandre Desplat) and the one of its feminine protagonist (Scarlett Johannson) returned to applaud. Newcomer Peter Webber has rolled a gorgeous film on the relation between the teacher of the flamenco painting Vermeer (Colin Firth) and Griet (Scarlett Johannson), a maid with a special talent to understand the art that will get to be its inspiration and model. With a rate rested, an elegant putting scene and helped by an exceptional photography that exactly catches the light of the pictures of the time, realistic an artistic direction and of clothes moved away of the tempting opulencia of the time productions and a as beautiful sound track as touching, is transferred us to the Holland of half-full of century XVII, o a world in which slopes can untie a monumental attack of jealousy or in that simple pinchazo in the ear to place seems them an almost violent act. The work of all the distribution is exceptional, honoring mainly both protagonists, Scarlett Johannson and Colin Firth, with two very complicated papers in which they speak very little, but say much. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.fotograma.com.ar/notas/festivales/3318.shtml&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dvermeer%2B%2522colin%2Bfirth%2522%26start%3D40%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN%26edition%3Dus%26as_qdr%3Dall

waaahhaafarf ! just caught a glimpse and choked : is this the new lecturer in Corporate Sociology from the London School of Economics ??? waahhaaa ! no, seriously, you guys OMG, it's Clark Kent!!!! LOL, Moon! You've got it! I wondered why he had quite such a smug look on his face ;-) are asbo-lulu-tely right... this *is* clark kent ! and i have proof : take a deep look at picture 8 in karen's gallery : the dreaded leash is still there ! well, and... and it isn't even a leash, it's... it's a necklace with a bit of kryptonite atatched to it ! well now, that sure does explain the brown shoes/blue suit business, and it also explains some, let's say, unlucky choice of roles recently... ahem. so, he's got the kryptonite, and it's kind of heavy, so he tends to fall over, bruised his forehead poor thing, had to cover it up with hair, hence the weird parting, plus he's broken three pairs of glasses so far, and now has to make do with mom's vintage 1965 old pair. need a stupid theory, just ask sophie. still have to figure out the convict tee-shirt thing, though... ah hem... but, occasionaly, there *are* good sides to being superman, mr. f. : remember when he rips his shirt off ? (is it a plaaaane , etc)well, might not be a good side for him, but we can handle it, i believe

(Maria)Nothing like a good pinchazo in the ear to get you warmed up..;-) ROTF. But this one "a world in which slopes can untie a monumental attack of jealousy" "lamentably" eludes me.

(Sophie)ah hem... but, occasionaly, there *are* good sides to being superman, mr. f. : remember when he rips his shirt off ? (is it a plaaaane , etc) Hilarious theory Sophie! Wonderful! And the leash/necklace/whatever is definitely still there. (SSFF via Google translation)the teacher of the flamenco painting Vermeer (Colin Firth) Now why have you all who have seen GWAPE been holding out on this info? Vermeer is a flamenco dance teacher? Ah, my imagination is running away with that one.... ;-) Thanks Maria!

It finally occurred to me what this pictured reminded me of: a senior year photo for the high school yearbook by Olan Mills. ;-)

ROTFLMAO, Lisa!! You're right!

(LisaJH)It finally occurred to me what this pictured reminded me of: a senior year photo for the high school yearbook by Olan Mills. ;-) I think he looks AFG, nontheless.

Those LA press conference photographs really worried me. Have I really been drooling over a narcissistic pseud all this time? Or has our adoration turned his head? Pondering this over my breakfast cornflakes, I came up with a solution that pleases me. How best when appearing with a line up of well known faces, in particular one Hugh Grunt, to whom you are always being compared unfavourably? Pretend to be superman ;-). Set yourself apart by wearing an old pair of your wife's glasses and who knows what round your neck. No more HG mark II. No wonder he looked pleased with himself :D

From today's Observer: For movie fans, just in time for Christmas, with much love New film by writer of Notting Hill is odds-on favourite to be the greatest British hit of all time It is the box-office banker to end them all. Ten love stories, a dozen A-list stars, a comic script by 'the British Spielberg' and the feel-good formula for Christmas - all in a single film. It is called Love Actually and, more than a month before its release, has already been tipped to become the biggest British hit of all time. The strength of the cast list has had the movie industry rubbing its eyes in disbelief. Established stars Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, Billy Bob Thornton, Alan Rickman and Rowan Atkinson are combined with Britain's hottest young talent: Keira Knightley, Martin Freeman (best known as Tim in The Office), Andrew Lincoln of Teachers fame, Kris Marshall from My Family and rising stage actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. But the key to the success of Love Actually , made for �23 million and predicted to gross more than �250m, could lie behind the camera. The film's screenwriter, Richard Curtis, who wrote Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hil , Bridget Jones's Diary and Bean, is also making his debut as a director. The movie played to packed houses at private screenings in London last week and has won audience ovations in Los Angeles and Toronto. Bookmaker Ladbrokes is offering odds of 3-1 that it will become the highest-grossing British film ever. 'It's got all the right ingredients to smash every record,' said spokesman Warren Lush. 'You can't go wrong with Richard Curtis and a cast of this stature.' The film weaves together 10 love stories that unfold in the run-up to Christmas and climax on Christmas Eve. The festive theme, with its potential for TV repeats, has earned comparisons with It's A Wonderful Life. Curtis's film is set in London, and is said to make the city seem as glamorous as Paris or New York. Grant plays a bachelor Prime Minister who falls in love with his Downing Street tea lady, played by McCutcheon, while Nighy is an ageing rocker with a surprise hit. There is also a pop soundtrack with distinct market potential. Love Actually receives its premiere, in aid of Comic Relief, at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 16 November, five days before its UK release. Adam Dawtrey, European editor of the industry journal Variety , said: 'It's going to be huge. It combines all the elements of Richard Curtis's work but with other things too. It is slightly less glossy and has more of an edge of realism. There is a little more nudity but the normal bucketfuls of swearing. 'It is Curtis's best film yet, a real advance for him, much more interesting than anything he's done before. It's more grown-up in a way and very funny and moving. 'The cumulative effect is of a comic and emotional juggernaut running over you, which the audience won't be able to resist. It does feel like a compendium of great British actors. This will be a must-see film.' In Hollywood, too, Love Actually is the title on industry lips. Chris Petrikin, of the William Morris Agency in Beverly Hills, said: 'It's hard to bet against Richard Curtis, the type of stories he writes and the quality of the ensemble casts he puts together. For actors it's similar to what is was like to be in a Woody Allen film: a feather in your cap that brought you instant cachet.' Curtis, 46, partner of the broadcaster Emma Freud, has written many of Britain's most popular comedies for TV and helped its cinema recapture the glory days of Ealing Studios. Four Weddings , made for �4m, took �150m worldwide, Notting Hill , made for �27m, took �230m, and Bridget Jones's Diary , made for �18m, took more than �100m. He is currently working on Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason . Curtis recently explained his decision to direct: 'It was reaching a point where I'd stolen enough hints from other people. In particular, I got very involved in the edits. I now had strong opinions about where the camera should be, how the actors should act. I just think it was time I dared.' Like Four Weddings and Notting Hill , the movie is made by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner's Working Title, produced by Duncan Kenworthy and stars Hugh Grant in a fairytale London. It is likely to face criticism for being formulaic, corny and overtly sentimental - it begins with a voice-over about 11 September, 2001, musing on the 'I love you' phone calls of those trapped inside the World Trade Centre after the terrorist attacks. Kenworthy said last night: 'Of the three films I've done with Richard, this is in many ways his most personal. It's his philosophy of life. He's not embarrassed or ashamed to say: "Love actually is all around." Love motivates people in all walks of life in every way possible. Embarrassment is the biggest English emotion, but Richard is not like that and it comes through in his writing. Movies are all about what you're feeling. 'Richard writes about things he knows about. He was very proud for years that everything he wrote about could take place within 200 yards of where he lives. He doesn't think: "I'm going to con the public again with this." He writes it because it's funny, coming from experience. It's not calculated, although of course you're calculating will this work or won't it. In retrospect everything looks calculated if you want to be cynical about it.' John Lloyd, who worked with Curtis when producing Not the Nine O'Clock News and Blackadder for the BBC, said: 'Richard seems to be the British Spielberg, he has the golden touch. Some people just know what's going to be an enormous hit. Richard is a great spreader of joy both as a person and in the stuff he makes. You can't complain about somebody who is trying to make life more pleasurable.'

(Observer)'Richard seems to be the British Spielberg' In your dreams. it begins with a voice-over about 11 September, 2001, musing on the 'I love you' phone calls of those trapped inside the World Trade Centre after the terrorist attacks. I'm concerned about using a tragic event as a plot device for a rom -com. But then I haven't seen the film yet. Thanks Karen.

In your dreams. LOL, Evelyn! The festive theme, with its potential for TV repeats, has earned comparisons with It's A Wonderful Life. Did you hear that Clarence? Help! In their dreams. The British are hoping that LA becomes the biggest grossing film ever to help their distressed film industry. The use it like a mantra.

Moive City News has the screening calender for Academy Members. Lots of GWAPE. http://www.moviecitynews.com/awards/2004/awards_calendar.html

Thanks so much, Murph!! Thank goodness I just ran across one of RSVP #'s on my desk the other day.

I don't know about most of you, but my admiration for Colin goes deeper than how nerdy his glasses look or how flat his hair is. I think Colin showed up at the press conference fresh from the barber shop (and no stylist) and wearing glasses that he perhaps just started wearing in real life. He seems like the last person to be concerned with how sexy he looks or how he can outshine his costars. He just is what he is, without the tinseltown artifice, and that's what I respect about him.

Katty, I agree wholeheartedly with you.

(Katty)my admiration for Colin goes deeper than how nerdy his glasses look or how flat his hair is Beautifully said. And I still like the glasses. ;-)

This discussion of the LA press conference pics reminds me of the breakfast table at Netherfield after Lizzy arrived with mud on her petticoats and flushed cheeks;-) I agree with Katty in that Colin is comfortable in his own skin and not likely to put on airs to impress the media. Just MHO, of course.

(Katty) I think Colin showed up at the press conference fresh from the barber shop Since they've started filming TEOR, he's no longer in charge of his own hair cutting. Frankly, choosing to put on this bizarre facade at a press conference for a very high profile movie doesn't make me want to admire him more. I only question the why and think he did it to purposely set himself apart from HG since he's been accused of being a Huge-lite by the press in his last two outings. As you'll recall, I'm not a disciple of the Church of St Colin.

Pssst.. he's just an actor...

(Brenda)What's that word the Fab 5 use to fluff your hair up Zhuzzing. And please don't ask me how to spell it;-) But yeah, your're right he needs to zhuzz. neither Colin Firth nor Scarlett Johannson have been dropped by San Sebasti�n and that means? Thanks Karen, Maria, and all for the news and pictures.

Did I miss something? Did Colin appear barechested or in pink tights or bleached hair or a muscle t-shirtt or with winged spectacles? I would hardly call nerdy but perfectly ordinary glasses and unsexy but perfectly ordinary hair "bizarre." A press conference is not a beauty contest. Colin may not have appeared glamorous, but he looks normal to me. Besides noting the new glasses, the participants probably didn't notice anything unusual about his appearance. As far as shooting for TEOR goes, we don't know what the shooting schedule is, and Colin may not even be scheduled to shoot yet (in the book he is absent quite a bit), or maybe his hair (perhaps with a stylist's embellishment) is fine just the way it is.

(Katty)Colin may not have appeared glamorous, but he looks normal to me. He looks very unlike his usual self, which makes me feel it's an affectation. (Allison)Set yourself apart by wearing an old pair of your wife's glasses and who knows what round your neck. No more HG mark II. (Karen)I . . .think he did it to purposely set himself apart from HG since he's been accused of being a Huge-lite by the press in his last two outings. Bingo! Anyway, here's a good GWAPE review from Tiscali UK; I deleted the plot description: Peter Webber gets nearly everything right in his screen adaptation. Olivia Hetreed's screenplay is skilful and deft, allowing silence and the unspoken often to carry more weight than the dialogue itself. This may essentially be a study of a single event in history, but Webber's camera and editing make it into a compelling and always interesting story. The period settings, production design and photography all convey the flavour of the great painter's work. The cast are more than equal to the surroundings they find themselves in. Scarlett Johansson comes of age in a mature performance that belies her years. She is awkward and gangly but has an incredible onscreen luminescence that attracts both the audience and the painter. After coming to attention in films such as Ghost World, she is on Hollywood's radar for her first leading roles in bigger films, and with rave reviews already under her belt for her other new film Lost in Translations it seems that the proof is in the pudding. She seems set to become one of the major actresses of the next ten years. Recent film outings have not been too kind for Colin Firth, too often lazily cast as the romantic interest in some below-par rom com ( or What A Girl Wants anyone?). However he excels here as the brooding painter, ill-at-ease at the world he finds himself in. The scenes between the two are particularly well played, and surrounded by a supporting cast that hits its mark every time. Only a desultory romance with a local butcher's boy (Cillian Murphy) slows down the film's pace, eventually going nowhere. But the film should strongly appeal to anyone looking for an upscale and intelligent evening's entertainment (and it is entertaining throughout). Let's hope this is one British director who has plenty still left to show us. Rating: 08/10

closing tag

(Katty) A press conference is not a beauty contest. No, but all participants know that is where the press is going to take all the pictures used in countless articles published all over the world to promote the film, aside from the actual publicity still from the film. Who knows, this may be the *new* Mark Darcy look? That Conservative (with a capital C) that Bridget can't quite accept??? ;-)

I'm sure he can give as good as he gets from us, too. And just because he's looking......um, "different," doesn't mean we don't care. Hey, I tell my friends if something they're wearing doesn't quite work. Doesn't mean I have less respect for them. OK, well, um........maybe regarding their fashion sense it does. ;-D

LOL, Dorine! I agree! There is something sexy about Clark Kent too. ;-)

(Karen)Who knows, this may be the *new* Mark Darcy look? That Conservative (with a capital C) that Bridget can't quite accept??? ;-) (Me,post 159)I forget, does Mark Darcy use glasses? Maybe he's been getting used to them for that. 8-) I see your winkie, Karen, but that's what I was thinking. If Renee can get comfortable with extra pounds, then Colin can try out his glasses ;-), if they are indeed for the film.

Have we had this review of GWAPE yet? It's from San Sebastian, but in English. ;-) From Laura Clifford: In the city of Delft in 1665, teenaged Griet (Scarlett Johansson, "Lost in Translation") must leave her family and go to work when her tile painter father is blinded in a fire. She becomes a maid under the direction of Tanneke (Joanna Scanlan) in the home of painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth, "What a Girl Wants"). She keeps to herself, but when a domestic servant's squabble results in her sleeping quarters being moved from the basement to the attic, it is arranged that she should clean Vermeer's studio, an enclave not even his wife is allowed into, as she must go through it to enter the rest of the household. Through no action of her own, the unassuming maid is now under Catharina Vermeer's (Essie Davis, "The Matrix Reloaded") scrutiny. Laura: British television director Peter Webber makes a feature debut that is both subtle and strong bringing Tracy Chevalier's best seller (adapted by Olivia Hetreed) to the screen. In collaboration with cinematographer Eduardo Serra ("The Widow of Saint Pierre"), who won a Jury award at the San Sebastian film festival for his work and should be an Oscar front runner, Webber perfectly captures the life of an elusive artist trapped in the politics of a household run by three generations of women. Small events rachet up the tension between mistress and maid. An elaborate feast is prepared to celebrate both the birth of the Vermeer's latest child and the unveiling of the most recent commissioned painting for benefactor Van Ruijven (a miscast Tom Wilkinson, "In the Bedroom"). Van Ruijven announces that his next commission will go to Rembrandt, alarming Maria Thins (Judy Parfitt, "Dolores Clairborne"), Vermeer's mother-in-law and household financier, but he also expresses an interest in being painted with their new, pretty maid. Remarking on Vermeer's secretive working style, he salaciously remarks to Catharina 'I have a mind to go up there one day and surprise him in the act.' When Griet asks Catharina and Maria if she should wash the windows in the studio, they wonder why she's even asked. 'It's just that it may change the light,' the girl replies, and the two women wonder that the girl would think of such a thing. It is the artist's eye in the girl that draws the attention of Vermeer himself, and soon he entrusts the girl with mixing his paints, shows her his camera obscura, and draws out of her that the clouds outside are not white, but yellow, red and gray. When one of Catharina's hair combs is stolen, Griet is charged. She boldly asks Vermeer for help and he unexpectedly searches the house, finding the comb under the pillow of his daughter Cornelia (Alakina Mann, "The Others"), a girl who sees much and says little. Catharina is less than appeased, though, and Griet's days are numbered. Webber builds up the sexual tension between Griet and Vermeer with looks, acknowledgements of understanding that pass between the two. He stages one of the sexiest scenes in cinema history with two fully clothed people standing yards apart when Vermeer illicitly gazes at Griet, her hair exposed (Griet modestly keeps hair covered beneath a cap and Johansson may never look as stunning on film again as she does here). The two only have physical contact twice - when their fingers brush together as they both mix paint and when Vermeer pierces Griet's ear in preparation for the famous painting, a metaphor for her deflowering. Firth and Johansson are perfectly paired. He exudes repressed passion with his dark eyes and brooding looks, yet he is hamstrung by his manipulative mother-in-law and the demands of his wife so the passion is mixed sharply with frustration of many natures. Johansson expresses intelligent inquisitiveness with her eyes. Physically she shrinks herself inward so as not to attract attention, except when her mind has been engaged and she forgets herself. The rest of the household is also perfectly cast. Parfitt is a standout as the wily player who puts commerce before her daughter, complicit in the use of Catharina's earrings for Van Ruijven's painting of Griet even though she knows the act will cause a rift in the household. Davis nicely handles the pretty but perpetually petulant wife trying to maintain her husband's interest. Outside of the household, however, casting is off. Wilkinson gives Van Ruijven's leering his all, but the role called for someone fatter, more florid. Cillian Murphy ("28 Days") as Pieter, the butcher's son who woos Griet, is, frankly, prettier than his costar. The role would have been better served by someone more brutishly handsome. Hetreed's adaptation maintains focus on the book's intrigues, yet she keeps artistic details that bring Vermeer's world to life. We learn, for example, that India yellow was produced from sacred cows who only ate mango leaves ('You've glazed my wife in dried piss!' Van Ruijven heartily exclaims). Another excellent sequence, where Griet removes a chair from Vermeer's arrangement, indicates an artistic collaboration between the two based upon a historic fact (that particular painting has been x-rayed, revealing that Vermeer had painted over a chair). The recreation of Vermeer's household visually is astounding. Serra painstakingly recreated scenes from the artist's work and shot using natural light. When the titular painting itself is finally staged, it is simply breathtaking. (All the paintings shown in the film are replicas, except for this one, which is shown at the end of the film in a slow zoom from the blob of white that creates the gleam on the pearl earring.) "Girl with the Pearl Earring" is one of the best film's ever made about art made richer with its speculative interior drama. A- http://www.reelingreviews.com/girlwiththepearlearring.htm

(Karen)Have we had this review of GWAPE yet? It's from San Sebastian, but in English. ;-) Hey, we take the good news no matter how undecipherable! Atay eastlay heythay erentway inay yrlliccay..;-) (article)Webber builds up the sexual tension between Griet and Vermeer with looks, acknowledgements of understanding that pass between the two. He stages one of the sexiest scenes in cinema history with two fully clothed people standing yards apart when Vermeer illicitly gazes at Griet, As Prez of the Hyberbolists Society, I am glad to see reviewer's name is NOT on the roster..;-)

Don't know if this has been posted here or not. Sorry if it has been and I missed it. Ladies Home Journal is doing a promo for Love Actually. There are advanced screenings of the movie in various cities including Nashville and Kansas City, MO. I forgot to write down all the other cities, but you can get tickets by calling 877-474-5323. When you call you press a number for the city of your choice and leave your name and address. The recorded message didn't give the dates for the advanced showings. I hope it's for real because I'd love to see the movie early. Also from the issue of LHJ is a promo sweepstakes to win a romantic trip to New York for the premiere and the Gala party. You can't enter yet, but the website is www.lhjpromo.com/loveactually. At the website is a small picture of OBD. Michelle

Here are the city choices they give on the recording: Atlanta, Phoenix, Nashville, Greenville (SC), Hartford, Las Vegas, Flint, Portland or Bent Oregon, Kansas City (MO). This movie really IS getting full-blown promotion, though I find the choice of cities for advanced screenings curious. The recording says you will receive your tickets in the mail, so it sounds like first come-first serve. Also says you will receive a gift bag of goodies from sponsors. Too bad I'm not close to any of these.

The Entertainment Weekly advance screenings are to the major cities; this is merely being sponsored by some skincare companies and a drugstore chain and their select markets.

Today's Extra showed clips from Love Actually and the London press junket (tag team of Huge and Richard Curtis), focused on Huge being unmarried and bored with Hollywood. Didn't mention Colin being in the film, just Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson.

He stages one of the sexiest scenes in cinema history Whew, more sexy than the ear piercing? Excellent, bravo. Thank you Maria, Karen and Mari. However he excels here as the brooding painter. Sounding better and better.

I think this is overstated, but am posting it, from Dark Horizons: Love Actually: Expect the DVD version of this romance/comedy to contain around 80 minutes of extra footage.

There are a few new photos from the LA press conference at that online gallery Maria had found. My fave: http://colinfirth.casa-feliz.net/images/details.php?image_id=1793 Very clear! His hair looks so soft. No wonder it's a bit messed. Women can't resist touching.

Mmmmmmm... Thanks BrendaL! The pics weren't up when I checked last night. And I like how the lighting brings out the red in his hair. Makes me think of FP, only not as huge.

Colin Firth says sex symbol tag is a laugh: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_828529.html

Another version from BBCi -- Firth warned off Mr Darcy role: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3189676.stm ****************************** This from the Mirror: "...But her love handles come in handy for Darcy as he grabs her in a passionate clinch in scenes filmed in a park in Primrose Hill, North West London. The love action sometimes got a bit too much for Renee and Firth, 43, and they just had to laugh it off."

New pic from Love Actually that was in the Ladies Home Journal ads for that drugstore chain. You'll find it here: http://www.firth.com/love_gal_pub1.html

Note: That scarf is mine;-))))) Cute pics. But ad for what? A product,or just the pharmacy chain... Were the others also featured? evelyn *who is too cheap to buy it*

Evelyn, I'm glad you spoke up about the scarf because I was just getting ready to go to Keepsakes and beg for it ;-) Love the way he looks in the second pic. Normally I go for the open-necked look but this one is positively divine.

Just found this on the Yahoo Movies site. Since I am still new here and trying to get the hang of it, I didn't know if anyone posted this. Seems Hope Springs did not test well in Florida so it will be released directly to video later. http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&id=1808408049&cf=prev

(Evelyn)Cute pics. But ad for what? A product,or just the pharmacy chain... I was too cheap to buy it too.;-) In the mag I saw (November LHJ, Halle Berry on cover), there are three pages of ads. On Colin's page, there's the pic of Colin and Lucia, and the copy says somrething like, When Aurelia (Lucia Moniz) kisses Jamie (Colin Firth), her lipstick doesn't come off. It's an ad for Maybelline lipstick, plus a money back offer from Eckerd. There's also a small pic of CF by himself, taken from the pic with Laura Linney. Also a pic of Lucia with the film's makeup artist (ostensibly applying the Maybelline;-) The scarf pic was not in the ad I saw. Here's more from Reeling Reviews on the San Sebastian Festival (Karen posted the review earlier): Girl with the Pearl Earring press conference (Director Peter Webber) At another sadly underpopulated press conference, director Peter Webber is mostly greeted by questions about cinematography. Granted, the film's visuals are one of its most extraordinary components, but Weber's subtle, sure-handed direction of a complex story told with sparse dialogue seems almost to have been taken for granted. (One journalist was rather condescending when he asked how a first time director like Webber was able to work with esteemed cinematographer Eduardo Serra ("The Hairdresser's Husband"). Webber explains that he made films for television and was developing a thriller when a chance, overheard conversation with his producer's assistant about the impact his first viewing of "Girl with the Pearl Earring" (a replica was hanging outside the producer's office) had on him resulted in a chance at the job. The casting of Johanssen was luck, as he didn't really think she looked the part at first, having met her on her way to a Knicks game. When asked about Colin Firth by a female journalist, Webber laughed, saying that the ladies always asked about Firth, who was presently shooting "Bridget Jones 2." Webber said that Firth had a brooding quality but that he could also express great tenderness on screen. Webber went on discuss the film's costumes, which he said were stripped back and made simpler than the period would have dictated in order to pay attention to the characters. In closing, Webber said he didn't really think his film was about art at all, but about sex and power.

evelyn *who is too cheap to buy it* (Mari) I was too cheap to buy it too.;-) So, it's a good thing someone wasn't. ;-) The scarf pic was not in the ad I saw. It wasn't in LHJ and has been up there for a few days, but now I can't remember where it was from...but it was much smaller....that much I can remember. In closing, Webber said he didn't really think his film was about art at all, but about sex and power. LOL! Reminds me of a NLB answer. Thanks Mari for posting the husband's review...or comments about the press conference.

Seems Hope Springs did not test well in Florida so it will be released directly to video later. Sheesh! What a surprise? ;-)Thanks, Darla. Thanks, Murph and Karen!

Thanks Karen, Murph, Mari and Darla CF sure looks great in LA. I'm staying optomistic that he will look AFG as MD. ...and I'm really hoping it was the wind that parted his hair in the middle. Oops, I wasn't going to go there;-)

On the Netflix site, HS and LA are available to reserve and both already have viewer ratings of 3.5 stars. GWAPE has 2.5 stars. Very curious, as I suspect legions of fans are rating these sight unseen out of a sense of loyalty. I consider myself a semi-rabid fan, but I do wait until I've actually seen a movie before I rate it. Do we have any way to find out how they happened to pick Florida for a test market for HS? No offense to our Drool sisters, but I can only imagine matinee houses filled with blue-haired retirees reacting to Heather's antics. Wasn't that stacking the odds against any chance of wider distribution? Is Florida a frequent selection?

(Deb) Do we have any way to find out how they happened to pick Florida for a test market for HS? Must be payback for the presidential election. ;-)

(Deb) Do we have any way to find out how they happened to pick Florida for a test market for HS? Wot? You've never seen Wild on E - South Beach? ;-)

For those of you in the UK, you can try and win the grand prize, tickets to the LA premiere and after party Nov 16 at the Empire Cinema or 40 runners up win tickets and "LA Indulgence" kits (I want to know what's in them!)... http://www.blockbuster.co.uk/

Here's a better link to the Blockbuster contest: http://www.blockbuster.co.uk/common/blankframe.asp?frame=dvdbypost&page=../aboutus/loveactually.asp

Saturday's Times will have a pullout supplement on the London Film Festival, and a feature article on Scarlett Johannsen. GWAPE is also playing at festivals in St.Louis and Hawaii, and at the Hollywood Awards Festival, in October/early November. "Sylvia" is closing the London Festival. Could be the main competition for GWAPE for awards in the UK. I'm hoping that it doesn't get too enthusiastic a reception (although our critics seem to relish anything that's depressing!)

Ananova: Daleks voted top TV villains The Daleks have been voted Britain's most evil TV villains. Dr Who's arch enemies topped a list of on-screen baddies in a new poll. The Daleks terrified generations of children with their mission to "exterminate". Footballers' Wives bad boy Jason Turner, played by Cristian Solimeno, came second. Third was Soames Forsyte (Eric Porter) in the original 60s version of the The Forsyte Saga, who horrified viewers with the scene in which he raped wife Irene. The ruthless Francis Urquhart, from the political thriller House Of Cards, played by Ian Richardson, came fourth. Jewel In The Crown villain Ronald Merrick (Tim Pigott-Smith) was fifth in the poll of more than 3,000 GMTV viewers on behalf of wine company Lindemans. Sean Bean's Major Richard Sharpe was named top TV hero, beating Horatio Hornblower and Nick Berry's Pc Nick Rowan in Heartbeat. Inspector Morse was top detective, the Larkins from The Darling Buds Of May were favourite family, and Colin Firth's Mr Darcy from Pride and Prejudice was the sexiest TV character. The most sizzling TV romance was between Rachel Ward and Richard Chamberlain, aka Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph, in slushy 80s mini-series The Thorn Birds. Robbie Coltrane series Cracker was voted the best TV drama of all time. It beat the likes of Brideshead Revisited, The Singing Detective and The Forsyte Saga in the poll.

The front cover of this week's "Radio Times" features the BBC's "The Big Read" (the nation's favourite books) and depicts two TV personalities in Regency dress. The headline is "Oh Mr Darcy" and then there's a speech bubble - "And what was it about the fabulously rich and handsome Mr Darcy in a wet shirt that first attracted you, Miss Bennet?" Just how many years has it been since P&P2?

Was speaking with someone tonight who had the Italian VF with Colin's interview...(that picture is stunning in magazine size). She said it says the reindeer sweater is to make another appearance.....at least in a drawer at Mark's house where Bridget finds it. That's all she told me. She had only skimmed over the article at that point.

This should make Karen happy. Revised release schedule for GWAPE: December 12: New York, Los Angeles December 26: Chicago, San Francisco January 9: Wider release I guess us folks in "Wider" will just have to wait.;-)

A few more from TIFF GWAPE premiere.. http://www.globephotos.com/scripts/kws30pre.exe?search=K32640AM&type=GfxOnly&maxhits=12&mode=&site=GLOBEPH&picktype=GfxOnly&Firsthit=1&SORT=&NoScan=on&hmessage=TORONTO+INTERNATIONAL+FILM+FESTIVAL+PREMIERE+THE+GIRL+WITH+THE+PEARL+EARRING+AT+THE+ROY+THOMSON+HALL%2C+TORONTO%2C+CANADA%2C+9%2F7%2F2003&ShowTotal=on&Next+Page.x=4&Next+Page.y=12 And waugh! Is this seat taken?? This one from the portrait section at TIFF! http://217.158.83.120/siteimages/globeph/thumbs/07140/07140669.jpg

Love Actually R E V I E W B Y R I C H C L I N E Shadows on the EWall Writer Richard Curtis (Four Weddings, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones) finally takes control of his own material, directing this sprawling ensemble romantic comedy. You almost need a flow chart to keep track of the characters, but somehow Curtis and his gifted editor keep it all clear for us. Nine love stories are intertwined as Christmas approaches.... 1: The new plain-talking British Prime Minister (Grant) is immediately drawn to his plain-talking tea lady (McCutcheon). 2: The PM's sister Karen (Thompson) is worried about her husband Harry's (Rickman) relationship with his secretary Mia (Makatsch). 3: Harry's star employee Sarah (Linney) has a secret office crush on a hunky coworker (Santoro). 4: Karen's recently widowed best friend (Neeson) is helping his young stepson (Sangster) cope with his first crush. 5: Mia's art gallery owner friend (Lincoln) has trouble relating to his best buddy Peter's (Ejiofor) new wife (Knightley). 6: Peter's novelist friend Jamie (Firth) escapes a bad relationship in the South of France, but begins to fall for his Portuguese housekeeper (Moniz) even though they don't speak a shared language. 7: A loser (Marshall) heads to America where gorgeous girls will find his English accent irresistible, or so he hopes. 8: Two movie stand-ins (Freeman and Page) struggle to express their feelings, despite outrageous physical intimacy on set. 9: And ageing bad boy rocker Billy Mack (Nighy) is trying for a comeback with a Christmas novelty single, a reworking of Love Is All Around, both a fantastic gag and a witty reference to Four Weddings. Curtis plays with every conceivable permutation of the rom-com and doesn't forget to include some serious and even sad moments. He's also a smart enough filmmaker to play with cliches without ever falling back on them; the overall structure is carefully manipulative and we don't mind at all, even as it builds to the big, contrived scenes. Standouts in the cast are Nighy (a deliriously funny role with all the best lines), Thompson (in a startlingly complicated Oscar-worthy turn) and Grant (on peak form as a dream PM who dares to stand up to the US President--a slightly miscast Thornton). Honourable mention goes to Firth, Lincoln, Neeson, Linney, Rickman and the superb Sangster. More problematic are the too-broad McCutcheon, the lightweight Knightley and the criminally underused Ejiofor. Besides the sheer joy of watching this film, it's also worth seeing for what it has to say about romance--both the sweet fairy tale fluff and the more melancholy realities. By touching on virtually every conceivable amorous notion, Curtis continually hits both the hilarious funny notes and the meaningful emotional ones. Love actually is all around.

From THR flackman: Oct. 15, 2003 'Love' looms as hit for Uni, Working Title By Martin A. Grove Curtis comedy: Although romantic comedies are one of Hollywood's most successful genres, some of the biggest such hits in recent years actually originated with Britain's Working Title Films. "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Bridget Jones's Diary" all stemmed from the long-term relationship between Working Title co-chairmen Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner and writer Richard Curtis. "Love Actually," their latest film, opens Nov. 7 at 500-plus theaters via Universal and marks Curtis' directorial debut. After its launch in limited release, "Love" will go wider Nov. 14 and then expand again Nov. 21. [Ed note: 500+ theaters is more than just NY & LA!] Produced by Duncan Kenworthy, Bevan and Fellner, its knock-out ensemble cast boasts Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Martine McCutcheon, Keira Knightley and Rowan Atkinson. Having greatly enjoyed my own early look at "Love," I fully expect it to perpetuate the genre's success both at the boxoffice and also on the awards front in a number of key categories in the Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe races. Curtis is a master when it comes to writing screenplays that blend wonderfully funny lines with genuinely touching moments. With an ensemble cast that's something of a who's who of contemporary British acting talent, there's no shortage of performances to celebrate here. I was particularly fond of the vignettes starring Rickman and Thompson as a couple whose longtime marriage is running into trouble and Grant as the British Prime Minister and McCutcheon as the junior staff member at 10 Downing Street with whom Grant's instantly smitten his first day on the job. Overall, the level of acting Curtis achieves from everyone is top notch across the board. In "Love," Curtis has interwoven a number of ostensibly independent stories about love, all of which differ in tone but have in common the fact that they're amusing in their own way. The film's setting is London in the weeks approaching Christmas and by the time we hit Christmas Eve we're seeing these tales come together and people from one story suddenly relating to those in other vignettes. The film's title comes from a voice over during the opening credits that reflects on the widespread feeling these days that "we live in a world of hatred and greed," but then goes on to conclude that "If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion that love actually is all around." I was happy to have an opportunity shortly after seeing "Love" to chat about the making of the film with Bevan, who phoned from London. "Working Title in whatever incarnation (over the years) has done everything that Richard has ever written," Bevan pointed out. "It started with a little picture called 'The Tall Guy' in the '80s (starring Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson). Then he wrote 'Four Weddings and a Funeral.' Then he co-wrote 'Bean.' Then he wrote 'Notting Hill.' Then he co-wrote 'Bridget Jones's Diary.' And then he wrote and directed 'Love Actually.' Since 1987, when I first met him basically on 'The Tall Guy,' he's always been a writer who's been all over his work. He's kind of had a 'producer' role, particularly on the films where he's been a single-credit writer. So he's been involved in a very intimate way in all of those films through working with us on choosing who should direct them and who should be in them, being on the set all the time and then particularly on all of the mo ies he's been very, very involved in the cutting room. "And there's always been a kind of dream (of his) and it's become more of an acute dream as time's past that he should direct. He got to a point on 'Love Actually' where it was inevitable, basically, that that should happen. Right from the beginning on 'The Tall Guy,' I think it was a dream of his that one day he would manage to do it and it's fantastic that the collaboration stayed in place and that we've all worked on all of these films together and that it's developed to this point. Not only has it been the backburner of Working Title, but it's sort of become the backburner of British cinema, as well, in the last 15 years." With so many stars working together in "Love's" ensemble cast, just the logistics of casting all those roles and getting everyone's busy schedules to somehow work during the production period had to have been a great challenge. "On 'Four Weddings' and on 'Notting Hill' and on 'Love Actually,' we've overseen the films and Richard has worked very, very closely with Duncan Kenworthy, who's been the other producer on all of his films," Bevan told me. "And Duncan and Richard have done the on-floor (in production) stuff. Now when we came to cast 'Love Actually,' Richard had a pretty clear idea on the principals as to who he wanted. As a British phenomenon, which Richard is, if a British actor gets sent a script by Richard Curtis, then they're going to do it. He's one of those lucky people -- who he wants, he gets. Then, inevitably, there's a juggle, but at the end of the day they're all in pretty small vignettes and on the whole with the vignettes we shot them in a lump basically so that it worked." Asked how the project came about, Bevan explained, "The good thing about Richard is that he's not over-prolific. A long while back he gets the germ of an idea. It's probably when he's in post-production on the last one. Probably right now he's got an idea for the film that he'll make in 2006 or 2007. He starts to work on it and work on it and work on it. He spends a couple of years working on a screenplay before any of us get to see it. That's the way he does it. He works way quietly. The other thing about him and, indeed, this team is that they have a very high quality threshold of their own and that applies to everything. So it applies to the script. It applies to who you cast and who you employ on it and so on and so forth, all the way down to the movie, itself. So he isn't keen on turning a script over till he's pretty sure it's something that he's going to run with." As for casting all those roles, Bevan added, "A number of the keys like Hugh, who plays the Prime Minister, Martine, who plays Natalie (working on the PM's household staff), several of them he had in his mind when he was writing. And Colin, obviously, because Colin had worked on 'Bridget Jones' and Emma because Emma was in 'The Tall Guy.' There is a company in a funny sort of way. There's a method to the madness. Then beyond that it is a juggle and we are very lucky that people like Liam Neeson, for instance, agreed to come on board because he hasn't done a film back here (in the U.K.) for a long time." Production was done "at the end of last year," he said. "There's a charity called Comic Relief here as, indeed, there is in America. But the British Comic Relief was the first one that Richard actually started. Every two years they have a massive night where they take over one of the TV channels here and they raise a huge amount of money. So every two years he does that. We shot the film leading up to the end of 2002 and put it to one side until after Comic Relief in April and since then we've been in post-production. The people who worked on the picture in the key (jobs had all worked before with Curtis). (Director of photography) Mickey Coulter, who lit it, lit 'Four Weddings' and 'Notting Hill,' so he's been part of that team for a while. There's a sort of team that work on a lot of our movies, whether they're Richard's movies or not. So that was kind of the backbone (in production). There's a shorthand between people and they work very well together. Like Jim Clay, the production designer, did 'About A oy' and 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin,' so he's part of the sort of Working Title team. And Joanna Johnston, who's the costume designer, has done about 'About A Boy' and way back she did 'French Kiss' with us. There's a bunch of people who've worked together a lot." The company was based at Shepperton Studios outside London. "We built Liam's set there (for the vignette in which Neeson plays a widowed stepfather trying to connect with a young son he doesn't know terribly well and who's got romantic troubles even at his youthful age)," Bevan said. "We built the Prime Minister's set there. We built a few other sets there. Otherwise, we were on location around town. 'Notting Hill,' 'Bridget,' 'About A Boy' and 'Love Actually' were all London-based films. We've had a bit more money, basically, (than other British filmmakers) and have been able to give the city a look on those films, which is very gratifying. It doesn't look like a grotty place. You get used to low-budget British films and we don't show our city off to the best (in those). "The other interesting thing in terms of getting the film received in America is that when you begin to show the city off like that, they begin to not feel that the film is an import. They see the film as just a movie sort of thing. There's a magic hurtle that we have to go through with British films for the American audience where they're no longer feeling that the film's a nice quaint little picture from over the pond. They just accept it as a movie." Production went very smoothly, he observed, with "no hiccups on this one. It's been quite a blessed film in that respect. It's a lot like 'Four Weddings.' On 'Four Weddings,' nothing really went wrong in the making of it and nothing really went wrong in the making of this picture either. Everyone got on. The biggest risk was Richard because he hadn't directed and he took to that like a duck to water. I remember the first stuff we shot was down in France on Colin's sector, where he's down there (searching for the girl he loves who's now returned home from London). On the first day, one was worried and by lunch time one wasn't worried." Did Curtis have any trepidation about directing? "He's the sort of guy (who) doesn't put himself into a risky position," Bevan replied. "He would never have done it unless he knew that he could, as it were. He's also a very, very diligent person so he'll always do the research. This is a superbly well cast film, not only in its principals but in its extras, as well. That's the sort of guy Richard is. He'll make sure that round the Prime Minister's cabinet table, for instance, where there's 30 or 40 people, that you've kind of cast each of those extras yourself so the guy who's third down the table on the left doesn't let you down. That's the level of his quality. When the film played in Toronto two or three weeks ago, it went off like a firecracker, basically. I think they'd all been watching subtitled French films for far too long so they would just need a laugh. It exploded. About 10 minutes into the movie I went over to Richard, saying, 'This is amazing. It's never going to do better than this.' And he's taking notes because we hadn't quite finished the mix. And he's sitting there in his finest moment still taking notes of how to make it better." With so many stories interwoven, the editing of "Love" had to have been particularly important. "When the film was being put together, everyone said, 'Oh, my goodness' because it was long that 'one of the stories is going to have to go' and blah, blah, blah. It didn't happen. It's all of the stories that were shot. They've just been cut down. The running time's two hours. But I don't think you feel lost in it. Somehow, the structure works. What's interesting is there's a vogue of this going on in London (with multi-story films). Of course, (Robert) Altman's done it in the past, but they tend to have been more artier pictures. But I think there's a sort of commercial vogue of these multi-strand films that people are working on." When I mentioned my feeling that "Love" is not only a film with strong commercial prospects, but also with awards potential, Bevan noted, "We haven't thought about that at all, funny enough, though I think that Richard's well due acknowledgment in terms of his writing. At the moment, we're focusing on getting it out (into the marketplace). (With) these sorts of films because of the multi-strand (structure) you can't book 4,000 theaters and spend a huge amount of money (in launching it that wide). You have to give them a little more tender loving care and attention. We've worked very closely with the Universal people. The main thing is you want to screen the hell out of this movie because it's greatest advocate will be the word of mouth on it -- not only in America, but all around the world. The slightly scary thing is, here we are on whatever date it is in October and we've got to go everywhere in the world in the course of the next seven or eight weeks because (with) the seasonality of the movie, come the eginning of January it won't carry the same pertinence as it will before Christmas. (As with any picture) that has a Christmas theme to it, now you feel all warm and glowing about it (but) come the 26th of December you don't want to know about it." Over the years, Working Title's been recognized with major awards for many of its films, including four Oscars, 18 British Academy Awards and a number of top prizes at film festivals in Cannes and Berlin. What effect will the MPAA's ban on distributors sending out DVD screeners this year have on "Love's" awards prospects? "I think this film will be fine," Bevan observed. "In a way, we're lucky this year because we don't have a small movie like 'Billy Elliot' or something like that where an audience (of awards voters) wouldn't necessarily go to it and wouldn't have been exposed to it (at theatrical screenings). But if this film does get lucky in terms of awards, it's rather fortunate because it's a film that the voters would have seen in the theaters, I think. It's not like the Polanski film from last year ('The Pianist') where a lot of us probably saw it on screeners. 'The Pianist' this year would not win anything, I don't think, (without DVDs enabling voters to view it at home)." "Love" will also have the advantage of already being in theaters well before awards nominations ballots are due in January. "For a lot of films, it's got to be tricky," he said. "It's an odd one for us because we make bigger films like this one, but we also make a lot of smaller films, as well. And when you get a good smaller film, this whole screener thing (hurts because such movies are) very word of mouth dependent and discovery type movies. (They're) dependent on getting noticed for awards."

(THR)" As for casting all those roles, Bevan added...Hugh Grant....And Colin, obviously, because Colin had worked on 'Bridget Jones' and Emma because Emma was in 'The Tall Guy.' There is a company in a funny sort of way." Nice to see him included with the *in* crowd of the British film industry. V. V. good. Thanks Karen.

Karen, very interesting article. Thank you so much :-) (I hope, you didn't have to type it all up).

There's a magic hurtle that we have to go through with British films for the American audience Gee, I thought it was the other way 'round;-) As a British phenomenon, which Richard is, if a British actor gets sent a script by Richard Curtis, then they're going to do it. He's one of those lucky people -- who he wants, he gets. ...and thank goodness he's wanted YKW. Great article, thanks, Karen

I have finally managed to catch up what`s been happening in firthland. Is GWAPE trailer online? I`m glad that LA is a x-mas comedy and so it has to open in Finland before christmas too. It seems now that WAGW has disappeared from the coming soon list, so LA is my next hope to see him in something since BJD.

There is a GWAPE trailer up at the LIFF site: http://www.lff.org.uk/films_details.php?FilmID=99

I just this minute saw my first LA commercial. Here we go!!! Little bit of Colin and others, lots of Huge. (as noted here) Opens Nov 7th select theaters, nationwide Nov.14)

Well, the LA trailer seems to have finally made it down here, too. Saw it today when I went to a special "preview" showing of "Intolerable Cruelty". There was quite a bit of Colin in it (the trailer, that is)... I think they know that Colin sells well here. :-)

I like that they used a shot of ODB with `a look` before the word love pops out. He sure knows how to express emotions with his eyes.

Has anyone looked at the GWAPE trailer yet? Karen posted the link above & it is yummy! There is only one review posted and it is by someone called Lois. She saw the movie at the Toronto FF. Basically her review is about how Americans could not appreciate Colin b/c he is too classy for us & how he is not marketable in the US b/c apparently we only like violence. I guess she hasn't seen this site! So, any Americans who were at the Toronto FF & saw this movie (lucky you!) Go over there and post a review to shut Lois up!

(Jodi)... her review is about how Americans could not appreciate Colin b/c he is too classy for us & how he is not marketable in the US b/c apparently we only like violence. *yawn , Yawn* He ain't so marketable in the UK either if you tally up the receipts of his movies over there.

Couple of things... (1) If anyone is interested in purchasing a ticket for the London Love Actually premiere (cost is around �130 plus VAT) and is for the film only, let me know at my "office" addy. (2) The L-dum movie (now called Fourplay) is finally coming out on VHS/DVD in the US on Dec 2, 2003, and can be preordered from amazon; I've put the links up at The Boutique for purchasing, though the video is at discount "rental" pricing for now. The DVD is supposed to have a featurette, theatrical trailer (as if there were to be a theatrical release), and deleted scenes (though given some people's egos, I wouldn't count on there being lots of Colin in those). Here's the cover: (3) The Boutique now has links to quite a few more Austen sequels since I've noticed many have been purchased on the quarterly reports. If there are others that should be included, please let me know. (Sorry for the housekeeping details here, but...)

OK, expanded to three items. So no need to tell me I should've written "several" ;-)

(Karen's Number Two...really! ;-D) The L-dum movie (now called Fourplay) is finally coming out on VHS/DVD in the US on Dec 2, 2003, and can be preordered from amazon. Oh joy! Now I can slow mo MB! A dream come true!! This creates a bit of a quandary....to buy or not to buy. I'll end up buying it cuz I do all of ODB's films...if I can get them....but gah! Of all the ones not out on DVD...why this one? Give me PM. Much better freeze frame potential (has that little drawback of Jennifer Rubin, but I'll take her over MB any day)....and where is Joe Prince? Where is AC or AMITC???? Those I would expect to be out before.....L'dum. Thanks Karen.....

Variety: Year-end wide releases have longer legs -- Muscle of end-of-year titles draws attention By DADE HAYES October at the B.O. has felt more like December, with a 30% increase in the total releases over last year. That flurry is a mere precursor to a pressure-packed year-end stretch that will see a clash between popcorn and awards bait -- some of it combined in one megabudget package. Oh, and in case you've been on Mars: The Oscars are in February and the MPAA has banned screeners. The dynamics of the B.O. are also different during this season. Unlike the one-weekend-wonder pattern of the summer, which this year saw a typical release swoon 50% in its second weekend, an average holiday wide release in 2002 collected just 18% of its total gross in its first frame. That trajectory means distribs accustomed to splashing films into the marketplace and moving on will have to exercise some patience and ingenuity. Pics that open in mid-December will have to have a strategy for how to stay aloft in January. In November and December, 24 wide releases are skedded, up from 22 last year. More than the quantity, the muscle of end-of-year titles is drawing attention. Last year's mainstream roster included "8-Mile" and a rash of sequels, among them "Harry Potter," "Star Trek" and James Bond. Only "Lord of the Rings" emerged as a dual commercial and kudos threat. This year will see the finales of "Matrix" and "Lord of the Rings," but also hefty prestige titles like "Master and Commander," "The Last Samurai" and "Cold Mountain." As always, big bets will be placed on effects-driven all-ages fare, including "Cat in the Hat," "Haunted Mansion" and "Peter Pan." The real estate occupied by those big studio titles will undoubtedly complicate life for littler films. Forget screeners, the real battle will be for screens. The title of Sony's Jack Nicholson-Diane Keaton comedy says it all: "Something's Got to Give." "You have to consider things you've never considered before" in order to "register on this competitive Richter scale," says Jack Foley, distrib chief at Focus Features, which is handling "Sylvia" and "21 Grams," plus the ongoing "Lost in Translation." Publicity and marketing becomes even more headache-inducing than usual. Everything from spot-TV ad time to talk-show slots to billboard space will be hotly contested. "With the lack of screeners, the studios and their affiliates are going to ratchet up the spend, which will make it tougher," says Tom Ortenberg, prexy of Lions Gate, which is juggling "Shattered Glass," "The Cooler" and "Girl With a Pearl Earring." The jockeying for dates ended months ago. Warner Bros. midbudget Halle Berry thriller "Gothika" is the only major title to switch spots of late, moving out of a pre-Halloween berth to Nov. 21. With dates set, execution is everything. "The movies are the thing," Ortenberg says. "If you have a good movie and you do a good job marketing it, you're going to have success. The public can smell out stinkers. It's not a good season to try to put one over on people."

The LA trailer is showing in Italy with the Coen Bros. film. It looks like it will open in EU at the same time. Will I see it first horribly dubbed, in Italy? Nah! Good things are worth waiting for. :-) The DVD is supposed to have a featurette, theatrical trailer (as if there were to be a theatrical release), and deleted scenes (though given some people's egos, I wouldn't count on there being lots of Colin in those). LOL, Karen. Who will be the brave soul that will let us know about the deleted scenes? ;-)

(KarenR)If anyone is interested in purchasing a ticket for the London Love Actually premiere (cost is around �130 plus VAT) and is for the film only, let me know at my "office" addy. Don't know if I could justify spending that amount on a cinema ticket(well Ixcould, but I don't think even my DH would understand!) Any idea of the time of the screening?

As I said, please contact me via email.

Additional details about the "extras" (she laughs) on the Fourplay DVD from Australia. Everybody is in the deleted scenes, but it's mainly MB (shocker, huh?) The featurette was characterized as "basically boring too. Binder thinks he's the star of the film and he also made the film, etc. so the concentration is on him. Colin looks bored to tears through the whole thing imo. There is nothing in this that people would want except the fact that any brief glimpse of the boy is obligatory!"

Nice to see it print!Consider it considered! RARE Glossy COLIN FIRTH-SCARLETT JOHANSSON Girl With A Golden Earring INDUSTRY OSCAR AD This impressive, industry only trade ad was published in a trade by Lions Gate to promote Colin for Best Actor and Scarlett for Best Actress for their performances in "Girl With A Earring", in one of the first Oscar ads we have seen.The ad features a great shot of Colin and Scarlett (without scanner distortion) as its centerpiece. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3355863029&category=197

(MariaT) to promote Colin for Best Actor and Scarlett for Best Actress Considering GWAPE is Griet's story and Colin isn't even seen for the first half hour, I wonder that they aren't promoting him for best supporting actor.

In the NY Post today, regarding the Hamptons Film Festival : http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/8461.htm "Girl With a Pearl Earring" Scarlett Johansson delivers a solid performance as a girl in 17th century Holland whose gig as household maid to painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth) gives her the opportunity to be his model. Fri Oct 24 at 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. at United Artists Cinema.

I can't help but notice the difference in the trailers for LA between the ones on the Working pictures website and the american version up on yahoo. I swear I wish I lived in Britian instead of the states sometimes....lol. Turns out ours is quite hokey (with scenes from BJD and NH thrown in there, I don't believe you even see ODB). I am trying to get advanced tickets. We will see.

Colin for Best Actor Am falling off chair. Thanks, Maria!

Quick blurb about the songs and songlist from LA... http://www.rollingstone.com/news/newsarticle.asp?nid=18837

This is interesting,yet another site that looks like it may have started in August, maybe they have been lurking here dying to know what was being said and just enjoying the pics thinking, "spasebo, but, I need more!"...Looks like Hunk Daddy may have had a bigger influence than he let on... http://www.colin-firth.narod.ru/news.htm

All in UK: head to the news stand and buy Eve magazine for a free copy of RV on dvd. There is a choice of two movies so don't get the wrong one! Also there is an article in the Daily Mail today featuring pic of Colin and Mateo.

Looks like there will be two versions of the CD. At amazon UK, they're showing the US import and a domestic release, though neither gives info on the tracks. ~~~~~~~~ Also I've been told that there will be special Love Actually jars of Nescafe Gold Blend coffee in the UK markets. Another contest too (trip to Mauritius); just the advance poster artwork on the coffee jars - no Colin with a big red bow.

MariaT -- Thanks for the link. What a curious site! What language/country is that? I even got a pop-up ad with Simpson-type cartoon characters. The world is indeed growing smaller. Emma -- Any chance of scooping up extra copies to sell to us "over here"?

Maria's link is to a Russian site.

I second Deb's inquiry. Can you scan the photo of ODB and his DB for this site? Have never seen pics of him with his children except at the polo match w/Will. How old is the baby now? Luca is two years older?

Sorry, ladies, but I don't post paparazzi pics of Colin and his family here or at firth.com...nor is it really a subject here.

Check your mail, ladies. ;-)

Check your mail, ladies. ;-) Could I possibly ask you to send it to me too?

Check your mail, ladies. ;-) me too?

The information was sent to my Drool Darlings mailing lists.

The information was sent to my Drool Darlings mailing lists. ???? Ok probably not the place to ask, but what is this?

Correct, not the place to ask. I deal with all questions via email. This board is for CF news, etc.

Posting this as it seems related to the article BarbS posted at the BJD topic. Seems the EOR film crew might have taken a lesson from the Trauma crew..And a Super Loo? Necessary I guess for the lack of shrubbery... http://www.conservatives.lambeth.com/news/pr/0042.htm

ROTF...thanks Maria. Nice Conservative website too;-))))

Info already posted on the BJ board.

Sorry!

I saw commercials for Love Actually tonight. According to the commercial there will be a sneak preview here on Saturday evening, November 1. Not long to wait at all!:-) (Jodi)Go over there and post a review to shut Lois up! LOL, Jodi! IMO, anybody who feels the need to spew venom like that is angry about a lot more than a movie. Wish I could spell like her though, such as "Malcavich" and Jeremy "Ions." Hey, wasn't he married to Carmen Electron?;-) Thanks for the Oscar ad, Maria. (Sandy)Considering GWAPE is Griet's story and Colin isn't even seen for the first half hour, I wonder that they aren't promoting him for best supporting actor. Maybe they'd be hard-pressed to do that since he has top billing. Might look weird and it won't matter anyway).

I saw my first TV ad for LA today as well. Made me smile for quite some time. And the Oscar promo is lovely. Thanks Maria. We can all hope, right? ;-)

Here's the ad from Ladies Home Journal: http://www.breezymedia.com/lhj/lhjpromo/love_max.html

Dammit! That's $2.99 down the drain. ;-)

(Mari) IMO, anybody who feels the need to spew venom like that is angry about a lot more than a movie. No kidding. Wish I could spell like her though, such as "Malcavich" and Jeremy "Ions." Hey, wasn't he married to Carmen Electron?;-) LOL! Mari, you just made my night!

And they say size doesn't matter... http://www.firth.com/gwape_gal1a.html

(Karen) And they say size doesn't matter... "They" aren't to be believed! Never listen to them! Size does matter and this one is a doozy! Thanks again Karen! Crikey! Haven't seen it that 'big' since Toronto!

(Karen)And they say size doesn't matter... They lie! but we know that and I have a feeling *they know it too;-) Here's one I'll need to back to several times today! And that advert too! Thanks for *saving* me the $2.99 Mari.:-)) I love that pre kiss lean in and the hands louisa, the hands......

(Karen)And they say size doesn't matter... What an incredibly sensous moment! This will be the scene to slo-mo once we have the DVD. :-D

Couple of new pics from the Love Actually website that I snapped off their crappy Flash presentation. That website leaves a great deal to be desired (contentwise) and is way too cutsey for my taste. :-( http://www.firth.com/love_gal_pub1.html

Cute ad, Mari. OK how many are gonna go out and buy your Max Factor lipstick and get a mini-poster & 5 bucks..you can't lose on this one.

(Karen)That website leaves a great deal to be desired (contentwise) and is way too cutsey for my taste. :-( Great snaps Karen! I'd rathar see that lovely pre-kiss from you/f.com than the LHJ add. I love the pic with Ev's scarf too. I agree with you about that LA site. It gets on my nerves Actually. It all takes too long to load and navigate as well and I need to be able to slip in and out.

Review from UK Channel 4: Richard Curtis, Hugh Grant and a clutch of great British actors create a Christmas crowd pleaser. Is Love Actually a kitchen-sink drama? Coming from the man behind Four Weddings And A Funeral and Notting Hill, that seems unlikely. But Richard Curtis has, actually, thrown in everything but the kitchen sink for his directorial debut to come up with a good old-fashioned, bums-on-seats Christmas crowd-pleaser. The result is a multi-story tale crammed with the cream of British acting talent. It deals with love in all its guises, whether it be romantic, platonic, filial or fulfilled, unrequited, unspoken or unattainable. At many points it's memorable, affecting and funny. But just as often it's lachrymose and in thrall to a breathtaking sentimentality that provides a cinematic sugar-rush when the various stories come together, Short Cuts-style, at the end. "General opinion is that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but it seems to me that love, actually, is everywhere," says Hugh Grant in his least plausible role yet as Britain's new Prime Minister. Immediately upon entering No 10, the PM falls hopelessly in love with his charming, foul-mouthed tealady (McCutcheon). Meanwhile, newly-bereaved architect Daniel (Neeson) is consoling his 10-year-old stepson (Sangster), who has fallen in love with the most beautiful girl at his school. In another tale, washed-up pop star Billy Mack (Nighy) is making a half-arsed Christmas comeback and forever taking the piss out of his long-time manager and best friend, Joe (Fisher). The rest of the suite includes writer Jamie (Firth) being cuckolded by his little brother, then running off to France to lick his wounds and falling for his Portuguese housekeeper (Moniz); a truly delicious young bride (Knightley) discovers herself the object of the affection of the best man (Lincoln); and Sarah (Linney) nurtures an office crush, spurred on by her boss Harry (Rickman), who is complacently married to Karen (Thompson) and openly pursued by the office vixen, Mia (Makatsch). That's a lot of stories (there are more, in fact) and they are skilfully interwoven, as you'd expect. Mainly, these characters are defined by their reticence, a British trait, dramatising their deepest desires because they find themselves unable to express them. That's what's good about this film, and in finding humour at the heart of their predicament, Curtis supplies plenty of welcome pathos. Plus, we look forward to the defining moment when they simply have to act on their feelings. But that doesn't excuse some terrible, shameless lapses of taste, and even decency. There's a ridiculous escapist scene where Grant sends the US President (Thornton) packing at a press conference for "for being a bully, not a friend" (what US audiences - the key market for such British films - will make of this remains to be seen), a silly, masturbatory storyline about a loser called "Colin, god of sex" (Marshall) who can't pull in the UK, who goes to the USA with a "rucksack full of condoms" and immediately pulls a quartet of the most ridiculously sexy women you've ever seen and - it is implied - has sex with the lot of them. These are among the numerous sops to the feel good factor, and there are some teeth-grinding lapses of tone (a wedding becomes a song and dance number, with guitarists and trombonists appearing from pulpits). Sadly, by the end, everything has degenerated into schmaltz, with all-too-convenient multiple happy endings piled upon one another like cheap rugs, and all hopes of sympathetic characters intelligently handled are banished. Verdict A guaranteed hit but as much as the film celebrates love, it also exploits it for cheap sentiment.

Thanks Mari! And another small one.. My wish list for Christmas... I would like to believe that the stories in the movies can be true... But only a good movie, good director and a good cast, can makes us believe that love actually happens in our lives every day. A Prime Minister can change the country's foreign policy over a "chubby" secretary, or life can go on without trouble after a husband buys a present for a curvy secretary or a kid can talk and fall in love like an adult - the list goes on and on... And, being Christmas, of course it's the thought that counts... This movie brings to mind the happy ending 'maestro' Frank Capra and with so many story threads linked together it's like a Robert Altman film - but it's still too early to say if Richard Curtis can ever achieve the same greatness. This is the directorial debut from an experienced and successful screenwriter and we know that Curtis the screenwriter knows what the public likes and wants.... But the various stories within this movie rely more on the experience and good will of a big name (but quite variable) cast than a strong directional style. One thing that is certain, the movie will make enough money to give the man plenty more directional experience... While the cast is impressive sometimes they go their own way and it seems at times that you are actually watching several different movies simultaneously. Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson and Bill Nighy all give great performances and are in the stories I would love to believe most. And you know what - for a couple of minutes in the movies, I believed. With love (actually) Mariano Gutierrez Alarcon http://www.skymovies.com/skymovies/article/0,,12227391,00.html

OK, I'm sure you all knew I was going to hone in on this bit: a silly, masturbatory storyline about a loser called "Colin, god of sex" (Marshall) who can't pull in the UK, who goes to the USA with a "rucksack full of condoms" and immediately pulls a quartet of the most ridiculously sexy women you've ever seen and - it is implied - has sex with the lot of them. I thought I'd figured out what "pull" meant from the first, but then it didn't make sense with the second reference. Need translation help, please.

Ooof, never mind. Have Googled it. Hmmm, that "masturbatory" part threw me off or had my mind going in...ahem...other directions. ;-)

GWAPE review from UK Channel 4: Intelligent adaptation of Tracy Chevalier's bestselling novel which is rich in atmosphere and gorgeous to look at, featuring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson A deeply understated and intelligent film, this faithful adaptation of Tracy Chevalier's speculative novel on the life of the artist Vermeer marks an outstanding debut for director Peter Webber, and a fine turn from upcoming actress Scarlett Johansson. Chevalier's novel was a luminous evocation of the life of the 17th century Delft artist, fabricating an utterly believable tale around the celebrated portrait that forms the film's title, imagining its subject as the young maid Griet (Johansson) of Vermeer (Firth). Driven into domestic service after an accident puts her father out of work, Griet is set the tricky task of cleaning the artist's room without disturbing so much as a crease of material, all under the watchful eye of the other women of the house. Noticing her interest in his work and her eye for colour, tone, and composition, the otherwise detached Vermeer employs her in preparing paints, and eventually she poses for him, in a transgression of her position in the house which brings sparks of illicitness and intimacy to their chaste relationship, and later arouses the disgust of Vermeer's wife (Davis). Webber's film is pensively paced, leaving room for some beautiful cinematography from Eduardo Serra, whose sensitivity to Vermeer's work pervades the film's lush visuals like an omniscient visual narrator; an appropriation of the world and style of this outwardly stoic man which adds valuable insight into his character. Furnished with minimal dialogue, Firth, and especially Johansson, create subtle performances out of gesture and restraint, where the slightest glance can be loaded with emotional weight. Johansson's Griet is poised and unusually beautiful. In contrast, the film's more verbal moments are the only points at which it's in danger of becoming overblown, but not enough to upset its balance. Verdict Arty but accessible, Girl With A Pearl Earring pays tribute to its subject matter with some of the most beautiful visuals on screen this year. High on atmosphere and low on action, its restrained emotions go against Hollywood conventions, creating a rich and rewarding film.

(Karen)had my mind going in...ahem...other directions. ;-) Ahh, you didn't realize that "pull" meant "push." ;-)

tee hee hee!!! Neither did I. Learn something every day.

Whew, just looking over the 'sizable'GWAPE picture. Wow! This is overkill on all fronts and I'm up for the battle;-)But that picture did throw me a bit. Thank you Karen, Moon and all for the great links, pictures and reviews. (Mari)According to the commercial there will be a sneak preview here on Saturday evening, November 1. Not long to wait at all!:-) Oh, I need to look into this!

British satellite music channel has just shown the Girls Aloud video for their new single 'Jump' featuring footage from LA. Lots of segments not shown in the trailers I've seen so far.

Never say I gave you nothing for Christmas.;-) Universal has its LA website up, and it's chock full of goodies, pics, downloads, clips, etc. Check it out: http://www.loveactually.com

(Mari)Never say I gave you nothing for Christmas.;-) Oh my....... We must have been very very good! Please accept my heartfelt gratitude and consider this my thank you note.:-))) So many wonderful photo gifts today.

How can one man look so good? Amazing! Thanks Mari!

Ooooh Mari, thank you so very much. Now, what do I get you for Christmas;-)?

Mari, v.g.,v.g. Thank You!

Thud! Yow...need a warning label on that thing! Thanks Mari!

"Lick your lips . . ." http://lionsgatefilms.com/dnm/profile.html?pid=IN-L-00075

*Finally!* Thanks, Mari! Mmmmm, looks juicy! The finger tracing the lip part didn't look at all how I imagined, though. Can't wait to see it anyway.

Quite the bag full of goodies this evening, Mari. Great trailer *fanning self* and who wouldn't want Colin tied up (big red bow optional) on one's desktop or any flat surface for that matter. ;-) Late, breaking news from Ananova: Martine slips into method acting for kissing scenes Martine McCutcheon says she stopped at nothing to make her film role as Hugh Grant's love interest convincing. The star revealed she demanded retakes of kissing scenes and even used her tongue, explaining: "I thought I would go for a bit of method acting." [Ed note: Unlike another Method actor in this film; must be where that "classical" training kicks in.] In Love Actually McCutcheon plays a Downing Street tea lady who attracts the amorous attention of the new Prime Minister played by Grant. "I have to say it was an honour to kiss Mr Grant. I had to go again on numerous occasions because I didn't quite feel I had got the moment right. There were tongues on some takes, when the director asks for tongues, you must give the director tongues," she joked. Speaking at the launch of her new book Behind the Scenes: A Personal Diary, the 27-year-old said Grant's character is somewhat more relaxed than Tony Blair. McCutcheon would not speculate on whether the PM could benefit by employing the more "arse-kicking" style of Grant's character, who stands up to the US president and dances sexily around 10 Downing Street. But she said Mr Blair may be more spontaneous than the public realise. "Maybe he watches rock stars strip on telly with a cup of tea in his hand and laughs to himself," she said, referring to a scene in the film. Love Actually, from Richard Curtis of Four Wedding And A Funeral fame, is released in November. McCutcheon said the film was probably her proudest moment as an actress. She said: "Richard Curtis wrote the part for me. He said they were trying to think of the girl that was real but was beautiful enough for the Prime Minister to fall in love with. I was kind of speechless."

(Karen)[Ed note: Unlike another Method actor in this film; must be where that "classical" training kicks in.] LOL! Well, he can't fool us, can he? :-) I can only watch the trailer without sound and I'm not sure fanning myself will be cooling enough. Wonder how I'll cope, when "the voice" hits me too :-) And the beautiful LA-picture. Thank you Mari for both. Am truely grateful. And - thanks Marianne and Karen for the pics and articles :-)

A small article in today's Times. Box Office success for film fest Record number of tickets are being sold for the Times bfi London Film Festival. ..... Hot tickets include Gwape, tipped for Oscar recognition, and Dogville starring Nicole Kidman. More than 110,000 filmgers are expected and some films have already sold out, although returns will be available before screening....

Thank you Mari for both. Am truely grateful. And - thanks Marianne and Karen for the pics and articles :-) I also want to add my thanks. This is a great place to be. WAGW is finishing its run here - Thursday is it's final day, and LA only opens 28 Nov, so until then, pics and trailers is all I'm going to see :-(

The Guardian: Why We All Love A Daddy -- "Yesterday was the turn of Colin Firth, otherwise known as Bridget Jones's Darcy, pictured cradling his new son, Mateo." (no image,darn) http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1067474,00.html Love the pictures! Thanks Mari aand Karen

Mari, what a lovely present! Thanks for the GWAPE trailer too. (Karen)[Ed note: Unlike another Method actor in this film; must be where that "classical" training kicks in.] (Annette), LOL! Well, he can't fool us, can he? :-) LOL! We know best. Thanks, Murph!

Allison, you are going to to the FF for GWAPE, correct? What are the other London ladies doing? There's LA this friday! Emma, Aishling, Lizza?

Allison, you are going to to the FF for GWAPE, correct? Sadly no. It's sold out and I do not think I could persuade my DH to queue for returns :-( Also cannot make the second showing. Did anyone manage to get tickets for the Gala?

Did I miss something? LA this Friday? I'm going to the afternoon GWAPE next Friday. Will think about going to the gala to stand outside and freeze.

(Mari)"Lick your lips . . ." Whoa! Was a bit fuzzy here and I too had to watch in silence but it was enough to shiver my little timbers. Now I have to pretend to work for a living......

How can one man look so good? Amazing! Agree, amazing...he looks 25. Air-brushing?...nah;-) Thanks for the GWAPE trailer: "The Mystery behind the painting". Classy,I like that. Though PW "It's about power and sex" will sell more at the B.O.

*****Note******* I have sent a message out to all UK DDs. If other DDs will be in London around the time of LA's premiere, please get in touch with me at the office.

(Moon) What are the other London ladies doing? Managed to get tickets for GWAPE (31st) and will be queuing for returns on 30th.

Isn't Tuesday when all the "quality" weekly news publications [Hello! OK! Now, Heat, New] come out in the UK?

From Music From The Movies: Scores missing from upcoming soundtracks: Collectors don't have many reasons to complain about the score album output this autumn - just look at the incredible amount of score CDs coming from Var�se Sarabande for instance! Still, some anticipated scores won't get a lengthy score presentation on CD. J-Records' release of Love Actually, scored by Craig Armstrong, will only feature one score track on the American version of the album and three on the British pressing. The rest of the album, coming out on 11th November, consists of various songs by artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Norah Jones and Sugababes. Furthermore, despite Oscar buzz surrounding Gabriel Yared's score for English Patient director Anthony Minghella's Cold Mountain, the CD from Sony will, according to the composer, feature four score cuts only. Sony is also releasing the Mona Lisa Smile soundtrack, however this will be a compilation album possibly with one score track only.

Karen, size really matters :-) Thank you!!

(Mari...and ODB)"Lick your lips . . ." That bit was the undoing of me! Crikey! Like how she sucks the lip in to make it wet and doesn't stick out her tongue. They didn't cut to ODB's face in the trailer...just you wait for the film! And Karen! You cannot do that to me at work! His hands Louisa! That look! Bigger is better, but also dangerous when operating heavy equipment (am counting computer as 'heavy'). I'll be useless the rest of the day (okay, more useless than normal!) ;-D Thank you ladies for all the goodies! Trailers, pictures...!

(Tress) Thank you ladies for all the goodies! Trailers, pictures...! I second! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Karen, I've got to hand (*snicker*) it to you, you sure know how to get my attention! Mercy! Those hands, and in comparison to hers...whoosh. I, like Tress, am ruined for the day. Unlike Tress, being Central time, I have less time to try to fake it! ;-P (Still want to hurry home for the GWAPE trailer, have not been able to see it here.)

Wow, nothing like getting Christmas prezzies now...and we haven't even reached Halloween! ;-) Thanks Mari and Karen. The GWAPE trailer was amazing. And the BIG pic of Vermeer with the Mrs. How is one supposed to be able to concentrate after that? How?

Okay, now I'm going to get nothing done for the rest of the day. I even liked the way he looked in the hat, out on the street. Thank goodness they didn't give him red hair, like in the book.

Hopefully there are those among us that may be in the right place at the right time to catch GWAPE here... SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Film Institute (AFI) and the European Commission Delegation in Washington today announced an expanded exhibition and programming schedule for the October 29 - November 9, 2003 EU SHOWCASE, an international collaboration presenting US premieres, worldwide festival award winners and box office triumphs covering a wide range of themes and styles from today's European filmmaking community. http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031022/law110_1.html http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031022/law110_1.html

when the director asks for tongues, you must give the director tongues Ms. Kidron, please ask for tongues;-) Mari, what can I say? mille grazie? Obrigado? dank u? Think I covered them all. OK just plain Thank you for the GWAPE trailer and that totally gorgeous present. I'm hoping he fits in my stocking;-0

From Billboard: http://www.billboard.com/bb/daily/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2008082 Here is the "Love Actually" track list: "The Trouble With Love Is," Kelly Clarkson "Jump (For My Love)," the Pointer Sisters "Here With Me," Dido "Like I Love You," Justin Timberlake "Turn Me On," Norah Jones "Take Me As I Am," Wyclef Jean "Sweetest Goodbye/Saturday Morning," Maroon5 "Songbird," Eva Cassidy "Wherever You Will Go," the Calling "Both Sides Now," Joni Mitchell "All You Need Is Love," Lynden David Hall "God Only Knows," the Beach Boys "I'll See It Through," Texas "Too Lost in You," Sugababes "White Christmas," Otis Redding "Christmas Is All Around," Billy Mac "All I Want for Christmas Is You," Olivia Olson

Is there a soundtrack Norah Jones isn't on anymore? Not that I don't like her..... Thanks, Maria for your link. Lots of intriguing choices in D.C.

"Wherever You Will Go," the Calling God Only Knows," the Beach Boys Oh, two of my all time favorites. Wonderful!

Glad to be part of the group where bigger is better!:-) Can anyone get the October issue of More magazine? Colin is in it, part of a piece on "Men We Love." Unfortunately, my newsstand has already moved on to the November issue. YOO HOO, Lola! Are any talk show appearances scheduled for Colin for Love Actually?) "Lick your lips . . ." (Tress)That bit was the undoing of me! Crikey! It reminded me of the scene in Lost in Translation, with Bill Murray trying to understand the hooker: "Lip your stockings? Lip them? Wha??" LOL! They didn't cut to ODB's face in the trailer...just you wait for the film! You're killin' me here! (Linda)Ms. Kidron, please ask for tongues;-) I hear you, honey, but fat chance. Am not convinced by those TEOR pics.

(Mari) YOO HOO, Lola! Are any talk show appearances scheduled for Colin for Love Actually?) Yes, any witty banter with Jon Stewart (one of my favorites :-D), flirting from Katie Couric, and inane baby banter with Kelly and Reege? ;-) And any Q&A's or intros at guild screenings or film classes? ;-D Am not convinced by those TEOR pics I wasn't so much either. :-(

Justin and Kelly could have been avoided, IMO. Thanks, Murph! Love those giant pics, thanks, Karen! Saw LA preview on TV last night and it announced special sceenings on Nov. 1. The official site does not have a listing, can anyone help?

Now that our DDs have a headstart...check out the main page of firth.com :) (wonder how others are going to "claim" to have found this??)

Oh, my goodness ;-) Daily Show

Thanks Annie! Oh dear... I just called, they are booked through the end of the year but last minute cancellations can be checked on Fridays at 11:30..And the show starts at 5:30pm, guess he'll be running...

It looks like a real CF fest in NYC!

So he will be there!!! Yippeeeeeeee!!!!! And one of my favorite ODB interviews of all time is with Jon Stewart! Am very excited that he is on DS again!

This is such great news! Am happy for the contingent who will be travelling to NYC soon!

One new picture I hadn't seen before. http://colinfirth.casa-feliz.net/images/details.php?image_id=1870&mode=search

Thanks Sandy. I've never seen it either. I like the pensive look. Location: a conservatory , where?

(Evelyn) Location: a conservatory , where? In London's Chiswick House (says on bottom of pic). Chiswick House Designed and built by Lord Burlington in the 1720s, Chiswick House is internationally recognised as one of the finest English buildings inspired by the architecture of classical Rome. When you have enjoyed the lavish interiors, you can step outside and admire the superb Italianate gardens. [ed note: and the lovely graffiti on the walls of the green house] http://www.londonpass.com/ViewAttraction.asp?Id=49&CategoryId=2

Oh (sorry to double post)! And Maria and I were talking earlier today about that pic! ODB stole the Chuck Taylors and faded jeans from Trauma for that shoot!

Colin Firth and Survival International invite you to a special charity preview of Love Actually. Oh those lucky UKers!!! Dying to go. HOLLYWOOD came to London last night for the opening of The Times bfi London Film Festival. In The Cut, in which Meg Ryan shatters her image as the girl next door in an erotically charged role, started a 16-day festival that will include the world premiere of Sylvia, starring Gwyneth Paltrow as Sylvia Plath, and the British premiere of Girl with a Pearl Earring. After a disappointing year for festivals in Cannes and Berlin, London has emerged as a highlight in the film calendar. Stars and industry high-flyers will travel to Britain in force to parade their films before the Oscars and Baftas early next year. Junkets for the awards are especially important this year because of a ban on �screeners� � DVDs of films sent to industry insiders. Studios banned them after DVDs were leaked last year and pirate copies were released before the films opened officially. The timing of the festival, earlier than in previous years, has also made it a vital staging post in this year�s shortened awards campaign season. Over the next fortnight about �500,000 will be spent on an average of two parties every night. Apart from the opening and closing galas, each costing �60,000, there will be seven further gala screenings and a series of other parties held by distributors and organisations such as the Danish Film Institute, which is showing this year an unprecedented six films. The largest gala screening will be The Times European premiere of Girl with a Pearl Earring, starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson, next Thursday. Other grand events include the opening of Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Bill Murray, which is themed to the film�s ultra-modern setting of a Tokyo bar. Sandra Hebron, artistic director of the festival, said that London had become the launch pad for films in Europe. �Increasingly we�re being used for the UK and European launch of films, and now people are seeing us as a stage for their awards campaigns,� she said. �Companies will bring talent for three, four, five days to do the festival, Bafta screenings and also press junkets.� Britain is being seen as a hotbed of young talent, boasting stars such as Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, as well as the rich literary and theatrical industries. London is also benefiting from an influx of film companies taking advantage of tax concessions which Estelle Morris, the Arts Minister, has recommended be extended beyond their planned end in 2005. Fox Searchlight, HBO Films, Myriad Pictures, Franchise Pictures and Gold Circle Films have all started London ventures. Universal has moved its international marketing department from Los Angeles to London, and MTV Films is setting up a London outpost to create youth-oriented films. http://newsdirectory.com/go/?f=&r=eu&u=www.the-times.co.uk

(Sandy) One new picture I hadn't seen before (Evelyn) I've never seen it either. I like the pensive look. That's the picture from the November W magazine article, the one with Jennifer Garner on the cover.

(Tress) ODB stole the Chuck Taylors and faded jeans from Trauma for that shoot! Maybe more like FP ....nothing extra for costumes, so he used his own clothes. ;-)

From The Hollywood Reporter: Love Actually By Kirk Honeycutt Oct. 24, 2003 Bottom line: A blizzard of Christmas stories, each insubstantial as a snowflake, but cumulatively they smother you in good cheer. "Love Actually" reminds you of an elaborate Christmas card that tumbles apart with pop-up figures, silly/charming greetings and perhaps even a jingle. It probably cost more than the gift it heralds, and you can't help but laugh at the audacity of such an aggressively cheerful card. Clearly, the gift giver wants to love and be loved, and only a Scrooge would deny him his reward. But you also wish he'd heard the phrase "less is more." The gift giver is Richard Curtis, a writer ("Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill") and, for the first time here, director of comedies that focus on the pursuit of love. Curtis' real gift is that of sharp, rapid-fire dialogue, easily recognizable characters, a benign view of humanity and a knack for making sentimentality feel righteous. This movie, for all its calculation and manipulation, comes from a true believer. He really does believe -- as Oscar Hammerstein II once insisted a composer such as himself must -- in "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens." Audiences should respond to the determinedly feel-good nature of "Love Actually" as a top-flight cast of (mostly) British actors sells its love message very well. The movie is less a traditional story than an elaboration of a theme. This gets pronounced by a narrator at the opening as you watch friends and family tearfully greet at London's Heathrow Airport: "General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. Seems to me that love is everywhere." The movie flips among myriad stories in the weeks before Christmas, none terribly original or compelling in itself, but in the aggregate they illustrate Curtis' theme. A new bachelor prime minister (Hugh Grant) walks into 10 Downing Street and is immediately smitten with a staff member (Martine McCutcheon). A recently widowed stepfather (Liam Neeson) struggles to forge a deeper relationship with his late wife's son (Thomas Sangster). An executive (Alan Rickman) encourages a female employee (Laura Linney) to act on her longtime crush on a fellow worker (Rodrigo Santoro), even as he debates the wisdom of falling into an affair with a most willing colleague (Heike Makatsch), thus betraying his wife of many years (Emma Thompson). A bride (Keira Knightley) comes to realize that her husband's best mate (Andrew Lincoln) is madly in love with her. A cuckolded novelist (Colin Firth) flees to the south of France only to become infatuated with the Portuguese maid (Lucia Moniz) despite their inability to speak each other's language. An aging rock star (a hilarious Bill Nighy) launches a comeback with a Christmas song he knows is crap and freely says so on a truth-telling tour. Squeezed between these subplots are eminently disposable ones such as two movie stand-ins who shyly fall in love while entirely naked or a food vendor who believes a trip to any bar in America will yield a bevy of beauties to fall for his English accent. These plot threads (and they really are threads) contain little substance. Each is intriguing, but with the exception of the widower and stepson, none achieves any resonance. All are too fragmentary, though containing enough clever dialogue and sexy moments to distract from the sheer flimsiness. The production is a winning one, with London turned into a winter wonderland with a side excursion to a rather summery-looking France. As always with a Curtis comedy, the stories pivot around major set pieces -- a wedding, funeral, a school Christmas pageant and an implausible news conference in which the British PM dresses down an arrogant American president (Billy Bob Thornton). Curtis imbues his tales of broken hearts and ecstatic adoration with a festive passion and a cheerful optimism that sweeps the viewer up. It's only afterward that you wonder when the writer fell in love with the maid or why a prime minister would have no social life or how the wife forgave her wandering husband.

Odd little thing on boxofficeprophets.com. Earlier today they had a little blurb under their BOP News saying: "Colin Firth looks ridiculous as a blonde." Intrigued, I read the article attached to it, but there was nothing about ODB. I wrote them and asked about it and have not yet received a reply. But when I just checked into their site, the blurb had been changed to: "Colin Farrell looks ridiculous as a blonde. Apparently they got their Colin F's mixed up, too.

(Dorine) Maybe more like FP ....nothing extra for costumes, so he used his own clothes. ;-) Mmmmm.......if that is the case, it means that ODB and I have very similar wardrobes. He just hasn't let go of that Vancouver 'style' yet....LOL. ;-) (Katty) Apparently they got their Colin F's mixed up, too. LOL....I believe thats a punishable offense in some circles....! ;-)

Love Actually Allan Hunter in Edinburgh 24 October 2003 00:01 Dir: Richard Curtis. UK. 2003. 129 mins Like a latter-day Frank Capra, Richard Curtis believes in the innate decency of the ordinary individual. His films salute the power of love and the possibility of harmony in a world riven with division. His vision may not be dark or cutting-edge but it is comforting, witty and irresistibly heart-warming for a vast middlebrow audience who have embraced Four Weddings And A Funeral, Notting Hill and his adaptation of Bridget Jones�s Diary. That very same audience will happily line up for his Yuletide ensemble Love Actually, a canny mixture of humour, heartache and humanity that delivers a little something for everyone. The film�s appeal runs the gamut from courting couples to family outings and incurable romantics, promising a monster crowd-pleaser, especially during the lucrative, feel-good Festive season. Directing his own feature material for the first time, Curtis brings tears to the eyes in the opening moments as he focuses on an airport arrivals lounge to underline the sense of joy and companionship that exists in the world. He instantly establishes his film as a heartfelt riposte to the cynics and gloom-merchants. Covering the five-week period leading up to Christmas in London, the film joins together ten stories of first love, impossible love, eternal love and love under threat. A connecting thread of sorts is provided by burnt out pop idol Billy Mack (Nighy) on the comeback trail with his shameless seasonal version of Love Is All Around. A number of stories also relate to newly elected British Prime Minister Hugh Grant and his powerful attraction to tealady Natalie (McCutcheon). The Prime Minister�s sister Karen (Thompson) is all too aware that husband Harry (Rickman) is tempted to stray. She also provides support for recently widowed friend Daniel (Neeson) whose 11 year-old stepson is deeply in love for the first time. Woven together with the easy wit, charm and insouciance one has come to expect from Curtis, Love Actually is inevitably sketchy and even a little glib. There are times when the careful balance of stories, sentimentality and socially-inclusive characterisation seems calculating. The film even threatens to become a compendium of greatest hits from previous Curtis films with a frisson of naughtiness from the use of swear words, a significant disabled character, Kris Marshall�s comical love God echoing Rhys Ifans scene-stealer in Notting Hill etc Most audiences will be all to happy to accept the film�s flaws because it casts such a warm glow, offers moments of genuine tenderness and uproarious comedy and boasts an unbeatable, all-star cast that includes a delicious cameo from Billy Bob Thornton as a Clintonesque American President. Keira Knightley, Chiwetel Ejiofor and a dashing Andrew Lincoln are among the younger performers who broaden the film�s appeal. Hugh Grant raises the roof with his antics as the groovy, lovelorn Prime Minister and Bill Nighy is sheer delight as a roguish survivor of the Swinging Sixties who displays all the subversive candour and indiscretion one could want. A polished, fluid production with impeccable technical credits and a winning soundtrack, Love Actually is the very definition of entertainment and is guaranteed to bring joy to the world this Christmas http://www.screendaily.com/story.asp?storyid=14671&r=true

By TODD MCCARTHY Variety A roundly entertaining romantic comedy, "Love Actually" is still nearly as cloying as it is funny. Grandly conceived by contemporary British genre master Richard Curtis as a mosaic of love stories that collectively stress the primacy of amour even in difficult times, this doggedly cheery confection persists in going overboard with smiles, hugs, kisses and musical reassurances that all you need is love. But its cheeky wit, impossibly attractive cast and sure-handed professionalism are beguiling all the same, qualities which, along with its all-encompassing romanticism, should make this a highly popular early holiday attraction for adults on both sides of the pond. After stellar TV work on the likes of "Not the Nine O'Clock News," "Blackadder" and "Mr. Bean," the New Zealand-born Curtis emerged as Blighty's most eminent commercial screenwriter with "The Tall Guy," "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Bridget Jones's Diary." He now moves confidently into the director's chair. For what it's worth, he gets both the wedding and the funeral out of the way early on in "Love Actually." Set in a spectacularly decorous London in the five weeks running up to Christmas, pic makes a very big point of always looking on the bright side, with the opening narration positioning even 9/11 as an event that occasioned an outpouring of love, however distressed. To be sure, any number of the characters here have to deal with frustration, disappointment, loss and pain, but in almost every case these feelings are transitory and non-depressing. The characters scoot from misery or emotional paralysis to bliss in the time it takes to change clothes, or whenever they discover that someone is interested in them. And in a move designed to give men some special satisfaction at a film many will be dragged to by women, rarely have so many extraordinarily attractive women come on so eagerly to so many guys in a movie not about athletes or rock stars. Showing no strain putting as many balls as he wishes in the air and keeping them aloft, Curtis deftly introduces his ensemble: Drug-ravaged old wild man pop star Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) "looking for a comeback at any price" by cutting a sappy lyrics-altered Christmas version of "Love Is All Around;" newlyweds Juliet (Keira Knightley) and Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor), with the latter's best friend Mark (Andrew Lincoln) secretly in love with the bride; a bachelor Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) taking up residence at 10 Downing St. and becoming instantly smitten by young tea girl Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), and the PM's sister, efficient housewife and mother Karen (Emma Thompson), whose husband Harry (Alan Rickman) may be induced to stray by the provocations of his foxy secretary Mia (Heike Makatsch). Harry has an employee, Sarah (Laura Linney), who's harbored a helpless crush on shy dreamboat Karl (Rodrigo Santoro) for nearly three years; also feeling the pangs of unrequited love is 10-year-old Sam (Thomas Sangster), whose mother has just died and who confesses to step-dad Daniel (Liam Neeson) his anguish over a girl in school; jilted writer Jamie (Colin Firth) retreats to the south of France, where he begins a linguistically-challenged romance with Portuguese housekeeper Aurelia (singer Lucia Moniz); movie stand-ins John (Martin Freeman) and Judy (Joanna Page) are painfully reticent with one another even though they spend their days together simulating sex in the nude, and then there's Colin (Kris Marshall), a gawky, enthusiastic lad who is convinced that the answer to his dating woes lies in America. Woven together, and occasionally intersecting, so effectively that only one of the strands wears out its welcome -- the John and Judy interlude is archly drawn and doesn't go anywhere -- the vignettes are composed mostly of comic and emotional highlights, with no down time. Due to the inspired concept and casting, the wonderful passages featuring Grant as the debonairly rumpled new head of state are bound to be the most remarked upon, especially in Britain. Specifically positioned as the next leader after Tony Blair, Grant's PM gets off some sharp zingers at his predecessor and, in a scene designed specifically to appeal to the home market, boldly stands up to the arrogant U.S. President (Billy Bob Thornton), a cowboy with an interest in young ladies to rival that of Bill Clinton. However, the Prime Minister reveals a Clintonesque side as well in his obsession with Natalie. As neatly played by former pop tart and "My Fair Lady" McCutcheon, the self-professedly overweight character bears a resemblance to Monica Lewinsky that cannot have been unintentional. Dismayed by the distraction Natalie presents, Grant's PM brings down the house when he peers up at an office portrait of Margaret Thatcher and asks, "Did you have this kind of problem? Oh, of course you did, you saucy minx." Another highlight is Nighy's sly portrait of the seen-and-done-it-all rocker so self-amused and unconcerned with what anyone thinks that he can't help but tell the rude truth at all times. At once leathery and pickled, theater and TV vet Nighy has all the moves down as a sort of tidier Keith Richards for whom reclaimed success is just one giant and unexpected lark. In their own ways, other storylines become engaging as well. Although Neeson's Daniel seems overly anxious to move on from his wife's death, and he much too readily uses sexual profanity with his little stepson (a trait off-puttingly shared here by other adults around pre-pubescent kids), Sangster is so winning as the lovelorn but resourceful Sam that spending time with the two of them is more than pleasant. Marshall is a joy as the enthusiastic bloke who hits the babe jackpot the moment he arrives in the U.S. The nervous attraction between Jamie and Aurelia, who don't comprehend a word they're exchanging but understand one another perfectly all the same, is expertly played for laughs as well as heart tugs, and die-hard romantics will fall hook, line and sinker for the very public climax to their courtship. Portraying more melancholy emotions are Thompson's Karen, who succinctly captures the controlled anxiety of a woman who senses her marriage might be fracturing before her eyes, and Linney's Sarah, who's selflessly boxed herself into a place where romance is truly impossible. Overall, the cast is outrageously attractive playing characters almost uniformly hot to trot at a moment's notice. Still, as the episodes are stacked into a mile-high love sandwich, the film comes to seem too insistent, too calculated, too much the cheerleader for a cause that doesn't need such relentless persuasion. The grand finale, which brings most of the characters -- and hundreds of others --together in a Heathrow arrivals hall, socks over the picture's overriding theme in a way that will send mainstream auds out in a happy mood. Curtis has presided over the creation of a package that feels as luxuriously appointed and expertly tooled as a Rolls-Royce. Michael Coulter's resplendent lensing makes the beautiful people and terrific locations look even more fabulous than they do already, a cause aided by Jim Clay's production design and Joanna Johnston's costumes. Editor Nick Moore helps balance the storylines with keen senses of rhythm and proportion. Composer Craig Armstrong and music supervisor Nick Angel make catchy contributions that occasionally become overbearing. Pic has an invigorating and teasing sense of Anglo-American interplay that ranges from the political to the sexual.

Richard Curtis believes in the innate decency of the ordinary individual. The middle and upper-middle class individual. ;-) Which is a nice change from the usual gritty vulgar lower class films that have been championed from Britain for years. Colin Firth and Survival International invite you to a special charity preview of Love Actually. He'd better be there, but don't be surprised if they announce, "Due to a filming conflict..." ;-)

(Variety) However, the Prime Minister reveals a Clintonesque side as well in his obsession with Natalie. As neatly played by former pop tart and "My Fair Lady" McCutcheon, the self-professedly overweight character bears a resemblance to Monica Lewinsky that cannot have been unintentional. Strangely enough, that was my initial impression of her too. ;-)

Win tickets to The Times gala party This Saturday you could win tickets to The Times gala film and party at the Times/BFI London Film Festival, plus a meal at a top London restaurant. The ten winners will each win a pair of tickets to the star-studded screening of Girl with a Pearl Earring and to the exclusive post-screening party. Don't miss The Times on Saturday for details.

This week's Sunday Times will include a dvd of the trailer of "Love Actually" and some other movies.

Breakfast with the Arts on A&E producer says: "We interview Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansenn for "Girl with the Pearl Earrings". The interview is scheduled to air on 11/23." This was at the Toronto FF Set your VCR's A&E channel. Check for local viewing times. You read it here first;-)

Annie and Evelyn, thanks so much for the TV interview news! Very happy he's doing the Daily Show again, since he was so good on it last time. And I had a feeling A&E would nab him for a sit-down as well; he and Ehle are their poster children.

From Susan, the More magazine pic of the Colins:

(Karen) Win tickets to The Times gala party This Saturday you could win tickets to The Times gala film and party at the Times/BFI London Film Festival, plus a meal at a top London restaurant. The ten winners will each win a pair of tickets to the star-studded screening of Girl with a Pearl Earring and to the exclusive post-screening party. Don't miss The Times on Saturday for details. You can enter online too... http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,9086,00.html

Have added this pic to the TIFF In the Public Eye page from the November InStyle:

Have I said lately how much ODB melts my butter? GAH! Great pics Karen! Amazing smiles and dimples in both! Love the crazy curls on his forehead in the More pic. Thank you! Bee! Another great hug!!

Fun Scarlett article...Posted here because it does reference Colin and GWAPE...:-)) http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-7015-845630,00.html

(SJ) �John is so funny,� But wait, I thought *Colin* was the funny one. ;-) She has two in her left ear, one in the right, Just like Colin, right? Think she and Colin traded earrings? ..... and tiny acne scars Bet she loved *that* being pointed out. Thanks, Maria! Cute article. I find her views extremely interesting, I have to say. Not that I agree or disagree with her, but she's not dull. I've read bits of that interview somewhere else.

This has been a long...long...long time in the making: http://www.firth.com/articles/03vanfair_italy_oct.html

A review of Love Actually from one of those "vanity" websites, i.e., people who write without having a clue about film ... ;-) http://www.moovees.com/review/billp/love-actually.html

Thought this was worth a chuckle... The Scotsman: "Fancy a bit of rough? Then treat the man in your life to Trevor Sorbie Professional Mg Moulding Mud for a look that�s more Colin Farrell than Colin Firth. Perfect for guys who don�t want to spend more than five minutes in the bathroom but still want to turn heads. Then get your own back for all that missing moisturiser and steal mud for tousled tresses of your own. Priced �6.49, it�s available exclusively from Boots." http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2091088

"Can I jump on you?" That would be my first thought, too!

(Karen)This has been a long...long...long time in the making: And worth every minute of the wait Karen! Hot Damn! Or *thud* to borrow a Tressism....... Beautiful photos. Is this not a guy who grew into his baby face in the most *butter melting* way? I can't thank you enough for your efforts Karen. The two of you bring us so much pleasure.;-)

LOL! The process was similar to curing olives. ;-)

Maria...thank you for the Scarlet interview. I like her...she's got sass! And Karen! Thanks again! Like how he talks about stealing clothes from his films. Seems he steals more from movies like Trauma than he does from WAGW! Hmmmm....wonder if he stole that lovely shirt from GWAPE? Might look good with the Chucks. ;-) Must say I really like the visible chest in the first two pics....the Neru jacket thing looks too warm (or maybe I'm just overheating again)! ;-)

the Neru jacket thing looks too warm (or maybe I'm just overheating again)!;-) It does say "abiti di Giorgio Armani" so Giorgio dressed him. Right?

(Karen) It does say "abiti di Giorgio Armani" so Giorgio dressed him. Right? LOL...I had no idea, so used my handy Italian translator (non-human). This is what it came back with: "you live of Giorgio Armani" Is that what they call "lost in translation"?? ;-) And Giorgio may have dressed ODB (or done something else to him, for all I know...LOL) but it still looks a bit too warm for the weather. But who knows? It could have been chilly in Umbria that day!

(CF)They ignore basic driving rules but are so fastidious at the dinner table Oh so true! I can't imagine what went through his mind the split second that she asked what his favorite color was. LOL, that was gutsy and he was perfect! Thanks so much Karen for the VF article. Love that first picture. Love that shirt, the look, and the amount of buttons unbuttoned! Maria thanks for the SJ article.

VF interview terrific ,Boss. He seems to open up more with non-English -speaking journalists.

(Maria) Hopefully there are those among us that may be in the right place at the right time to catch GWAPE here... Maria, bless you!!! I just bought my ticket for the screening this coming Wednesday. Finally, something good about living in Washington...

I'm back........ Still obsessing, (and isn't that what this place is sorta for?) on those lovely olivey photos. I like that green color in the first photo v. much. What did he steal that from? I feel like a pressed olive now Karen, but not like a virgin olive, if we know what I mean.;-) It's late so I can say this, I hope.........

It is as it should be...(nevermind the title...it fits in this topic, trust me...) Daily Record DREAMY KNIGHTLEY Oct 25 2003 Pirate beauty Keira is sexiest film star By Steven Ventura PIRATES of the Caribbean beauty Keira Knightley is Britain's sexiest female film star. The rising actress whose mother grew up in Ayrshire first shot to fame as Queen Amidala's handmaiden in Star Wars: Episode I. The 19-year-old won more fans in Bend It like Beckham before starring with Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom in the swashbuckling Disney hit. But dishy Bloom lost out as Britain's sexiest film star to Bridget Jones hero Colin Firth, who won female hearts as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. More mature sex symbols Alan Rickman, Sean Connery and Sean Bean also made the top five in the poll of 4500 people by internet provider Tiscali. Firth's Bridget Jones co-star, Hugh Grant, Irish stars Colin Farrell and Liam Neeson, and Scots Robert Carlyle and Ewan McGregor also won places. Richard Ayers, editor of tiscali.co.uk, said: ``It was great to see a scrap between the older fans of Firth, Ed. Note. what do you think? I'm pretty sure we can take 'em! fighting off the teenage hordes of whipper-snapper Orlando. ``It was a triumph of sensual seniority(exactly how I would put it!) over youthful exuberance.'' Surprisingly, cinema darling Catherine Zeta Jones did not make the list of top British screen sirens. Kate Winslet came second, followed by Rachel Weisz and Liz Hurley, known more for her dresses than her acting. TINSELTOWN TALENT TOP TENS MEN1 Colin Firth (left) 2 Orlando Bloom 3 Alan Rickman 4 Sean Connery 5 Sean Bean 6 Hugh Grant 7 Colin Farrell 8 Liam Neeson 9 Robert Carlyle 10 Ewan McGregor WOMEN 1 Keira Knightley2 Kate Winslet 3 Rachel Weisz4 Liz Hurley (left)5 Kate Beckinsale 6 Kristin Scott Thomas 7 Joely Richardson 8 Parminder Nagra 9 Alex Kingston10 Helena Bonham Carter

But dishy Bloom lost out as Britain's sexiest film star to Bridget Jones hero Colin Firth, who won female hearts as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. See Annette! Our little contest Queen! Thanks for waking me up.

Oooops! Thanks for posting the results Barb from another Barb Bee!

(Karen, Italian VF) This has been a long...long...long time in the making: And we appreciate the length of your efforts in making it happen! Thanks Karen! (Oops! And can't forget Moonerella (v.cute! :-)) P.S.Hope he gets to keep the sweater this time...Love that he even wants to and probably relates more to it than to the wet shirt...

Off out to buy my local rag, The Daily Record. Thanks, Karen, for your unending work in bringing us all these wonderful pics and articles. It is really appreciated. The Italian VF was definitely worth waiting for! Those first 2 pics are the best I've seen in quite a while. Italy seems to suit him very well!

Thank you, Karen and Moonerella(!), for the Vanity Fair article. I like the bottom pic, the black and white one best. Very much appreciate your efforts to get the mag and the translation! (Linda)can't imagine what went through his mind the split second that she asked what his favorite color was. LOL, that was gutsy Yes it was, as was the question on why he broke up with Meg. Bordering on inappropriate, I'd say. Ancient history. Susan, thanks for the "More" mag pics! Very cute photo, too bad he had to appear on the same spread with that potty-mouth Colin F.;-)

Forgot to mention: I have the November "W" mag in hand (photo has already been posted somewhere above.) Good long interview entitled "Going Dutch--Colin Firth, the thinking woman's sex symbol, stars in a new film as painter Johannes Vermeer." Here's a highlight: he's talking about having gone to Delft with the crew to see paint colors being ground and mixed in an old mill. "It's amazing the amount of stuff that's made from beetle shit or the urine of some animal," he reports. (I always *knew* those lovely colors all existed in nature.;-) Also, thanks for the InStyle pic of Colin and SJ--wonderful pic, they look so happy and natural! This is the November issue, right? Will pick it up. One more thing. There's a full-page full-color spread in the new issue of US magazine from the TEOR filming; huge BJ and MD kissy pic and some smaller ones, with some behind-the-scenes quotes. Will post more on BJD board.

I really liked that W interview. Some different stuff, and quite amusing, at times. Thanks everyone for everything this week.

Thanks to the olive pressers for the Italian VF article and pics. Moonerella, eh? So that was you in that Roger Vadim flick! ;-)

There's a big article in USA Today about the likely Oscar contenders, singling out the epics--Lord Of The Rings, Master and Commander, The Last Samurai, Cold Mountain, and The Alamo. This sidebar discusses 10 others that have a shot to get in there should the blcokbusters stumble: The calm before the epic storm By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY Epics are making the most noise now, but several less monumentally budgeted films some in theaters, more due for the holidays are establishing themselves as contenders. Among them: Mystic River (in theaters): Based on Dennis Lehane's best seller about three friends who face a traumatic event as boys, then as adults must cope with a violent crime that stirs up old emotions. Stars Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and Kevin Bacon. Oscar buzz: Acclaimed performances and the Oscar pedigree of director Clint Eastwood (1992's Unforgiven) give it a good shot. Many nominees have literary roots, and Mystic has the added plus of praised writing and direction. Seabiscuit (in theaters): Famous racehorse comes from behind and takes a Depression-weary America by storm. It's based on Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling book and stars Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, and Tobey Maguire. Oscar buzz: Its summer opening, initially seen as a drawback, may prove a plus. With a shorter Oscar season (the awards were moved up to February), Seabiscuit has the advantage of having been already widely seen. Lost in Translation (in theaters): A neglected young wife (Scarlett Johansson) and a has-been movie star (Bill Murray) strike up an unexpected friendship in a Tokyo hotel. Directed by Sofia Coppola. Oscar buzz: There is considerable respect for the daughter of director Francis Ford Coppola for re-inventing herself as a filmmaker after the dismal reviews she received as an actress in Godfather 3. Across-the-board critical raves are an added plus. Love Actually (Nov. 7): A romantic comedy starring Oscar favorites Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant. It follows 10 different characters and was a big crowd pleaser at festivals and early screenings. Oscar buzz: Comedies are always dicey with the serious-minded academy, but Brit humor seems to fare best. Who can forget Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Full Monty? The Missing (Nov. 19): A Western thriller set in 1885 about an estranged father (Tommy Lee Jones) and daughter (Cate Blanchett) who reunite to rescue her child, kidnapped by dangerous outlaws. Oscar buzz: This period piece directed by Oscar-winner Ron Howard may have all the ingredients to please voters. In America (Nov. 26): An impoverished Irish family immigrates to New York in the early '80s after a tragedy and chases the elusive American dream. Oscar buzz: Director Jim Sheridan's work has been nominated before: 1989's My Left Foot and 1993's In the Name of the Father. Also, it's a love letter to New York, which could appeal to academy voters on both coasts. Big Fish (Dec. 10): A drama about a father dying of cancer (Albert Finney and his estranged son (Billy Crudup) Oscar buzz: The story is a departure for director Tim Burton, and the weighty subject and praised performances have an Oscar feel. Girl With a Pearl Earring (Dec. 12): Based on Tracy Chevalier's best-selling novel about Vermeer (Colin Firth) and a wise peasant girl (Scarlett Johansson). Oscar buzz: An arty favorite at film festivals, it could fall into the slot once occupied by Merchant-Ivory productions. The Statement (Dec. 12): A thriller starring Michael Caine as a former French Nazi collaborator on the run from police and assassins. Oscar buzz: Movies about the Holocaust have a powerful track record, as evidenced by last year's The Pianist. And Caine and director Norman Jewison (The Hurricane) are academy favorites. House of Sand and Fog (Dec. 26): Based on Andre Dubus' best-selling novel about a woman (Jennifer Connelly) whose house is mistakenly sold at auction and her desperate efforts to stop the Iranian immigrant (Ben Kingsley) who buys it. Oscar buzz: Kingsley's performance and the story, both personal and epic in scope, are winning kudos from early viewers.

I too adore that picture with the green shirt. (Karen) It does say "abiti di Giorgio Armani" so Giorgio dressed him. Right?"Clothes by G Armani." What happens often is that the photo shoot is set up with the understsnding that they would bring a bunch of clothes from a designer. And who would say no to Armani clothes? I bet he kept the shirts. (Lisa), Thanks to the olive pressers for the Italian VF article and pics. Moonerella, eh? So that was you in that Roger Vadim flick! ;-) LOL! With my blond wig, of course. Oh, behave! ;-) I hope you are referring to the remake done by his young son. Keep the articles coming ladies and thank you!

(Mari)There's a big article in USA Today about the likely Oscar contenders... Do we dare dream? Those blockbusters sound ominous though. But isn't it nice to have his forthcoming films menioned on the O. shortlist instead of the dogpile.

Aishling to the rescue today, with a cute pic of Colin from the Telegraph. An article Richard Curtis wrote about directing the movie. Here's the part that mentions Colin: There is a scene in which Colin Firth and Lucia Moniz who plays Aurelia swim in an apparently deep lake. The truth is the lake was fine when we originally saw it, but by the time we arrived was 18 inches deep. Our two actors are kneeling and pretending to swim. In the rushes at the end of every take you can see them stand up and the water only comes up to their knees. During the filming, Colin was bitten by a vicious, malarial gadfly--his elbow swelled up like an avocado and were he not a saint, he would have sued us for the entire profits of the films.

Quite a lot about CF in the papers! Today's Telegraph has extracts from Richard Curtis's book about the making of "Love Actually". Three pics of CF (only 2 of Huge!) including a one page photo of CF and RC on the set. RC writes about scenes shot with CF and Lucia Moniz (swimming in the lake).. "During the filming Colin was bitten by a vicious malarial gadfly - his elbow swelled up like an avocado, and were he not a saint, he would have sued us for the entire profits of the film." (Ed.note Seems rather accident prone!) LA opens on the 21st in the UK, but the book (�12.99 ) is available from Nov 6. Can be ordered (�11.99 plus p&p) from Telegraph Books Direct on 0870 1557222 Full details at www.penguin.co.uk "From the writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary - the essential companion to the smash-hit movie, including full screenplay and exclusive additional material. For everyone that�s ever been in love and laughed about it � If you adored Love Actually, this superb companion to the hit movie is guaranteed to warm your heart and make you laugh all over again. Featuring: - Full screenplay introduced by award-winning scriptwriter Richard Curtis - Deleted scenes and other juicy bits - Behind the scenes with the all-star cast, including Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson - Full cast �love questionnaire� - Over 200 full-colour photographs and exclusive black and white photos from the production of the film Set in contemporary London just before Christmas and weaving together a series of touching and hilarious stories, Love Actually is a romantic comedy that looks at the funny, sad and often stupid sides of love." CF also features in today's Express - voted sexiest movie male - with nice Darcy pic, and usual blurb - BJD/TEOR, devoted family man, 3 sons etc. The sort of publicity that doesn't hurt. He's also had a good run in the Daily Mail, with TEOR photos over three days. Even the paparazzi shot, although intrusive, was backed up with very positive (ie non-tabloidish) text - devoted dad, and mentions of all recent films WAGW, LA, TEOR plus "Trauma" and "The Dead Wait". So someone had done their homework. He's also getting mentions as a result of BBC2's "The Big Read" (where viewers can vote for their all time favourite book) P&P is battling it out with LOTR. The Sunday Telegraph had a large pic of Darcy/CF sitting by the lake, and quoted Ladbrokes as saying that P&P was odds on favourite to win because of the Darcy factor. Also, the Times has had several mentions of GWAPE, and I'm sure there will be more when it is actually screened. Not a bad week for PR actually!

(RC)were he not a saint Well, as one of the apostles of Sct. Colin, I allready knew that :-) Just joking :-) Thank you all, for the articles and pictures, Karen, Moon, Aishling and everybody I haven't named. The Italian interview is one of the best in a long time, IMHO. I like his sense of humour :-) I agree with you, Evelyn; it's so nice to hear all these positive reports from his films.

Oh, you got there before me! Worth duplicating though.

(Moon)I bet he kept the shirts. LOL! And if he did we'll see em again.:-D (RC)his elbow swelled up like an avocado and were he not a saint, he would have sued us for the entire profits of the films. Ah! A member of the Church of St. Colin!!

I think we can safely say that ODB has got himself a hot PR firm. May he NEVER again be in the likes of HS and Ldum.

(Bethan!)Quite a lot about CF in the papers!...... and mentions of all recent films WAGW, LA, TEOR plus "Trauma" and "The Dead Wait". So someone had done their homework..........Not a bad week for PR actually! Great news Bethan!! Now perhaps Karen can keep that paperbag off her head for a while. No more *bag hair*! ;-)

During the filming, Colin was bitten by a vicious, malarial gadfly--his elbow swelled up like an avocado So that's why we saw it bandaged in those pics from filming in France. BTW, that pic of him and RC is on the loveactually.com website, under the behind the scenes section. You need to click on the crew names; there are at least a couple of Colin. There's lots on that site; you need to surf around. I assume everyone saw the clip of Colin/Jamie and Aurelia, talking about driving her home.

Bandage is probably where he was bitten.

A chance to hear Tracy Chevalier and Olivia Hetreed discuss GWAPE (from www.scriptfactory.co.uk) Girl With A Pearl Earring: A Masterclass in Adaptation from Brush to Pen to Camera Wednesday 29 October � 5pm Tickets �6 (�5 concs) available from www.sohotheatre.com or Soho Theatre Box Office � 020 7478 0100 Not much is known about Dutch painter Vermeer, and even less about the models who worked for him. So for her best-selling novel, Girl With A Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier had to rely on the paintings themselves to tell her the secrets behind one of the artist�s most famous and mysterious works. Her wonderful fictionalised account reveals a relationship between Vermeer and the bright and intriguing servant who became his model and muse (a considerable scandal in 17th Century Holland). As the big screen adaptation gathers rave reviews, we bring together screenwriter Olivia Hetreed and novelist Tracy Chevalier for a detailed discussion about the transformation of a richly-textured novel into a ravishingly beautiful and remarkably intelligent film - one which looks certain to be a major awards favourite for the coming year. Film Festival screening: Girl With A Pearl Earring is screening at Odeon WE on Thurs 30 Oct at 8.30pm and Fri 31 Oct at 1pm - book on-line at www.lff.org.uk

From a long article by film review critic of the Observer (not prone to praising CF movies) on the emerging new genre of horror movie http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,1065907,00.html "I'm hanging my hopes on the international market, particularly Trauma and the Ministry of Fear here in Britain, and watching for the next wave of emerging maestros from Hong Kong and Japan to scare the bejesus out of a new generation of horror fans."

From View London: LFF SHOWING 30th & 31st OCTOBER NATIONAL RELEASE 16th JANUARY Four out of Five stars Running time: 103 mins Beautifully photographed and featuring a superb performance by Scarlett Johansson, this is a rewarding drama that is shot through with a palpable erotic intensity. Girl With A Pearl Earring is a period drama based on the best-selling novel by Tracy Chevalier. Primarily a British production, it�s directed by Peter Webber, making his feature debut. As such, it�s an extremely enjoyable drama: sumptuous, erotic and beautifully photographed, with superb performances from its cast. 17th Century Holland The film is set in 17th century Holland in the city of Delft and the story takes an imaginary look at the events surrounding the creation of Vermeer�s most famous painting. Scarlett Johansson (Ghost World, The Man Who Wasn�t There) stars as Griet, a 17 year old girl who becomes a maid in the house of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). Though separated by both class and education, Vermeer recognises her intuitive understanding of colour and light and gradually allows her to assist with his painting. Their tender, clandestine relationship, though never overtly sexual, nonetheless comes at great risk, particularly from Vermeer�s jealous, spiteful daughter Cornelia (Alakina Mann). However, Vermeer�s shrewd mother-in-law Maria (Judy Parfitt) realises that Griet inspires Vermeer and she takes the dangerous decision to hide the details from his neurotic wife Catharina (Essie Davis). Meanwhile, Griet finds herself in danger of an entirely different sort from Vermeer�s wealthy, lusty patron, Van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson), an extremely perilous position to be in, given that Vermeer depends on Van Ruijven�s patronage� Impeccable Period Detail The period detail of the film is impeccable and the dull, grimy atmosphere is heightened considerably by Eduardo Serra�s superlative photography, which constantly draws attention to light and shade. There�s also an effective score by the gloriously named Alexandre Desplat. Johansson is perfectly cast in the lead role and gives a wonderful performance � her resemblance to the girl in the painting is astonishing. Since she doesn�t have much dialogue, a large part of her performance is conveyed through her face and eyes and at times she�s positively hypnotic to watch. The other performances are good too, particularly Firth (putting his trademarked �dark, brooding� performance to splendid use) and Wilkinson, who seems to be having altogether too much fun as Van Ruijven. There�s also good support from Cillian Murphy as the butcher�s apprentice who falls in love with Griet. The film is full of memorable scenes � Cornelia�s eventual punishment is a thoroughly satisfying highlight. The crowning sequence of the film, however, concerns the preparation for the painting itself: Vermeer piercing Griet�s ears and repeatedly asking her to wet her lips are intensely erotic, unforgettable scenes. In short, Girl With A Pearl Earring is a well-written, well-directed, extremely rewarding drama with an astonishing central performance from Johansson � don�t be surprised if she picks up an Oscar nomination come February. Highly recommended. Reviewed by - Matthew Turner

Playing to the Crowd The Brit comedy �Love Actually� aims to please. Before it makes $125 million, quick question: is it any good? By David Ansen NEWSWEEK Nov. 3 issue � Here�s a verbal Rorschach test: when you hear the term �crowd-pleasing� attached to a movie, does it seem a recommendation or a dis? How you respond to this may determine your reaction to Richard Curtis�s �Love Actually,� a panoramic, star-studded British romantic comedy that is very eager to be liked. Curtis is the talented fellow who wrote �Four Weddings and a Funeral� and �Notting Hill� (not to mention �Bridget Jones�s Diary�). This is the first feature he�s both written and directed, and it seems designed to guarantee he�ll get to direct another: failure is not an option. IN PURSUIT OF laughs and lumps in the throat, Curtis employs every clever or hoary trick he�s ever learned, freely pillaging his own movies and others�. Offering up nine loosely connected love stories, Curtis has whipped up a heaping meal of cinematic comfort food, sweet as English pudding and just spicy enough to earn an R rating. The movie baldly announces its �love is everywhere� theme with a montage of embraces at the arrivals area of Hethrow airport, a sequence that could easily be mistaken for a long-distance-telephone commercial. �Love Actually� then plunges into its multiple tales of heterosexual romance, which unfold in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The sheer size of the cast is dizzying�as you�ll soon see. At the top of the social ladder is the bachelor Prime Minister (Hugh Grant, in his best diffident-charm mode), who finds himself preoccupied with a curvaceous staffer (Martine McCutcheon) from a dodgy part of town. The P.M.�s sister (Emma Thompson) is grappling with the wandering eye of her husband (Alan Rickman), whose saucy secretary (Heike Makatsch) is doing her best to seduce him. This triangle doesn�t really resolve itself, it just peters out. Meanwhile, a cuckolded mystery writer (Colin Firth) retreats to France for solace, where he falls for his Portuguese maid (Lucia Muniz). Unfortunately, neither understands the other�s language. (You wonder if Curtis is aware that, in most of the affairs here, men are masters and women are servants.) Puppy love is represented by 11-year-old Sam (Thomas Sangster), who is coached in courtship by his recently widowed father (Liam Neeson). The tone shifts uneasily from bedroom farce to masochistic creepiness in a strand involving a pathologically unassertive American (Laura Linney) whose guilt-ridden devotion to her mentally ill brother continually foils the consummation of her lust for her co-worker (hottie Rodrigo Santoro). Are you following all this? There�s more. The unexpected MVP of the cast is Bill Nighy, who gets the biggest laughs playing a lewd, jaded, over-the-hill rock star hoping to make a comeback with a dismal Christmas makeover of �Love Is All Around.� Further broad comic relief comes in the form of a randy, oft-spurred young waiter (Kris Marshall) who�s convinced that sexual salvation awaits him in Wisconsin, where his English accent will charm the pants off the natives. Then there are the shy young lovers who meet, naked, as stand-ins for the stars of an erotic movie�a one-joke gag Curtis milks twice too often. Yet another thread, on the theme of unrequited love, involves a newly wed beauty (Keira Knightley) who discovers that her husband�s best friend (Andrew Lincoln) is hopelessly in love with her. The Hugh Grant sequences are among the most delightful (if not the most plausible), and they allow Curtis to get in a barbed anti-Blair and anti-American aside in the form of Billy Bob Thornton�s visiting U.S. president, a reptilian amalgam of skirt-chasing Clinton and bully-boy Bush. As a director, Curtis is nothing if not promiscuous, equally embracing his best and worst ideas. This is the sort of movie in which a crowd of strangers breaks into applause as one character publicly proposes to another (a device that was overworked 10 years ago). Yet the scene works because the proposal itself is hilarious. Slick, expertly acted and shameless, �Love Actually� is alternately beguiling and bloated, witty and warmed over, smart and pandering. The majority is likely to swoon; the minority will squirm their way through it.

(Bethan) but the book (�12.99 ) is available from Nov 6. Can be ordered (�11.99 plus p&p) from Telegraph Books Direct Can also be order (US and UK) from amazon via The Boutique! ;-) (Newsweek) The unexpected MVP of the cast is Bill Nighy Did I call this one or what? He reminds me of Peter O'Toole in My Favorite Year. (You wonder if Curtis is aware that, in most of the affairs here, men are masters and women are servants.) Eowww! Good observation. Thanks everyone for the news items!

(Karen) Did I call this one or what? He reminds me of Peter O'Toole in My Favorite Year. He stole every scene. He was hilarious! There is a Robert Palmer parody that may not be as funny now...okay....it will be! (Karen) Can also be order (US and UK) from amazon via The Boutique! ;-) Have noticed that the UK version of the book is 240 pages and the US version is 144!?!? Hmmmm......interesting! May now have to buy both to compare! ;-)

Thanks Mari, Karen and all for the great articles and pictures. Mari, thanks for the heads up on the November magazine articles and LA website. I've missed some things, but I did catch the lovely Jamie clip.

this is a rewarding drama that is shot through with a palpable erotic intensity. And best of all it is a period film! My kind all the way. Can't wait! (Karen) Did I call this one or what? He reminds me of Peter O'Toole in My Favorite Year. It was my fav. part of the previews. He just glows on the screen. (You wonder if Curtis is aware that, in most of the affairs here, men are masters and women are servants.) His partner is a Freud. ;-) Thanks, Mari, Betham and Karen.

Re: Love Actually book length (UK vs. US) I'm not sure I have any faith in the product details on the US site, especially as the publisher is not correct; it is St Martin's Press, not Griffin Trade Paper, though the St Martin's Press site does say the book is only 144 pages. I've gone to the Penguin UK site and found the book, under the Michael Joseph imprint, and it says it is 208 pages not 240. I think the American publisher needs a call.

To: Mrs. Hola Lola From: Dorine Re: Colin Firth on Letterman Dear Mrs. Hola Lola, It's very nice to see that Mr. Firth will be on The Daily Show. His interview with Jon Stewart is one of our favorites. When can we expect to see him on Letterman? And maybe on the Today Show with Katie Couric, too? Hopefully soon. :-D Thank you. Have a nice week! Sincerely, Dorine :-)

LOL Dorine! Okay, there is a new feature on Amazon.com called Search Inside the Book. If you type in...say a phrase...or, let's say......someone's name, it will search 120,000 titles and find that phrase for you (and you can view the page(s)). Well. Other than BJD/TEOR, I think this is a new favorite mention (from "The Ticket Out"): "You were way right about Moulin Rouge and Shrek, Ann, but not so right about Bridget Jones's Diary. Bridget was a howl, and Colin Firth, pass me a spoon, I'd eat him with fudge sauce anyday. I've heard he's straight, tell me it's true." [note: I wouldn't need fudge sauce.] ;-)

Rubbing more salt into my gaping wounds... As reported by Momi, who hasn't jumped over her final hurdle for posting here at Drool yet, GWAPE is playing at the Hawaii Intl FF on Friday, Oct 31 http://www.hiff.org/2003fall.html

OMG, I'd have to see Walkentalk. ;-) Isn't Mambo Italiano just a Canadian The Wedding Banquet (a movie I loved)?

NY Post Business: On this week's magazines -- Time tackles the Iraq mess with a shorter takedown on Donald Rumsfeld that finds the defense chief losing his magic touch. For the cover, though, the weekly plays up two hot-button words - "kids" and "drugs" - to tease an article on the growing use of medication to treat teens' emotional problems. Time's best bit: A snippy roundtable with British stars Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.

Thanks Mary! And here it is... R T S / M O V I E S Pouring On the Charm By RICHARD CURTIS; HUGH GRANT; EMMA THOMPSON; LIAM NEESON; Monday, Nov. 03, 2003 It can't be true that all British actors are more charming and witty than American ones, but it often seems that way, especially in movies by Richard Curtis, the writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary. Having given them so many great lines, Curtis was able to assemble quite a constellation of stars for his directorial debut, Love Actually, which opens next week. In a web of interconnected love stories, Hugh Grant plays the Prime Minister, Emma Thompson his sister, Liam Neeson a widower with a stepson, and Colin Firth a writer who moves to France after his girlfriend cheats on him. Curtis and four of his stars sat down with TIME's Josh Tyrangiel in London to discuss love, Governor Schwarzenegger and Grant's inimitable dance moves. EMMA THOMPSON: I think Hugh is quite hung over. [Grant, with a box of Advil, groans.] RICHARD CURTIS: So this is one of those things where you'll put our initials, like E.T., and then it's all boiled down ... EMMA: ... into the stupidest thing you ever said ever, which you then wear round your neck. RICHARD: Talk about stupid things around your neck, what is that? [Thompson is wearing a fur collar.] EMMA: [Laughing] F___ off, all of you. You should be appreciative I've made an effort for your bloody film. RICHARD: You look absolutely gorgeous. Now I don't want that bit in � the "your bloody film" bit. COLIN FIRTH: Do we have to cut it anytime anyone says "your bloody film," or just Emma? RICHARD: Cut that bit too. LIAM NEESON: So why was my computer scene cut out of the film? RICHARD: You see, we've got to give them something for the DVD now. LIAM: But was it hilariously unfunny? RICHARD: It's absolutely lovely. The truth of the matter is that the bonding between you and your stepson, which that scene was meant to achieve, was there from the start. EMMA: What about the scene with my son in the corridor, about the farts? It's gone. RICHARD: Oh, shut up, the whole lot of you. TIME: The story lines that actually made it into the movie are about love between a husband and wife, husband's best friend and wife, brother and sister, mentally impaired brother and sister, language-impaired boss and employee, boy and girl, and a widowed stepfather and son. It all takes place at Christmas, with loving families and adorable children. Did you ever think, O.K., enough is enough? HUGH GRANT: I thought it was very brave. As you say, it runs the risk of being unfashionable to be that positive and warm about life and people. And Richard doesn't seem to care at all. He goes full out for it. His saving grace all his life has been that he takes you to the edge, where you're about to say enough already, and then there's a good joke that undercuts the whole thing. It's a great feat of trapeze. COLIN: You cannot afford to miss, picking up on that metaphor. You miss by an inch, and you've got something that's catastrophic. There's a thin line between being deeply moved and the desire to vomit. RICHARD: Can the vomit bit not be in? EMMA: No, I think we need vomit. TIME: Liam, people tend to overlook your comedic work in Schindler's List. Is that why you wanted to be in this movie? LIAM: That and knowing it was Richard and all these extraordinary actors. I thought, My God, I could only wish. RICHARD: I had just rewatched Husbands and Wives, and there's a fantastic scene where Liam's come back from a date and he's trying to work out whether to kiss Judy Davis. He's so calm, and that magical calm that Liam can do was crucial. I like to feel that in this film people are allowed to do things that are very natural to them. TIME: Like Hugh Grant being Prime Minister? RICHARD: I met the Prime Minister after Notting Hill, and he said he enjoyed it, but why were all the characters in my movies such losers? So I thought, I'll pay him back. TIME: Hugh, did you enjoy playing out the fantasy of global power? HUGH: Well, I do quite like to be the focus of attention, so as far as the Prime Minister gets out of his car and waves, I liked that. But if the question is, Did I enjoy doing the part?, the answer is of course no. Acting is unmitigated torture for me from beginning to end. LIAM: Is it, Hugh? I remember reading something about this. Why? HUGH: Because I don't like the pressure. I don't mind rehearsing. You do something in rehearsal and someone says, "Hey, that's pretty good. Quite funny." And then from that moment on you're just dreading trying to repeat it. LIAM: You repeat it very, very well. RICHARD: Yeah, in film after film after film. [Much laughter.] I've got a terrible thing to admit. Whenever I look at the end of the movie, when Hugh's in front of that audience and they're all clapping and he does that little wave and disappears, I keep thinking, I hope that when he dies, that's the bit they show at the end of the news. HUGH: It'd be either that or the mug shot.

There is more!! Page 2 & 3 here... http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101031103-526493-2,00.html

HUGH: It'd be either that or the mug shot. Hilarious! I love his sense of humour. Thanks, Maria and Murph!

Same issue of Time has a review of LA as well! Sweet Agonies of Affection By RICHARD SCHICKEL Sunday, Oct. 26, 2003 A Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) rattles lonesomely around 10 Downing Street, mooning over his pretty tea lady (Martine McCutcheon). A trashed rocker (Bill Nighy, in a great comic turn) tries to find his old adoring audience with a ghastly Christmas song. A cuckolded writer (Colin Firth) falls in love with his housekeeper (Lucia Moniz) but can't communicate with her: she speaks only Portuguese, he only English. A shy office worker (Laura Linney) is too tongue tied and tragically preoccupied with her mentally ill brother to consummate her passion for the hunk at the neighboring computer. A recently widowed dad (Liam Neeson) tries to reach out to his love-struck 10-year-old stepson. And that's less than half the cast of writer-director Richard Curtis' epic romantic comedy, Love Actually. As you can see, a lot of Love Actually's humor derives from the fact that people are struck dumb by their passions. But as he proved with his script for Four Weddings and a Funeral, Curtis has a deft hand with multiple stories. And as he showed in writing Notting Hill and co-writing Bridget Jones's Diary, he has an acute sense of the desperate needs that underlie our often comically deflected longings. In his comedies people always act improbably, but they are full of a sort of fierce wistfulness too. They will eventually go to extraordinary lengths to find romantic fulfillment. Thus Grant's PM finds himself singing carols on Christmas Eve to bratty children. A horny, socially inept waiter (Kris Marshall) flies all the way to Wisconsin hoping for the sex he can't get in London and, of all things, finds it. A couple of movie stand-ins repeatedly get naked for the cameraman, boredly discuss London traffic and don't confess their love until they get their clothes on. On the other hand, several characters besides Linney's overly devoted sister do not get everything they want. For although Alan Rickman's emotionally constricted businessman does consummate his affair with his nastily manipulative secretary, it does not mean all ends well. Indeed, you could say the wife he betrays (Emma Thompson) carries the film's heaviest emotional weight. She's brave and � because Thompson is such a wise, fine actress � utterly winning in her devastation. Her work does not dim the general merriment; it simply colors it with a touch of heartfelt reality. But enough of Curtis' other lovably crazed characters do succeed in finding love in all the unlikely places that you leave the theater with your heart humming happily. He has his dark � well, darkish � side under control. Which is to say that he is an Englishman, well practiced in masking pain and absurdity and descents into sheer goofiness with mannerly behavior, sly irony and stiff upper lips. Don't get me wrong: Love Actually is not a black or even a particularly bleak comedy. But it does remind us � sometimes with a winning, unpolished awkwardness � that the pursuit of love is a game that is as dangerous as it is exhilarating. From the Nov. 03, 2003 issue of TIME magazine

� Colin Firth; Josh Tyrangiel I just realized that it was Colin! Tiranous Angel. Well done!

(Moon)� Colin Firth; Josh Tyrangiel I just realized that it was Colin! Tiranous Angel. Well done! Oh Moon, could you please fill in? This is code from what, where? Thanking you in advance, Bee.:-))

Oh silly me! I forgot to Thank you very much Maria! Will run out at lunch time and grab a copy.:-)))

Oh Moon, could you please fill in? This is code from what, where? Beedee, read the interview, at the end, Colin gets the credit, he is Josh, the interviewer. ;-)

LOL! very funny interview. Thank goodness Colin had a couple of good quips to keep up with the others and didn't come off too serious and too boring. COLIN: You cannot afford to miss, picking up on that metaphor. You miss by an inch, and you've got something that's catastrophic. There's a thin line between being deeply moved and the desire to vomit. I'm surprised by Liam's humor. He's quite clever and funny. Can't wait for the magazine to be delivered this afternoon. Thanks Murph and Maria!

(Momi via Karen)GWAPE is playing at the Hawaii Intl FF on Friday, Oct 31 Ohgoodie...hope Momi reports back to us. We never seem to hear from some of these folks. Louise at Austin FF? Telluride by- the- sea folks??

(Moon) read the interview, at the end, Colin gets the credit, he is Josh, the interviewer. ;-) I thought this too but Josh Tyrangiel googles as a Time movie/music writer. Wonder what the story is?

I don't think Colin is doubling as the interviewer; it could be a picture caption. Will have to wait until mag is delivered later to see what this means.

Thanks for the Time mag articles, Murph and Maria. Time is wonderful exposure, but whose idea was it to sit him down among these logorrheic magpies? I can imagine what that scene was like around the table, waiting for one of these self-absorbed luvvies to come up for air. Or as Emma T. might so charmingly say, "Shut the f___ up." ;-)

BTW, it's absolutely a photo caption. Hey, Moon, whatcha smokin' down there?;-) godferbid he has those glasses on

Time is wonderful exposure, but whose idea was it to sit him down among these logorrheic magpies? It's known as pulling your own weight. Nothing wrong with it and may help his bankability. If he's included in this group, maybe there's some hope (every body part crossed) for a Charlie Rose show with a few of them.

(Karen)If he's included in this group, maybe there's some hope (every body part crossed) for a Charlie Rose show with a few of them. Oh my!! Be still my foolish heart! I would love a Charlie Rose show!

(Karen)It's known as pulling your own weight. Nothing wrong with it and may help his bankability My point is: he has to force himself to speak up more among this type of crowd. These are the type of people who will run right over you if you don't. None of them are the type to try to draw out the quiet person. I'd much rather see him do Charlie Rose with Scarlett for GWAPE, not for this film. And Dorine, count me in the Letterman camp!

(Mari) I'd much rather see him do Charlie Rose with Scarlett for GWAPE, not for this film. So would I, but Charlie has to meet him first. Maybe he'd be impressed enough with him after to invite him back for a more serious discussion. Sheesh, I was flipping through the channels last week and saw Charlie 1-on-1 with Mark Ruffalo. Didn't watch; wasn't interested. But you've got to get Charlie Hangdog Expression's interest first.

(Karen) But you've got to get Charlie Hangdog Expression's interest first. Just like Letterman.

(Dorine) Just like Letterman. Not quite. 1-on-1 is far different IMO from being the second guest who is there to do a brief plug for a film. If you impress Letterman with that, then he'd get called back as the first guest on his next round of promos. Hey, the other CF didn't start out as the top billed guest initially either on the late night shows, but it didn't take long for their talent bookers to see his ability to draw.

Letterman will go to Hugh or Liam or Emma. The Jon Stewart show confirms that, IMO. And I would like to be wrong. But for GWAPE? Are we just going to see Scarlett? That would be his time to push too. Hey, Moon, whatcha smokin' down there?;-) LOL! Blame the Marlins, they're psychadelic. ;-) I had a hard time believing that he would only have what, two lines? ;-)

(Mari)My point is: he has to force himself to speak up more among this type of crowd. Yes, I cringed for him during his VH1 appearance for BJD. He couldn't get, nor IMO, did he try to get a word in with RZ and HG. He did much better the second time around for TIOBE with RE, RW, and FOC. (Moon)I had a hard time believing that he would only have what, two lines? ;-) I was wondering if he went off to the loo, and maybe ran into Tress;-) Thanks, Maria

Hey, Moon, whatcha smokin' down there?;-) LOL! Blame the Marlins, they're psychadelic. ;-) I had a hard time believing that he would only have what, two lines? ;-) Hey, then I'm stoned too! I thought he wrote it as well and that the name used had some sort of interesting meaning.:-)) Well, it was early!

Those Brits and their sense of humor -- That roundtable was hilarious. Curtis is a real hoot. Thanks for bring the link over, Maria.

Have my Time magazine. This spread is 4 pages long. There's a big pic at a restaurant table (with CF and HG standing behind the seated ET, RC and LN, like a wedding photo, where half the table must stand behind), another group shot on the Table of Contents page--uhmmm, ET, LM and Huge got separate headshots with quotes inset, though there's a pic of Colin and Lucia from the movie over the sidebar with Schickel's review. BTW, Colin looks a bit dorky. Sorry, you'll see.

Hi everyone Hope all is well. I apologize for not stopping in sooner but I've been out of town on several junkets and have been ill as well,especially in the mornings :) Anyway, Colin will be doing some of the morning shows, like Today and The View, but so far, none of the late night shows are interested, probably because of November sweeps--they all have bigger names they can book. But we're still trying! He did our press junket, so he'll be all over local and cable as well. My assistant will be posting shortly with some dates and all that stuff. As for the contest I had mentioned prior, we're still trying to determine a good one for it but I'll let Karen know. Karen, I've got a surprise for you in the mail in the next few days. Be on the lookout. I think you're going to like it :) People love Colin in LA and the comments we've heard have been outstanding! I gotta tell you that this man is great and it's always such a pleasure and joy working with him. He's the best. Anyway, that's it for now. More later. take care!~

(Hola)I apologize for not stopping in sooner but I've been out of town on several junkets and have been ill as well,especially in the mornings :) Congratulations Hola! Hope it's not too bad! :-) My assistant will be posting shortly with some dates and all that stuff. Oh yes please! I gotta tell you that this man is great and it's always such a pleasure and joy working with him. He's the best. Always nice to have your greatest hopes confirmed! Thanks so much Hola!!!

RICHARD: Yeah, in film after film after film. [Much laughter.] I've got a terrible thing to admit. Whenever I look at the end of the movie, when Hugh's in front of that audience and they're all clapping and he does that little wave and disappears, I keep thinking, I hope that when he dies, that's the bit they show at the end of the news. HUGH: It'd be either that or the mug shot. Thank you Maria! I nearly snorted when I read that line! He really can be quite funny! Colin didn't say too much...and Moon! When I read that CF did the interview, I laughed...I thought...Josh...er...ODB said "Dude"! Now I'm a bit sad that he didn't! LOL!

Me too Tress! (Lola)I apologize for not stopping in sooner but I've been out of town on several junkets and have been ill as well,especially in the mornings :) Congratulations Lola! I hope you don't plan to retire. ;-) My assistant will be posting shortly with some dates and all that stuff. Excellent! I gotta tell you that this man is great and it's always such a pleasure and joy working with him. He's the best. We'd love a few stories. :-)

(Hola) and have been ill as well,especially in the mornings :) Ohhhhh!!! Congratulations! Sounds as if you understand what ODB is talking about in the Time Mag article: There's a thin line between being deeply moved and the desire to vomit. Hope you are feeling better real soon! Need anything? A beetroot cube? Mini-gherkin? ;-) Please do let us know dates! Am very interested (I do hope we see the blue suit again, I've grown quite attached to it, actually)!! (Hola) I gotta tell you that this man is great and it's always such a pleasure and joy working with him. He's the best. **big sigh** Thanks Hola! Always enjoy hearing from you!

Hola, Congratulations!!! and thank you for bringing us the news. Hope you feel better, soon. (Hola) I gotta tell you that this man is great and it's always such a pleasure and joy working with him. He's the best. It's always great to hear that. ***one huge sigh***

(Hola) and have been ill as well,especially in the mornings :) Congratulations! Take it easy and I hope you get over this particular phase soon. I've got a surprise for you in the mail in the next few days. Be on the lookout. I think you're going to like it :) Yippee!!!!!!! Would park myself on the front stairs but it's a little nippy out. ;-) I can't wait to see the surprise. I *love* prezzies! Thank you.

I'm going to add the Time article to these, but here are the pics: (This one took some doing--don't look too carefully at Colin's left shoulder/side--because naturally it was spanning two pages and had staple issues); had to piece it together, align, color in, etc.) to make the two parts fit. The little one on the Contents page: and this was with the review:

(Karen) BTW, Colin looks a bit dorky. Sorry, you'll see I'm sorry, did you say something Karen? Was fixated on ODB's left shoulder.....;-)) Nope, he looks darn cute to me, dorky is poor Liam's haircut, pretty sure a flowbee would have done a better job! Thanks!!

Thanks Boss...did you also staple something to Colin's face in the first one? Looks bloated. And where is Huge's hand going in the second one ;-)) Good PR.

Cute pics, Karen, thanks! I was all prepared for the rose-colored glasses.;-) He looks very youthful in these. (Tress)dorky is poor Liam's haircut, pretty sure a flowbee would have done a better job ROTF! Evelyn, that's Emma's hand. Congratulations on your good news, Lola! Thanks for the info, will look forward to seeing where you've booked him. So glad he's coming over and doing TV appearances again.

(Karen) But you've got to get Charlie Hangdog Expression's interest first. (Dorine) Just like Letterman. (Karen) Not quite. 1-on-1 is far different IMO from being the second guest who is there to do a brief plug for a film. If you impress Letterman with that, then he'd get called back as the first guest on his next round of promos. Yeah, but you have to get his/the producers attention even for second string. I would've been happy with that. Matter of fact, I even had in my note to Hola, that I would be happy if he went on with SJ and he was the 2nd guest. Can't imagine everyone doesn't want her. But, I decided to delete it for a variety of reasons. Thought I might have to duck tomatoes. ;-P (Moon)I had a hard time believing that he would only have what, two lines?I thought that was pretty odd. I was like why even be there if you aren't going to say anything? (Karen) Have my Time magazine....BTW, Colin looks a bit dorky. Sorry, you'll see. Grrrrr, Newsweek came today, no Time. Maybe tomorrow. (Hola) Colin will be doing some of the morning shows, like Today and The View Oh yea! We get to watch flirty Katie play with her hair and try to play footsy with him again. Always such fun to watch. And certainly, who blames her? ;-D The View....hmmm, will be curious to see if they fawn over him, as they should. Sometimes they annoy me, sometimes they don't. Interesting choice. I wonder how many of his fans watch this show already. No reason, just curious. No mention of Reege and Co. Does that mean he's skipping this time around? (one can only hope. 2 years in a row of inane baby banter and other inanity....how much more can poor Colin endure from them? ) And one can only continue to hope for other late night spots. ;-) (Hola) I gotta tell you that this man is great... No ya don't, we already know. :-) Though unfortunately, not so much from extensive personal/professional experience, as you. ;-) People love Colin in LA and the comments we've heard have been outstanding!I look forward to seeing it on the 4th, with or without a Q&A. ;-) If I love it, I'll sit right there and watch it a second time if there's room. Anyone find out preview info for Nov. 1? Muchas gracias! Will be waiting for your assistant's post on scheduling. (Moon) Letterman will go to Hugh or Liam or Emma. The Jon Stewart show confirms that, IMO I'm not quite sure of your meaning. I have a couple of theories, but could you 'splain, please? :-D

(Moon) Letterman will go to Hugh or Liam or Emma. The Jon Stewart show confirms that, IMO (Dorine), I'm not quite sure of your meaning. I have a couple of theories, but could you 'splain, please? :-D L and Leno would want the big stars and will probably have Hugh, Liam and Emma on sepately promoting the same movie. Overkill. Colin did well on Jon's show, so it was divided and decided, that's in MNSHO. ;-) Thanks, Karen! I agree about the dorky pose. I do like the second picture. Emma looks better than ever, a little nip 'n tuck? ;-)

COLIN: I do find a lot of American actors, quite creatively, use the text just as a starting point. We're much more fixed to the discipline of what's on the page. Do you think he's talking about L-dum or HS? ;-)

Are you saying that the indigestion scene in L-dum was Colin being creative? ;-) Or the scarf twirling scene in HS? ;-)

(Maria) dorky is poor Liam's haircut, pretty sure a flowbee would have done a better job! Thanks!! ROTFL...he looks like a baby chicken! ODB looks good, except what's wrong with his shoulder (I'm kidding! ;-)). His hair is a bit flat again, but I'm tickled at HG in the first pic....he's appears to be laughing at somethin' ODB did/said! (Evelyn) And where is Huge's hand going in the second one ;-)) Looks like he was attempting a bum grab and was intercepted! Is that the blue suit (she asks with bated breath!)?? And did they all plan to come dressed alike?? Liam and Richard didn't seem to get the memo about two buttons, not one! ;-) Thank you Karen for piecing ODB together and sharing!

I must say thanks to everyone for all the news and photos! I wouldn't be able to keep up with a quarter of this if it wasn't for Droolers. Here's my contribution for the day: http://www.thezreview.co.uk/trailers/trailersg.htm I think this trailer is a bit longer than the one I've seen. It's certainly clearer. I hope this means the theatres will be showing it soon.

(Tress) xcept what's wrong with his shoulder (I'm kidding! ;-)) Maybe I should've just paraphrased EmmaT... "F___ off, all of you. You should be appreciative I've made an effort for your bloody enjoyment." (and don't look at the bloody teapot either!)

In the TIME article you referenced, Maria and Karen,it was cute when ET said "Yes, with "Nobody's perfect," the best line in any film ever. Tony Curtis is probably the sexiest actor who ever lived, present company excepted." ODB should have blushed at that comment if he's as reticent this piece would demonstrate.

To: Mrs. Hola Lola From: Dorine Re: Your response to our inquiries Dear Mrs. Hola Lola, Thank you very much for your information regarding Mr. Colin Firth's upcoming television appearances. We know you are v.v. busy and appreciate any little bit of your time to check in with us. We look forward to hearing more details from your assistant, as well. No Letterman.........again, for now. :-( We shall conquer this, we shall! Also, please accept congratulations on *your* upcoming event! Hope you start feeling better soon. :-) As always, we look forward to any of Mr. Firth's publicity events, on television or in person. ;-) Thank you very much again. Have a good week! Sincerely, Dorine ;-)

(Karen) "F___ off, all of you. You should be appreciative I've made an effort for your bloody enjoyment." (and don't look at the bloody teapot either!) Ooooohhhh...she's testy (and HG isn't even near her bum!)! ;-) I didn't even notice the bloody teapot as it was not a part or near ODB (but now that you mention it....LOL...;-D)! But I bloody well appreciate all the bloody work being done to bring us the most current and up to the minute news in regards to all things Firthlike. Thanks!

(Karen) "F___ off, all of you. You should be appreciative I've made an effort for your bloody enjoyment." (and don't look at the bloody teapot either!) (Tress) I didn't even notice the bloody teapot... I think it's a case of, "if you don't mention it, no one may notice." ;-) Frankly, as I don't have a mondo size screen, I didn't, and might never have noticed either one. Thanks Dr. Frankenstein....er, Karen for your efforts at patching the picture together into a cohesive whole. Or whatever. ;-)

So much great news Hola...the CF news is wonderful but your own gave me the best grin! Thanks and good luck! (MCP) "F___ off, all of you. You should be appreciative I've made an effort for your bloody enjoyment." (and don't look at the bloody teapot either!) ROFLMAO Do you not know we worship the keyboard you type on? I came here *knowing* pics from Time would be up, but take you for granted? Nevah! flowbee Still cackling over this one...poor Liam, but who knew he had such a sense of humor?

Now that you mention it, it looks like ODB just made a *crack* about the teapot and Huge thinks it's funny!:-))) My maxim at work: No good deed goes unpunished.;-) But seriously folks, Karen you are such a doll! I ran out at lunch to get a copy of time forgetting that the mag shop gets it's delivery on Tuesday! I get back and Walla! Such a treat. Ms. Hola, thanks so much for great news about the junket and the best to you and yours. Get as much sleep as you can now!

Thanks MCP, (er, Karen) for the bloody marvelous job you do with getting news and photos to us with lightning speed;-) We are so lucky to have you at the helm! Thanks Hola for your good news and congratulations on the cause of your temporary illness. Hope you are feeling much better soon. Love to hear your praise of YKW since we know you have spent time with him. Your updates allow us to hope as we've never been allowed to hope before that we'll be seeing a lot of ODB on the talk shows. Brenda, thank you for the gorgeous GWAPE trailer. I think *Lick your lips* may join *Say my name* among my favorite ODB lines;-)

http://www.burnsfilmcenter.org/FilmProgramming/Docs/special.html#girlwithpearl Colin, Scarlett and Peter Webber will be discussing GWAPE at the Jacob Burns Centre, Pleasantville, New York on November 11. Tickets available from November 6. REVIEW EVENT *GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING Tues. Nov. 11 at 7:00 Peter Webber, 2003; 95 min. PG-13; UK A speculative account of the life of Griet, a 16-year-old girl who appears in Johannes Vermeer's painting of the same title. Set in 17th-century Holland and photographed with all the sublime incandescence of the portrait, the film features Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth and Tom Wilkinson Scarlett Johansson, Colin Firth and director Peter Webber will discuss the film with New York Times critic and JBFC boardmember Janet Maslin. JBFC Members at the Film Buff level and above may purchase tickets now. Remaining tickets will go on sale on Thurs. Nov. 6. oback to top obuy tickets

A panel discussion with Colin about one of his movies. Think it'll happen this time? ;-) Thanks so much, Bethan!

Oh, and Janet Maslin isn't the greatest moderator, IMO.

(Moon)I had a hard time believing that he would only have what, two lines? (Dorine)I thought that was pretty odd. I was like why even be there if you aren't going to say anything? Give 'im a break , he's swimming with 'big fishes' here. I was glad to see him in the picture even if he never said a word.

(Evelyn) he's swimming with 'big fishes' here. Survival of the fittest. I was glad to see him in the picture even if he never said a word. So am I, but that's a different matter. I should've put a winkie or a LOL after the "not say anything" comment. I didn't mean it as a serious criticism, but you gotta admit it's odd (yes, not necessarily considering the company. And who knows what of his might have been cut). Like on the VH1 Cast Party.

(Evelyn)And where is Huge's hand going in the second one Forget Huge's hand..check out Liam's! Thank you Lola for all the info..and congratulations! your DH works fast;-)! Karen, you are the best, thanks for the pics! didn't notice anything wrong with CF's shoulder or the funky teapot...all I saw was Huge's huge head and that's certainly not your fault;-)!

will be discussing GWAPE at the Jacob Burns Centre, Pleasantville, New York Think they'll show it in black and white? ;-)

Bloody hell, I go off to a hockey game for a few hours and the whole bloody board has gone to bloody hell. (Karen)had to piece it together, align, color in, etc.) to make the two parts fit. Well at least your job is v. important. Good to know you weren't just fannying about with the press releases;-)Thank you v.v. much...lop-sided shoulders and all. (Dorine)Like on the VH1 Cast Party.. Except I don't think anything was cut...his lips were sealed tighter than when he kisses;-)

(Linda) his lips were sealed tighter than when he kisses;-) ROTFL!!

(Dorine)Like on the VH1 Cast Party.. (Linda) Except I don't think anything was cut...his lips were sealed tighter than when he kisses;-) LOL! But we're talking about the BJD VH1 show, right? Now, that was uncomfortable to watch, not the TIOBE one. Rupe was determined to embarrass him and make him speak.

(Karen)But we're talking about the BJD VH1 show, right? Now, that was uncomfortable to watch, not the TIOBE one. Rupe was determined to embarrass him and make him speak. Clicking heels and repeating 3 times...forward not backward...forward not backward...forward not backward...(that bad huh?)

BarbS: (that bad huh?) The BJD one, yes. He said hardly anything and looked bored out of his mind, except when RZ mentioned a certain singer (can't remember which one right now) and there was a flicker of interest. Otherwise, it was the Sharon Maguire and Huge Show, with RZ and an unidentified lump on the sofa.

I never saw the BJD one. I thought TIOBE was bad for him, though that chicken pecking thing had me rolling. Unfortunately at ODB's expense. ;-)

Moon)I had a hard time believing that he would only have what, two lines? (Dorine)I thought that was pretty odd. I was like why even be there if you aren't going to say anything? I wish he had been able to say more as well, but under the circumstances, with those (thanks Mari!) logorrheic magpies, I just find myself humming that old Seame Street classic, "One of these things..." and that is definitely part of his appeal, that he is not like the rest...Or maybe he shares the same problem as me...The Michigan J Frog Syndrome, you will be laughing and telling stories to one person and then that person calls over someone else and says, "hey, tell your story to Macchu and Picchu.." and your little frog lips seal up and all you can manage is a dry croak...

(Maria)The Michigan J Frog Syndrome, you will be laughing and telling stories to one person and then that person calls over someone else and says, "hey, tell your story to Macchu and Picchu.." and your little frog lips seal up and all you can manage is a dry croak... ROTFL! So right on and humorously told! Can you tell it again at the *opening*? Machu and Picchu, what a hoot!

Besides, I didn't think the TIME interview was all that scintillating anyway;-P Although all the participants thought it was.

Colin is known to be "lively enough in other places", so it was hard to understand why only the token lines. I thought Hugh was very funny. Thanks, Bethan! Dorine, will you attend the Q&A? We must come up with questions. ;-)

Here's a better version of the pic accompanying the review in Time: I expect I'll have a higher quality one when Hola's package arrives. ;-)

(Linda)his lips were sealed tighter than when he kisses;-) LOL, Linda, you've nailed it: he was practicing for when he resumes TEOR filming.;-) Except I don't think anything was cut... Surely at some point in the interview someone sneezed, and surely OBD would have said "Gesundheit." Why couldn't they have put that in?;-) Perhaps an irate missive aimed at Time's editorial swine is in order.;-) ;-) ;-)

(Mari)Surely at some point in the interview someone sneezed, and surely OBD would have said "Gesundheit." Why couldn't they have put that in?;-) Perhaps an irate missive aimed at Time's editorial swine is in order.;-) ;-) ;-) LMAO. Oh, there went the diet coke. Or he could have said, "more tea, anyone"? Or, "my left shoulder is really sore";-) (Karen)Otherwise, it was the Sharon Maguire and Huge Show, with RZ and an unidentified lump on the sofa. Yes, the first interview. That was oh so painful to watch. I did enjoy the TIOBE Cast Party. He took RE's ribbing as all in good fun and got some funny lines in himself. He looked much more relaxed and I think he was more comfortable with the company. The difference between the two shows was amazing. IMO.

Apparently, there was some kind of LA premiere (gala screening???) in Madrid yesterday. Pics of Huge, Bill Nighy, Richard Curtis, Lucia M and Heike Makatsch here: http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====40607

(Moon) Dorine, will you attend the Q&A? Yep, got my ticket....and my Time. :-D Thanks again, Bethan!

Just got tickets for the GWAPE showing at the Hawaii International Film Festival on Friday night! I thought it would be hard to get, but there were lots left, apparently. Guess the movie's not prominent on the radar here in Hawaii. Don't think any people associated with the production will be here, but just seeing the movie 2 months early will be great. Can't wait to see it!

Radio Times mag in UK has free LA tickets for more screenings, this time Tuesday Nov 11. I don't have it with me or I would type up the list of cinemas. Also heat magazine has a two page spread on the fight scene in Hyde Park and admits that if they keep their coverage up, we will see the whole movie in photos before it comes out.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND WORKING TITLE FILMS HOST THE WORLD PREMIERE OF 'LOVE ACTUALLY' THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6 AT THE ZIEGFELD THEATRE IN MANHATTAN WHAT: The world premiere of "LOVE ACTUALLY" WHO: "LOVE ACTUALLY" cast members Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Martine McCutcheon, Rowan Atkinson, Thomas Sangster, Claudia Schiffer, Shannon Elizabeth, Olivia Olson and January Jones; director/screenwriter Richard Curtis; producers Duncan Kenworthy, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner; and soundtrack artist Kelly Clarkson. Plus, additional celebrity guests including: Anthony Edwards, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy's Fab 5 (Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley, Jai Rodriguez), Josh Groban, Heather Matarazzo, Greg Wise, and many others. WHERE: Ziegfeld Theatre 141 West 54th Street New York City WHEN: Thursday, November 6, 2003 5:30 PM Press Call Time 6:30 PM Celebrity Arrivals 7:30 PM Screening Begins http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/10-28-2003/0002046410&EDATE=#

Never mind; is exactly what had been posted on Sept 29. ;-)

From an online Q&A with Tracy Chevalier in The Times today: Do you approve of the casting of Colin Firth as Vermeer and Scarlett Johansson as Griet? If you had had completely free reign which stars would you have cast in those parts? Jo Smertin, Wiltshire I think they both did a great job. If I could choose an ideal cast, I would have a younger Alan Rickman play Vermeer, and a complete unknown play Griet � a 17-year-old would-be actress plucked out of drama school. That would mirror what Griet went through � an unknown thrown into a different world. However, in the real world that just doesn�t happen. For one thing, the part of Griet is tremendously difficult because you have to act just with looks � she has very few lines. What young, inexperienced actress could pull that off? Scarlett is the best compromise � she�s still very young (turned 18 on the set) but she�s experienced enough to know how to act, and she�s not yet too well known. She will be now, mind you � I think her time has come. In the character of Griet completely fictional? Josie Butterfield, Norwich Yes. No one knows who any of the models in Vermeer�s paintings are. Some believe her to be his eldest daughter, but she would have been 12 at the time and I think this girl is older. Besides, that look, with its underlying eroticism, is not a look a girl would give her father. It is an intimate look, though, of someone who knew him, who was around him. So I chose her to be his servant. What influence, if any, did you have in the making of this film? Did you have any reservations about selling the story to a film company? Kevin Chamberlain, Cardiff I had no influence on the film � deliberately so. I am no filmmaker and know nothing of that world. Also I�m so close to the book that really I�m the last person to decide what scenes would work in a film and what wouldn�t. I thought I should leave it to the professionals. As a result of taking a back seat, I got on very well with the producer and screenwriter. So they kept me informed about what was happening � often a little time after dramatic events (financing falling apart, actresses pulling out, etc.) so that I didn�t have to suffer with every twist and turn. I did have some reservations about selling the book � it is so visual that I think many readers have a little film of it in their heads, and it pained me to think that those imagined films will get replaced by a real one. However, I�ve been delighted with the result; I think the film is a good companion to the book, like two sisters, and I don�t think readers will be disappointed. Did the director of photography draw inspiration from Vermeer�s paintings for his lighting in the film? Melissa Danby, London Yes indeed � from Vermeer, and also from Rembrandt, de Hooch, Metsu, and other Dutch painters. In fact, the film is like a series of gorgeous tableaux � I kept wanting to shout out, "Stop the film!" so I could gaze on another would-be Vermeer or Rembrandt. Did you ever fear that the Dutch cultural circles would not receive well the construction of your novel so close to Professor Philip Steadman�s ideas on Vermeer�s using a camera obscura to paint realistically? Cristina Musat, USA I was terrified the Dutch would hate the book on many levels � Vermeer�s possible use of the camera obscura was really the least of my worries. Luckily, however, the Dutch readers who have been in contact with me have been very supportive and remarked on how well I captured the Dutch mentality. Concerning the camera obscura, Professor Steadman has written a book in which he suggests Vermeer used it extensively in his work. Other scholars say he didn�t use it at all. I fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum � I think he was interested in it, and used it a bit. That�s me, middle of the road. ~~~~~~~ You can read the rest here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-7015-865286,00.html

Darker but no less engaging, is Peter Webber's Girl With a Pearl Earring, which imagines the story behind Johannes Vermeer's famous painting, as depicted in the best-selling novel by Tracy Chevalier. With each shot drawing on the soft color and studied composition of Vermeer's paintings, this beautiful film is almost swallowed up by its own imagery. Luckily, there's just enough room for some surprisingly nuanced acting. There's been Oscar talk surrounding Scarlett Johanson (whose lips rival Angelina Jolie's as Hollywood's most luscious) for her part in Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation, but she could just as easily grab the golden guy for her turn as the girl in the painting: subtle, delicate, unintentionally sexy. The chemistry between her and a brooding Colin Firth is almost indecent. http://www.time.com/time/europe/arts/article/0,13716,525536,00.html Now I'm awake!

Stylistically Jan Vermeer might be considered a Dutch Caravaggio with his spare use of light, an effect used throughout Girl with a Pearl Earring, a film from Peter Webber, adapted by Olivia Hetreed from Tracey Chevalier�s novel based on the artist�s life. I haven�t read the book, but their movie plays like a bodice ripper with bodices refusing to be ripped. Such were the times in 1665 Delft with staunch religious and powerful sexual divisions. Long before we see him, Vermeer is set up visually and musically as some kind of sacred monster, so we are surprised to see gentle Colin Firth step out of the shadows. His mother-in-law whispers to the new servant girl Griet (Scarlett Johansson) �You�re a fly in his web. We all are!� which would seem to suggest he rules that roost, but in truth it is the women who are in control. Men only lust and paint � or buy the paintings. Never has it been made so clear that Art in these early times was a sort of pornography. It seems to run longer than it does because of its steady pace and mystical, even holy aura around pretty Griet, who threatens to turn into Joan of Arc rather than just that titular Girl. Did we need that homage to David Hockney by introducing a camera obscura but doing nothing with it? If they wanted to expand, why not dig into Jan�s daughter�s naughtiness? There was much I wouldn�t buy, obsessions forced and magnified; but all the downs were over-balanced by the inspired visuals, and we are dealing in great art, are we not? http://www.audiencemag.com/festivals/millvalley.html

(Maria's ime.com article)The chemistry between her and a brooding Colin Firth is almost indecent. Oh my.........., (fans self), Thanks Maria!

(TC)If I could choose an ideal cast, I would have a younger Alan Rickman play Vermeer, and a complete unknown play Griet � a 17-year-old would-be actress plucked out of drama school. That would mirror what Griet went through � an unknown thrown into a different world. However, in the real world that just doesn�t happen Thank Gawd we're in the real world. Long before we see him, Vermeer is set up visually and musically as some kind of sacred monster, so we are surprised to see gentle Colin Firth step out of the shadows... �You�re a fly in his web.. ...gentle Colin Firth. Now that's a visual! Counting the hours till I'm a fly;-) Thanks, Karen and Maria

BaftaLA is showing November 14 as the screening date for GWAPE at the Pacific Design Center, though you cannot RSVP as yet. Love Actually is listed at "anticipated" only, with no date.

Another glowing review with an especially nice take on Colin: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/click/movie-10002174/reviews.php?critic=all&sortby=default&page=1&rid=1211223 Firth is broodingly virile, amply suggesting why Griet might be in a state of arousal over more than his painting talent, which plays into the ignitable intrigues permeating the residence. His portrayal also captures a degree of sympathy for the man of art threatened by the parlor politics of three generations of women... Cinematographer Eduardo Serra doesn't only expertly render the textural richness of the scenery, costumery and cast, but he takes his lighting cues from the master's eyes. That highly directional Vermeer side light with gradations of tonal values into deep shadow are used in his photography to maximize the third dimensional effect, with the added enhancement of an amber-gold overlay. This is marvelously applied to the Johannsen features enveloped within the framing of her headpiece. The Kodak moment, however, comes when she at last reveals her red hair in all its flowing magnificence. The impact of it is a breathe-taker, as designed. This emphasis on looks is not merely a voyeuristic or idle issue. The entire drama revolves around the emotional waves set in motion by the presence of unusual beauty. What novelist Chevalier imagined is that the girl in the painting might have created this kind of havoc and disruption in the very household of the admiring painter. As director Webber's camera rests lovingly and longingly on the big eyes and lush lips of the subject, he is supporting that proposition and making art out of speculation.

To: Mrs. Hola Lola [and special guest] From: Jane Re: Colin Firth/Love Actually Launch/Australia Dear Mrs. Hola Lola, Thanks so much for dropping in and giving us the good news - congratulations on your impending "special guest". Could you please have your assistant also post info about Colin's rumoured upcoming visit to Australia, if you are privy to that info? Also, I have a contact at the ABC radio station, so if you'd like Colin interviewed on ABC radio, please email me and I can probably help out a bit. Sincerely, Jane (with apologies to Dorine! ;-))

So far, we've got Liam, Emma and Laura Linney scheduled on the Today Show (Tues, Wed, and Friday, respectively) and Liam and Emma on Reege & Kelly for those same dates. Is v. painful thinking about this... ;-)

"Firth is broodingly virile" Ladies, I do believe that says it all!

(Karen)Is v. painful thinking about this... ;-) What's is? The thought of him *not* being on these shows, or the thought of him being on these shows? ;-);-) Katie Couric will get him on Today if she has to put a muzzle on the other 3 and tie them up in the green room.;-) (Tracy C.)I would have a younger Alan Rickman play Vermeer Bitch. ;-) Thanks for the latest reviews, ladies! BTW, I've been getting mail from Kelly Ripa every other day for the past two weeks (She is originally from a few towns over and her dad is running for local office.)

(Tracy C.)I would have a younger Alan Rickman play Vermeer I was v. surprised she answered this. She's right and you can tell she's not of the filmmaking world. I don't think anyone else would have answered it straight out like that. (Mari) Katie Couric will get him on Today if she has to put a muzzle on the other 3 and tie them up in the green room.;-) LOL!

(Mari) What's is? The thought of him *not* being on these shows, or the thought of him being on these shows? ;-);-) (c) the thought of Liam, Laura and Emma on R&K. ;-) Bet we get "baby" talk with Emma, she says whilst rolling her eyes. (Tracy C.)I would have a younger Alan Rickman play Vermeer (Mari) Bitch. ;-) You know that's not what Moon would've called her. ;-) ...ah, the AR luvvies cannot be restrained. Once a Rickman luvvie, always a Rickman luvvie. LOL!

(EmmaB)Radio Times mag in UK has free LA tickets for more screenings, this time Tuesday Nov 11. I don't have it with me or I would type up the list of cinemas. Thanks, Emma. Picked up my tickets tonight! It makes up a little for being unable to travel to London for any of the premieres/special screenings.

Think I'll start counting number of times cliched/trite are used... http://latinoreview.com/films_2003/universal/loveactually/review.html

I felt that I had just been emotionally manipulated for two hours and twenty minutes. It�s a cheap feeling. I usually go to the movies to be emotionally manipulated;-)And I never feel cheap. (not with my movie expenses) And just what's wrong with leaving the theater with that "feel good" feeling?

Love Actually opens 21 November in South Africa, and the ads have started appearing on TV.

(Tracy C.)I would have a younger Alan Rickman play Vermeer (Mari) Bitch. ;-) (Karen), You know that's not what Moon would've called her. ;-) LOL! Well yeah! That was not very nice of Tracey, was it? Especially since she gave in and said that Scarlett was perfect and in turn implying that Colin as Vermeer, was not. (Karen)Is v. painful thinking about this... ;-) (Mari),What's is? The thought of him *not* being on these shows, or the thought of him being on these shows? ;-);-) ROTF! But at least Livia will get a trip to NYC and get to do her Xmas shopping. ;-)

They're saving ODB for "The View";-D (Moon)Especially since she gave in and said that Scarlett was perfect and in turn implying that Colin as Vermeer, was not. The movie is bound to be better than the book anyway ,which I thought was borrr-ing.

(evelyn) which I thought was borrr-ing. *gasp* Really? Hmmmm.... But you *liked* HS, correct? ;-)

But you *liked* HS, correct? ;-) Yup...witty.

I saw 2 trailers for LA on TV last night, and neither one showed or even mentioned CF. v.v.disappointing, to say the least. "Starring Liam, Emma, Hugh, Kiera in smash hit for the holiday season." Why promote only THOSE names, I wonder? Only good news was that Sneak Previews will be shown this Sat. night (check your local theaters).

Woo hoo! Thanks for the heads-up Deb! Sure enough...and the Sneak Preview is even at my favorite theater! **doing happy dance!**

The article to go with the Chiswick conservatory pic: http://www.firth.com/articles/03w_nov.html

And I've been told that Huge and Emma will be on Oprah on Monday.

A couple of galleries of pics from the Rome promotional tour for LA, which now includes the Tracey Chevalier's "perfect" Vermeer ;-) Mr AR: http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====40862 http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====40861

(Karen)And I've been told that Huge and Emma will be on Oprah on Monday.,/i. Damn! I was holding out hope that she would do one of those all cast interviews for LA like she has done in the past for other films. She just did one late summer.(can't remember for which film) and I remember thinking, at the time, this would be great for LA.;-( Thanks, Karen for the W article...I just walked in the door with the magazine. (Deb)I saw 2 trailers for LA on TV last night, and neither one showed or even mentioned CF I know. I've seen them. He was in the trailers they were showing about two weeks ago. Just got my 'sneak preview' tickets for Saturday;-)

closing tags

I've been told that Hugh answered a few questions in Italian! I'm sure not as well as ODB would have. Colin seems to have a small role promoting LA. Thanks, for the articles and pictures, Karen!

Quick check in from Kansas City. The LA promos are playing here and I saw a lot of ODB on one the other night and his name was included in the voiceover. I also received my screening pass in the mail for LA on Nov 6. It says seats are not guaranteed and are first-come, first-serve. I think I'll be standing in line starting early afternoon. I wish, but I won't be able to get downtown until after business hours and it starts at 7:30. Anybody know how busy these screenings usually are? Will being an hour early be enough? Thanks, Michelle

(mj) The LA promos are playing here and I saw a lot of ODB on one the other night and his name was included in the voiceover. I've seen some ads that have a slight bit of Colin and mention of Rowan Atkinson, too, as well as of course, Huge, Emma, and AR.

I just can't see Rickman playing Vermeer at any age. He's an excellent actor, was a very good Nottingham in Robin Hood, and the voice is very, very nice, but he seems to be too coarsely drawn to play Vermeer, maybe Van Ruijven, but not Vermeer. Also, I think that like many actors, Rickman needs lines. There aren't too many actors that can pack pages and pages of script into a few gestures and a look like CF.

(Karen)The article to go with the Chiswick conservatory pic: Thanks for putting them together and in the *articles* location at f.c! I love to garden and that pic of ODB in or around a greenhouse is just my cuppa.

I just can't see Rickman playing Vermeer at any age. He's an excellent actor, was a very good Nottingham in Robin Hood, and the voice is very, very nice, but he seems to be too coarsely drawn to play Vermeer, maybe Van Ruijven, but not Vermeer. Also, I think that like many actors, Rickman needs lines. There aren't too many actors that can pack pages and pages of script into a few gestures and a look like CF.

I have to tell you all now, I am being a negligent Sit Up Drool correspondent, sitting at home while the gala for GWAPE is on right now. But waiting to hear if he did show, I assume that he would, and really looking forward to seeing it tomorrow.

Oh No Emma!!! He showed!!! Pearly King Colin Firth reigns at Girl With a Pearl Earring gala 30/10/2003 Outside the Odeon West End is hardly a venue of choice on a particularly miserable October night but when Colin Firth is scheduled to make an appearance the (female) crowds will brave all manner of elemental hardships to catch a glimpse of the dapper star. Arriving for the gala of Girl With a Pearl Earring, Firth caused gridlock in the foyer as festival goers refused to leave the entrance hall until they had gawked themselves silly. His co-star Scarlett Johansson followed Tuesday's Lost in Translation appearance with an encore for Peter Webber's film, which is based on Tracy Chevalier's best-selling novel. Girl With a Pearl Earring tells the imagined story behind Johannes Vermeer's best-loved artistic work. Johanssen plays a girl forced into becoming a servant in the artist's household and soon becomes adept at assisting him in his studio. Their relationship begins to disrupt the running of his household however and becomes a risk to her own respectability. "It's quite exciting and gives me the opportunity to wear two really nice dresses," said Johanssen of her second festival gala. "I'm tired but I'm doing alright. I keep drinking a lot of your coffee. I've been here for three days and I haven't done anything but all this." While much swooning and drooling carried on around her, Johnassen was rather less reverent of her co-star's looks. "Did you see his hairy wig in the film? That gave me a lot of cause to make fun of him. He looked like an Oompa Loompa - very Fabio. " Never one to hold a grudge, Firth was quick to lay on the praise for the young actress's performance in the film. "She's absolutely fantastic, she's one of the best actresses I've ever worked with," he declared. "Before I knew her I didn't expect such a mature performance because she was only 17. But you only have to know her for about half an hour and you start to realise that she's a very sophisticated, worldly person. " Playing the famous artist, Firth was asked whether his own skill with the brush was something to shout about. "I think I put Vermeer to shame to be quite honest http://www.empireonline.co.uk/news/news.asp?story=5129

(ODB) "I think I put Vermeer to shame to be quite honest Woohoo, someone's feeling his oats! *crossing fingers -- hoping for good pics*

(Michelle) Anybody know how busy these screenings usually are? Will being an hour early be enough? More than enough time; I usually show up a half hour before. Admin note: Drool's software isn't like a message board, where you hit Reload/Refresh to see if there are new messages. If you've posted something and hit Reload/Refresh, your message will be posted again. The best way to navigate is to use the location bar at the top or go out to the Main Drool page and you'll see if anything new has been posted. Write me at "the office" or Topic 61 if you have further questions.

Empire now has a gallery up of pics from the Gala: http://www.empireonline.co.uk/img/features/events/lff2003/large/large28.jpg

Oops, messed up a bit: For gallery: http://www.empireonline.co.uk/features/events/lff2003/gallery2.asp

For more photos of the LFF gala go to: http://www.empireonline.co.uk/features/events/lff2003/30event.asp#lff2003 Livia's hair is long now, unlike at the HS premiere, and she's back to her pre-baby slimness.

I'd say hair extension or fall. Colin's suit looks velvet. I think he's worn that before...

and BTW, in the last pic, it is Tracey C with Cillian Murphy and Judy Parfitt, not Olivia Heetred.

(Karen)I'd say hair extension or fall. Must be, no way could that bob have grown out in 5 months. They look great. Thanks Karen, Maria and Katty.

damn, I did it again

Great photos! He again looks AFG! How does he do that? He and Livia must be wearing their contacts.:-)) (Karen)Colin's suit looks velvet. I think he's worn that before... Oh, I thought he pinched it from GWAPE;-)

Re Pics: (Karen) Colin's suit looks velvet. Yeah, I was thinking velvet too. Probably warmer (tired of being cold on TEOR set) (Katty)she's back to her pre-baby slimness. Repeat after me: Life is so unfair. (Karen) I'd say hair extension or fall. I bet so. Someone should have told Cillian to spit his gum out or shut his mouth. I like Scarlett's dress (better than blue shawl thing she wore before) and love the necklace, but the hair Louisa! Gawd, I can hardly wait for this movie!

In the latest set of paparazzi pics, her hair was pulled back and you couldn't see its length, but I'd say "removable."

And Huge will be on Jay Leno on Monday, Nov 10. The View's guests are scheduled for the premiere week, so perhaps that will also occur the week of Nov 10...as long as *some* people are still in NY.... ;-0

Oh! Thanks for the pics Karen & Katty! They look great! Love the velvet suit (no pups or cats at home obviously) and Livia looks amazing! Like the faux hair (Has to be! Even with prenatals you can't grow it that fast!). I like Scarlet's dress too...(and agree with Barb about the hair)

Thanks Karen and Katty for the LIFF photos. Don't the Firth's look fantastic in black? She's always looking at him adoringly in pics like these, but who can blame her?;-)

Karen and Katty, thanks for the great pics. (Hen) She's always looking at him adoringly in pics like these, but who can blame her?;-) Certainly not me. I also look at him that way ;-)

Thanks for all the pics and news! There is so much going on Firthwise I'm having a hard time keeping it all straight--is it news about LA, GWAPE or TEOR? Or is that GWAPE in LA? or LA in LA? or both? or is that GWAPE at the LIFF gala? or TEOR filming in L? or all of the above???? :-)

Great review in today's Times and an article describing Colin as one of the indusrty's "hottest stars":-) I cannot seem to copy from that site so go to http://www.the-times.co.uk and register. The review is entitled One's art in the right place :-(

Hey, sometimes what's going on at home means you gotta sacrifice standing in the rain outside a movie theatre =). It may be crazy but I was spoiled last week so oh well. Plus today I get to go inside so that's even better -- whether or not any of them from last night turn up is another story. That is crazy about Livia's hair - I know it's been 6 months since HS and PEN but I think my hair has grown about an inch at most since then.

I can't seem to access the Times review without signing up for a paying subscription (godferbid.;-) Hopefully someone will be able to post it. Looking at the pics, I can almost hear Bobby Vinton. "He wore Blue . . .VEL-vet . . . ta-dum." ;-) Wot is Colin doing with the front of his hair? :-( Full page ads in today's papers for the LA sneak preview on Saturday night. Arranged a bit differently than the poster we've seen; Colin is literally front and center.:-)

(Mari), Looking at the pics, I can almost hear Bobby Vinton. "He wore Blue . . .VEL-vet . . . ta-dum." ;-) Wot is Colin doing with the front of his hair? :-( LOL! The hair, Louise, both of them!!! ;-) I like the velvet suit. Call me Mod Hippie chic. Thank you, Karen and Katty! Will look out for the Times article.

(Mari) Wot is Colin doing with the front of his hair? :-( It looks like they cut it too short on the front part or layered it and that's not a great overall cut for his hairline maybe, unless it's combed back and styled. It's looked alright, for the most part everywhere else recently. Or he just had it cut again. :-( Yeah, and what *is* the deal with *her* hair, Louisa? ;-) I'm not so much a fan of that dress myself, except the color. Thought the one in Toronto was much more flattering.

James Christopher of the Times gave GWAPE 4 out of 5 stars One's art in the right place THE TIMES Gala film, Girl with a Pearl Earring, picklocks an erotic mystery from one of Vermeer's most famous portraits. No one knows much about the painting which hangs in the Maurithuis in the Hague, but it inspired Tracy Chevalier to write a bestselling novel about the relationship between subject and artist which Peter Webber has now fashioned into this thrilling melodrama. Set in 1665, Delft, a humble peasant called Griet is employed by the Vermeers to launder sheets and scrub his studio. It's a thankless job. The household is stony broke, and Colin Firth's depressed and tetchy artist is as blocked as a crumbling, exhausted drain. But something about the 17-year-old waif with eyes as large as marbles inspires Vermeer to pick up his brush. Without at first knowing it, or indeed desiring it, the vulnerable char becomes muse to one of his greatest works. Not much happens in Vermeer's gloomy attic, apart from appreciative grunts from Firth's lugubrious stickler, or small suggestions from Griet about the angle placement of a chair. Yet the intimacy is electric, whether it's mixing paints, or wiping the grime off windows to let in more light. The power of these taboo moments has almost everything to do with Scarlett Johansson's performance as Griet. She is simply marvellous casting, with skin like talcum powder, pendulous pink lips and eyes that withhold their mystery as eloquently as Vermeer's original oil. Griet barely speaks a word, yet the entire drama is quietly frozen in her face. It's here that Webber makes us intensely self-conscious of the relationship between still life and cinema, and it's eloquently underpinned by Eduardo Serra's exquisite lighting. The household seethes with indignation at this unholy conspiracy between master and drudge. Vermeer's highly strung wife, Catharina, can barely bring herself to look at Griet, but can't afford to sack her. The witchy mother-in-law is torn between pure spite and relief that Vermeer might actually finish a painting. "You're a fly in his web," she scowls like Miss Haversham. "We all are." The artist's lascivious patron, van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson), pimps a fat commission for the promise of a tumble with Griet. Can she rely on the unpredictable artist to fight her corner? Put like this, Webber's film sounds like the most unsubtle of melodramas. The real art is that it is anything but.

Thanks for the head's up about the LA sneak preview in the US on 11/1. Am getting it here in the Southeast.

Thanks for the review, Karen, but where's the part about Colin? They barely mention him. And they spelled Havisham wrong. ;-)

Love the special Halloween picture today, Boss! I'll take a Trick from ODB any ol' day, especially if it involves wet clothing. That would be a Treat, indeed!

A lot of the same from the Evening Standard and mainly about Scarlett: Scarlett's a sensation By Richard Simpson and Andre Paine, Evening Standard She is still only 18 years old, but Scarlett Johansson is proving her star quality as one of Hollywood's most talented young actresses. The American actress, who looked stunning in a low-cut green dress, was last night being lauded in London for her starring role in Girl With a Pearl Earring. Johansson - who was at the film's premiere last night - stars opposite Colin Firth in the scandal-filled romance. Now many are tipping her for Hollywood greatness. Film bible Variety wrote of her "wondrous central performance" in the film, which she did when she was only 17. The author of the original novel Tracy Chevalier said: "It was so beautifully done, I burst into tears." The film is based on the relationship between 17th century Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer - played by Firth - and his 17-year-old maid, Griet, the young girl who appears in the famous painting. Firth, 43, was quick to praise the young actress. He said: "She's absolutely fantastic, she's one of the best actresses I've ever worked with. Before I knew her I didn't expect such a mature performance because she was only 17. But you only have to know her for about half an hour and you start to realise that she's a very sophisticated, worldly person." [yadda yadda SJ bio] Firth, in a dark blue velvet suit, was joined by his Italian wife, Livia Guiggioli for the premiere at Leicester Square's Odeon - and despite the miserable weather, the stars mingled with the fans. For New Yorker Johansson, it was her second London premiere in three days. She also turned heads on Wednesday for art house film, Lost In Translation. She said: "It's quite exciting and gives me the opportunity to wear two really nice dresses. I'm tired but I'm doing alright. I keep drinking a lot of your coffee. I've been here for three days and I haven't done anything but all this." But while his female admirers were swooning over Firth, Johansson clearly does not take stardom too seriously. She said of Firth's appearance as Vermeer: "Did you see his hairy wig in the film? That gave me a lot of cause to make fun of him. He looked like an Oompa Loompa." But she has also said: "Colin's gorgeous - I saw him in Pride and Prejudice." Firth's next film will be the Bridget Jones sequel - and last night, the clearly suffering actor was giving a few clues about his fight with Hugh Grant. He said: "Filming (Bridget Jones) last week, I ended up in a pond and it was very cold. I'm now losing my voice." Having let the cat out of the bag, he later attempted to backtrack, with: "Oh, I can't tell you who wins the fight. I am sworn to secrecy." At the afterparty at the Institute of Directors building in Pall Mall, Firth was asked if he could beat Hugh Grant in a fight in real life. He joked: "I could kick his arse any day." Other guests at the premiere included Firth's co-stars Cillian Murphy and Judy Parfitt, director Peter Webber, and writer of the novel on which the film was based Tracey Chevalier. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/entertainment/films/articles/7471313?

Finally, some pics: http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====41131 I'll go grab the larger ones now...

British actors don�t often get the sort of reception afforded Hollywood stars - but to the crowds outside the screening of Girl with a Pearl Earring, and the audience inside, Colin Firth is one better than a Hollywood star. The cheering for the man verges on the ecstatic. Of course he has to field yet another question about a certain Mr Darcy (brushed aside with the smoothness of his black velvet suit), but Firth is smilingly effusive about his role as the old master, Johannes Vermeer, in the film. �One of the wonderful things about this profession is that you get the opportunity to indulge hopeless, rather nerdy hobbies and interests,� he says. �For this I was allowed to play with paints in a way I�ve not been allowed to do since I was five years old.� Festival Diary: Day Nine As for how convincing he was, �I took comfort in the fact that a brilliant painter looks the same as an awful one when they have a brush in their hand.� At the party for the film, a sumptuous do at the stately Institute of Directors on Pall Mall (complete with arias and a chocolate fountain), the author Tracy Chevalier says that having a novel adapted into a film is �every writer�s dream. It�s just one of those fantasies you use to keep yourself going day after day.� Praising the adaptation as �like a sister, a companion piece to the book,� she adds that �You just don�t think you�re going to have a night like this. It�s great and I�m just going to revel in every minute of it.� http://www.lff.org.uk/films_editorials.php?EditorialID=42

Here's the beginning of the gallery... http://www.firth.com/gwape_premgal4.html

Actually I take it back, they cut the rest of the hair too short and kept the front too long. Wasn't as obvious to me before. (Eve Std) in a dark blue velvet suit (lff.org) his black velvet suit Will the real color of the suit, please come forward. (SJ) "Colin's gorgeous - I saw him in Pride and Prejudice." She needed to watch him *on TV* to determine that? ;-)

He said: "She's absolutely fantastic, she's one of the best actresses I've ever worked with. Before I knew her I didn't expect such a mature performance because she was only 17 He said almost the exact same thing about Amanda Bynes, too;-) He's just a charmer;-) (Mari), Looking at the pics, I can almost hear Bobby Vinton. "He wore Blue . . .VEL-vet. LMAO...pretty darn daring to wear velvet in bad weather. (CF)I ended up in a pond and it was very cold. I'm now losing my voice.". And so it begins;-)

Sorry, but I forgot my thanks to Karen and all for the pictures and articles. and...Happy Halloween to you, too, Richard. In fact, Happy Halloween to all.

Thank you Karen for the pics! ODB still needs his bangs trimmed (but looks lovely nonetheless)... and Scarlet.... The Kewpie Doll hair has got to go! Happy Halloween everyone!

The Kewpie Doll hair Oh. Is that what you call it? I'm still trying to figure it out. Looks like a skinned-back ponytail with the end brought up in a bad comb-over. YIKES!

Thanks ladies for all the articles and pics. "I'm in heaven ...."

Don't remember reading this one... 'Love' looms as hit for Uni, Working Title http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/columns/grove_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=2002205

Just seen an ad for "Love Actually" in the break in "Coronation Street", our primetime soap (18 million viewers). Probably the best (and most expensive) advertising slot. Also "Love Actually" has a spread in this month's "Total Film". Good review for LA. CF and Richard Curtis seem to get on well - used to have dinner together during the France shoot. Thanks for the review, Karen, but where's the part about Colin? They barely mention him I'm afraid some UK film reviewers aren't exactly generous towards CF. British actors don�t often get the sort of reception afforded Hollywood stars - but to the crowds outside the screening of Girl with a Pearl Earring, and the audience inside, Colin Firth is one better than a Hollywood star. The cheering for the man verges on the ecstatic. UK film critics please take note!

The pics are super, boss. I think SJ looks stunning as does Livia, as usual.

Thanks for all the pics and articles. Livia looks wonderful. I wish I looked so good 3 months after giving birth! But his hair did look awful. I know how uncooperative curly hair can be(having the same type myself) but I do think he could have made more of an effort!

Happy Halloween everyone! I wanted to be cheesy for a moment and ask that each of you check out Love Actually when it comes out in your town. I promise you will really enjoy this wonderful film. In all the years I've done this I have to tell you that I have not enjoyed any film more than this one. Hands down! Richard Curtis' work is pure joy. All the actors, the writing, the production...everyone worked perfectly to create a film that has been a hit with the critics and those who have screened it thus far. Everyone involved in this project is extremely pleased and proud with the end result and I encourage you to tell your friends about it. At every screening I have attended the response has been overwhelming with people cheering and clapping at the end. Now having said all that, of course I have to say that I loved Colin in this film, he was brilliant as usual. He speaks Portuguese beautifully! :) And I loved Hugh and Liam and Emma. But I am truly crazy about Thomas Sangster. I think once you see this movie you will agree! :) Please bear with me as this is obviously a very busy time for us here and I can't come by as often as I would like. We are working very hard and this is a very hectic time of year. I will have Rosemary stop in with some shows and dates for Colin coming up. Look for the next few days and weeks especially. I know some will probably be disappointed that most of the attention will be on Hugh and some others. But that's the reality of things at the moment. He is more well known and will be carrying most of the PR. But Colin is being featured as much as is feasible with his schedule. Oh and thanks for all the lovely congrats on the baby en route. We are all ecstatic. It's a running joke that everytime we do a Working Title project someone is pregnant. Colin's wife for BJD1 and Love Actually; Kim, one of Hugh's people for About A Boy; and me for Edge of Reason. :) Take care Hola Lola From LA

(Ms Hola)ask that each of you check out Love Actually when it comes out in your town. I promise you will really enjoy this wonderful film... LOL! Wild horses couldn't keep me away! I know some will probably be disappointed that most of the attention will be on Hugh and some others. But that's the reality of things at the moment. He is more well known and will be carrying most of the PR. But Colin is being featured as much as is feasible with his schedule. Will take what I can get and am appreciative that you keep us posted during this busy (and personally a magical) time. Love getting the inside poop!

Hola, thank you for stopping by and congratulations on the baby :-) I promise to do my part about promoting LA and have allready made arrangements with 5 people to go see it. :-) Karen, Maria and all: Thank you for all the articles, reviews and pictures. This is a joyful time to be drooling :-)

The GWAPE website is up. Photos, production notes, reviews, trailer, desktops. Go to it!:-) http://www.girlwithapearlearringmovie.com/

Globe took a lot of pics: http://www.globephotos.com/scripts/kws30pre.exe?site=GLOBEPH&maxhits=12&picktype=GfxOnly&type=GfxOnly&search=A13862&hmessage=SCREENING+OF+THE+GIRL+WITH+A+PEARL+EARRING++LONDON+10/30/2003&ShowTotal=on&fmaxhits=&submit=lsearch but can't seem to tell the difference between Colin and that other guy with Scarlett. ;-)

Phew!, finally caught up with all the goings on. (Caribou) There is so much going on Firthwise I'm having a hard time keeping it all straight (Meredith) Thanks for the head's up about the LA sneak preview in the US on 11/1. Am getting it here in the Southeast. (Deb) Love the special Halloween picture today, Boss! (Sandy) Thanks ladies for all the articles and pics. (Hola Lola) I wanted to be cheesy for a moment and ask that each of you check out Love Actually when it comes out in your town. Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto. Got my ticket in my pocket and am ready to go.

Ack! I don't have time to Drool for a few days (got to save up my energy for NYC) and suddenly I find myself hundereds of messages behind. Thanks all for the lovely pics! That velvet suit just makes me want to rub my hands all over it and.... ;-) Congrats Hola Lola, and thanks for all the inside info! (Beedee)Love getting the inside poop! Bee?!? Is this a Freudian slip? (Annette)This is a joyful time to be drooling :-) Indeed! I'm planning my schedule around the sneek peek tomorrow.

Hola, no problem. I'm a one-woman box office wonder. But the rest of this gang does just as well. I plan to go several times, and have already lined up the sheep I will lead there;-) I can't wait to see Colin in this. Congratulations, again! Thanks for stopping by. (Hola He speaks Portuguese beautifully! He speaks everything, beautifully! Mari, thanks for the GWAPE website news and pictures Karen thanks, again, for working overtime as usual.

Wow, what a beautifully done website! Thanks, Mari!

I have found a sneak preview of LA tomorrow night at a theatre just 8 miles from my home. Betcha can't guess where I'll be tomorrow ;-)

Mari, thanks for the heads up about the GWAPE site, it's wonderful! I got goosebumps all over when I heard that beautiful music again. It faded from my memory since I heard it last time, and I missed it. Karen, love the pics, thanks! Livia and Colin make a darn good looking couple. (Did I just say that without choking on it? I think I should go and pat myself on the back) Yeah, his hair sure looks too long on the front, but since he is in the middle of filming I wonder if he is allowed to have it cut in any other way than the way they want it. Or am I just making an excuse for him? It wouldn't surprise me one bit. Hola, thanks for popping in, and congrats about the baby. And don't worry, the moment LA opens we'll all be there. :-)

(Dorine)Will the real color of the suit, please come forward. Definitely dark blue velvet. Despite the awful weather, as soon as Colin arrived he went straight to the fans and signed autographs for a very long time. SJ arrived shortly before him and did exactly the same. I loved this film and agree with other droolers who have seen GWAPE, it is a beautiful film to watch. IMO Scarlett is Griet. I can�t imagine Kate Hudson in the role.

Thanks Aishling for your report; hope to hear more. At the GWAPE site, I've added this new pic to firth.com's gallery: Who remembers that very old commercial or was it from the Ernie Kovacs show about Dutch Masters cigars? LOL! Am kind of vague about it.

It was Ernie Kovacs and later Edie Adams did the commercials(after he died,I believe).

Thanks, Bonnie. I remember the apes a little better. ;-) Since I received an email from a European fan about Scarlett's Fabio reference, here's a pic of him: He became quite famous a number of years ago as a model for romance book covers and he did some TV commercials too.

Colin always looks wonderful in hats. Someone should claim this one.

Karen, you are so right. I remember the cigar commericals and box. I had crayons in one of those boxes. Dh also had a flashback when he saw this picture. Thank you for all the pictures, articles and info, boss. Michelle

Been away this week, and returned to all the wonderful pictures and comments. Thanks to all. Karen, I remember the Dutch Masters...but I surely don't remember it this way! Wow!! Congrats, Hola Lola....and rest assured, this girl will be seeing ODB on the big screen as many times as possible. Can't make our local sneak preview tonight, but I'll be first in line on Nov 7....

(Karen)He became quite famous a number of years ago as a model for romance book covers and he did some TV commercials too. "I can't believe it's not buddah......" Yeah, I remember the Dutch Masters (and Ernie) but don't remember them looking this hot! I spent some time drooling over this one last night so thanks for putting it here Karen.

(Aishling)Despite the awful weather, as soon as Colin arrived he went straight to the fans and signed autographs for a very long time. SJ arrived shortly before him and did exactly the same. Well, then I can forgive them the dodgy hair if they were out signing in the rain for fans!:-) Way to go, Aishling! *Blowing kisses across pond* Would love to hear more. (mj)I had crayons in one of those boxes. LOL, me too! And to think of all the time I spent seaching in that box for cerulean and burnt sienna, when what I really wanted was right on the lid.;-) THANK YOU, Karen, for the enlarged photos from the LFF GWAPE night. Some nice ones there. The ones where he has to "lose a little height" for SJ remind me of another time and another place.;-);-)

There's a two-page spread on Love Actually in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly (November 7). Individual photos of all the main cast memebers, including a new one of Colin (who once again has a staple through his head;-). Quotes from each of them; here's Colin's: COLIN FIRTH Actually He's . . . Jamie, the cuckolded writer who flees to France and falls for his Portuguese housekeeper (Lucia Moniz). His Take: "I have one of the most uncomplicated story lines in the film. I'm upset at the beginning, but from that moment on I fall in love and it just gets better and better." Whom He Wishes He Had Played: Bill Nighy's role. "He's the guy who gets to say 'f---' a lot."

(Mari) The ones where he has to "lose a little height" for SJ remind me of another time and another place.;-);-) Ha ha ha!! Actually I was grateful he did it, so the watermarkings didn't go through his head as they usually do, when he's photographed with shorter folk. ;-)

I had a Dutch Master's box as well (don't remember commercials but I was overseas when I was younger so may have missed the fun). I kept colored pencils in it and I don't remember any of the men on the front (because....wasn't there a whole line of them?) looking this freakin' hot (though that's the 'pilgrim hat' and I was relieved when ODB took it off. (it just looks like a giant 10 gallon hat to me....and although I do fancy the idea of seeing him in buckskin, riding the range, I never imagined a hat)..he has the shoes to match too). Love his 'look' that he is giving 'Griet' in this pic. Thanks Karen! (Bee) "I can't believe it's not buddah......" LOL...I feel as if I have come full circle with ODB and 'buddah' this week! (Mari) Well, then I can forgive them the dodgy hair if they were out signing in the rain for fans!:-) All is forgiven! Scarlet just must have known it was going to shower and said "give me something that most resembles a rain hat" ;-) And well....ODB is always forgiven (except for L'dum...I'm still sore about that) ;-D (Mari) LOL, me too! And to think of all the time I spent seaching in that box for cerulean and burnt sienna, when what I really wanted was right on the lid.;-) ROTFL! (ODB re: role he wished he'd played) "He's the guy who gets to say 'f---' a lot." Now that's what you want to look for when choosing your projects! I can completely understand (as it is a word I enjoy using as well). ;-) Thanks Karen and Mari! And Aishling...so glad you liked GWAPE and thanks for the report!!!!

I have my tickets for LA, tonight. :-) Thank you, Karen, Mari, Aisling, lucky girl!

(ODB re: role he wished he'd played) "He's the guy who gets to say 'f---' a lot." That's the funniest thing he's said in recent interviews. I wish he'd do that more often....instead of soooo serious. (Tress)(as it is a word I enjoy using as well). ;-) I'm holding out for "asshole".

Thanks for all the new pics Karen! And Mari, thanks for alerting to the GWAPE website, my computer hissed and spit and took an age to load but it was worth it! Bee, the wild horses have been hoofing and snorting outside my door all day in an effort to drag me away from the LA screening in 3 hours and 4 minutes, but a few apples and carrots turned them around.. Woohooooooo!!!! Film Review: "Love Actually" Written 11-01-2003 by BrianOrndorf �Love Actually� is smug, childish, clich�d, unrelentingly and sickeningly upbeat, and when Hugh Grant decides to shake his ass to the Pointer Sisters� �Jump (For My Love),� the picture becomes embarrassingly silly. But, inner-preciousness detectors be damned, I couldn�t take my eyes off the screen. It�s only five weeks until Christmas in London, and love is in the air for a large variety of citizens. There�s a married couple (Emma Thompson and national treasure Alan Rickman) facing relationship woes. An emotionally-burdened office worker (Laura Linney), who secretly desires a co-worker. A widower (Liam Neeson) who is trying to piece his life back together while helping his stepchild (Thomas Sangster) land a girlfriend. Two adult film lighting stand-ins (Joanna Page and Martin Freeman) who connect while at work. A lonely young man (Andrew Lincoln) who secretly desires his best friend�s wife (Kira Knightley). An aging rocker (Bill Nighy) who is taking his manager for granted. A romantically undesirable man (Kris Marshall) who feels he must travel to America to find love. A writer (Colin Firth) who is pining for his maid (Lucia Moniz). And the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant), who can�t keep his assistant (Martine McCutcheon) out of his head. All these people collide during the holiday weeks as they try to fi d love in the face of overwhelming odds. �Love Actually� is the latest crushingly happy affair from Working Title Films, the producers of �Four Weddings and a Funeral, �Notting Hill,� and �Bridget Jones�s Diary.� The company has elected to give screenwriter Richard Curtis his first big shot at directing, having already scripted the aforementioned smashes, along with his extensive work on the �Mr. Bean� franchise. For his big debut behind the camera, Curtis has made the excellent decision and decided to call in every possible favor from the top tier of British acting talent. He has also added a pinch of American intelligence (Linney) and eye-candy (Shannon Elizabeth, Denise Richards, Elisha Cuthbert, and January Jones appear briefly), and has chosen the greatest cinematic holiday from which to work from: Christmas. �Love Actually� is smug, childish, clich�d, unrelentingly and sickeningly upbeat, and when Hugh Grant decides to shake his ass to the Pointer Sisters� �Jump (For My Love),� the picture becomes embarrassingly silly. But, inner-preciousnes detectors be damned, I couldn�t take my eyes off the screen. �Love� isn�t the most romantic featured I�ve come into contact with, but it�s the one film that stands out in brilliant colors for being so defiantly in love with the idea of love. Bombastic audience-hooting moments aside, Curtis has written his best film yet, and found time to direct the hell out of it as well. And it�s even gloriously R-rated! Assembling a cast of about 20 main characters (the above synopsis leaves a lot of people out) to follow in the continually intertwining story, �Love Actually� often resembles a Robert Altman film if it were on Prozac and maybe a touch of Viagra. It zigzags through two handfuls of stories about all kinds of love found in the world, whether it�s platonic, romantic, fraternal, reliable, detestable, forgettable, desirable, taken for granted, or so heartfelt it crushes all in its path. Curtis opens the film up in an airport, having Hugh Grant explain to the audience that no matter how impossible the world can be, there is always a capacity for love in humanity, seen everyday in the arrivals area of the average airport. This sets the tone expertly since, as saccharine as the plot and the characters appear to be, Curtis maintains a level of realism not often seen in a picture this fanciful and filled with holiday cheer. Yes, there are the romantic comedy staples such as a last minute dash to find the one true woma that dreams are made of, oodles of meet cutes, and there is a teetering on the brink of truly nauseating romantic comedy dialog that Curtis has been known to dish out time and again in his earlier scripts. But the malarkey stops right at the point of no return. There isn�t a silver lining to some of the characters� futures, and Curtis doesn�t pretend that he knows all the answers. Like another gem from 2003, �Lost In Translation,� there is a palatable sense of regret strung, much like the tinsel, throughout �Love,� with heartbreaking characters unable to get what they want, or unable to voice their desires clearly. It�s in these delicious glimpses of frustrated yearning that Curtis develops a real bond with his characters and the audience, balancing out the more improbable takes on romance with little eggnog sips of aching reality. To wax rhapsodic about the cast would take days, so suffice it to say that this is one amazing ensemble. Extra credit is certainly due for Emma Thompson�s return to the screen, after a long hiatus, as a fidelity-questioning wife, Liam Neeson showing signs of likeability again as the widowed father of a love-struck child, and Andrew Lincoln doing his best unspoken desire routine as he pines for a woman he cannot have, taking with him the film�s finest, Bob Dylanesque moment. And Hugh Grant makes for a very fashionable Prime Minister, with a performance that is reliable in all the good ways Grant is known for. All this is trumped by Bill Nighy, who commits grand theft movie in the role of aging rocker Billy Mack, who wants nothing more than one last hurrah on the holiday charts, using unflappable honesty and public desperation as his way there. He�s an absolute scream. In actuality, the whole cast is aces, making Curtis look like a better director than he might very well be. It�s easy to be blinded by the show stopping, rollicking sequences that close �Love Actually,� but attention must be paid to what Curtis doesn�t show the audience. For every celebratory shot of a love connection, Curtis gives us a relationship that is on the brink of crumbling, or never even getting a chance to begin. The film closes with a moment of reassurance, but under the buttery crust lies the truth about relationships, and �Love Actually� deserves major credit for steering clear of becoming a complete game of Candyland. Still, I�d advise viewers to bring floss, because the sight of a 12 year-old chasing the girl of his dreams through Heathrow is sweet enough to cause major moviegoing cavities. I would hazard to guess that the only depressing aspect of �Love Actually� is that Curtis has been giving his scripts away to other directors all these years when he should�ve been doing the job himself. �Love Actually� isn�t nearly as cringe inducing as it looks (or that I was expecting in all honesty), and if you�re any kind of romantic, it�s a marvelous choice for both the holiday season and a reminder to appreciate the loved ones that surround you. My Rating: A http://www.filmjerk.com/nuke/article673.html

(Tress)Scarlet just must have known it was going to shower and said "give me something that most resembles a rain hat" And she got a duck's ass;-) Well they're waterproof aren't they?(sorry, Scarlet, but the hair was just a bit too...?) (CF)He's the guy who gets to say 'f---' a lot." How many times have I said I love when he says f--k? It's that back of the throat "u" that gets me. Too bad he doesn't get to say it here, or does he? I'll find out tonight. Off to the sneak preview... Thanks Karen, and Mari. Ashling and you lucky UK'ers...blowing air kisses across the pond. Thank you.

(Dorine)Will the real color of the suit, please come forward. (Aishling) Definitely dark blue velvet. Thanks!! What troopers *everyone* were that night. (Aishling) IMO Scarlett is Griet. I can�t imagine Kate Hudson in the role. I haven't seen it, but I never could imagine KH as Griet. (Karen re Fabio) He became quite famous a number of years ago as a model for romance book covers and ..... And for having those chisled good looks threatened when his nose was broken after a bird flew into his face while he was on a rollercoaster. ;-) Sign me up for the Dutch Masters crayon box club, too. ;-D (Mari) And to think of all the time I spent seaching in that box for cerulean and burnt sienna, when what I really wanted was right on the lid.;-) ROTFL! (Tress) Scarlet just must have known it was going to shower and said "give me something that most resembles a rain hat" ;-) LOL!!! Yes, who wants to carry unruly, wet accessories to repel water. Just have them styled in. ;-) (Tress)(as it is a word I enjoy using as well). ;-) I'm holding out for "asshole". I'm holding out for the whole shebang...."F'n A" (Evelyn) That's the funniest thing he's said in recent interviews. I wish he'd do that more often....instead of soooo serious. That W magazine interview has some pretty amusing bits to me, too..... "It's hard to talk about any paintings without sounding airy fairy..." "A lot of the interest one takes in this stuff is quite nerdy, and I don't know whether it helps the performance," he admits. "It just may be rather masturbatory,...." "Most people write carefully worded, very Jane-Austen-esque letters -- no filthy perverted stuff and no nude pictures. Which I find very sad,".... (Hola Lola) I wanted to be cheesy for a moment and ask that each of you check out Love Actually when it comes out in your town Silly wabbit!! ;-D

Have added a bunch of new pics (and Colin's ass-numblingly boring quote from the production notes) to the site. So there are changes in the: On location gallery (minor) http://www.firth.com/love_gal_loc1.html Publicity pic (major, many humungo clickables): http://www.firth.com/love_gal_pub1.html And the production notes, with some new pics: http://www.firth.com/love_notes.html

Please remember to use the Spoiler topic for discussing newly released films. Thanks. :-)

Oh yes, I forgot... the caption for the pic of Colin standing amidst a bunch of people is: "Jamie (COLIN FIRTH), surrounded by a good deal of Aurelia's village, confesses his love (finally) in Richard Curtis' romantic comedy Love Actually." Does this sound like the press conference at the end of Notting Hill (which scene I happen to adore)? Can you spell retread? ;-)

If this is a repeat, please excuse... The Independent: Selling England by the pound Richard Curtis's new film, Love Actually, is sure to be a success - just like all the others. Yet Ryan Gilbey thinks this smooth operator has nothing to be proud of 31 October 2003 Disciples of Quentin Tarantino complained about having to wait five years for his new movie, but the less demonstrative admirers of the British screenwriter Richard Curtis have been twiddling their thumbs for almost as long. The comparison is not spurious. Only now that Curtis's latest picture, Love Actually, has arrived can we see that he shares more with that bloodthirsty reservoir dog than was first apparent. With its self-referential irony, its preference for tics and eccentricities over flesh-and-blood characterisation, and its escalating structure of competing climaxes, Love Actually is the Kill Bill of romantic comedies. The movie, Curtis's first as director, continues and clarifies the intercontinental love affair that has run through his film work. Three of Curtis's earlier screenplays - The Tall Guy (1989), Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) and Notting Hill (1999) - focused on Anglo-American love affairs between a self-deprecating man and an effortlessly serene woman. Even the one exception, Bean (1997), hinged on the idea of America being seduced by an unpretentious, idiosyncratic Brit. And when you think about it, what is Hugh Grant anyway but Mr Bean with better table manners? The impression is of a battle that Curtis keeps winning, but is compelled to restage from scratch in order to prove that he can win it all over again, perpetuating the same myths - each time - about British reserve and American cool. The Tall Guy can be seen now as a rehearsal for the format that paid dividends in Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, but from a commercial perspective it was too skewwhiff to succeed. The US market was never likely to go cock-a-hoop for the story of a gawky American who must prove he is the equal of a sardonic Brit. Curtis is nothing if not a stunning entrepreneur, and it must surely have been his sound business sense that told him to invert the mismatch, to play up to the stereotypes. It's no coincidence that Four Weddings and a Funeral opened a few months after the last of Merchant-Ivory's heritage pictures. That producer-director team had been the international face of British cinema since Heat and Dust in 1983. But, following The Remains of the Day in late 1993, their interest wandered away from stately homes and literary treasures; not only did their popularity wane, but the image of Britishness that those films promoted dissipated instantly. Curtis found himself in the right place at the right time. His films are elitist in a social context - few of his characters are short of money in the bank, and most of them have the reflexive chirpiness of people who've been to more dinner parties than you've had hot dinners. But what has made them more accessible and successful than the Merchant-Ivory films is their rejection of an intellectual elitism. It's important to remember that the opening line of Four Weddings is a string of profanities delivered by Hugh Grant in his now-familiar plummy chirrup. It feels now like a statement of intent: Yes, these are toffs, but don't be afraid - they swear just like you and me in the cheap seats. So audiences who might have been frightened away from literary adaptations of books they know they should have read can experience a plush life that feels far more attainable than any intellectual prosperity. After The Tall Guy, in which the hero lived in a dingy North London bedsit with a broken answerphone, something aspirational crept into Curtis's writing. His movies started to be about the audience's desire to inhabit the world on screen, rather than just the wish to see two star-crossed lovers united. It seems unbelievable now that the character played by Emma Thompson in The Tall Guy was a nurse in an understaffed NHS hospital. By the time of Notting Hill, the films would be characterised by a different kind of incongruity, such as the complete absence of black citizens in that film's west London setting. (Viewers of Love Actually should take heart. Many of the new film's characters have best friends who are black. Some of them even get dialogue.) The governing principle behind his recent work would appear to be: We're all the same underneath. So you could be a gay man in an unfortunate waistcoat (Four Weddings and a Funeral), a multi-millionaire movie star (Notting Hill) or even the British Prime Minister (Love Actually) but that's not to say you don't have the same feelings as everyone else. The new film even ends with multiple images of people hugging - a chaste version of the split-screen sex that was such a naughty delight in Stephen Frears' Sammy and Rosie Get Laid. But there has to be more to a movie career than a declaration of homogeneity endlessly reiterated. Divorced from all social and economic reality, the films assure us that love can conquer all, which is the common message of the romantic comedy genre, where love can blossom between a man and a mermaid (Splash), a prince and a showgirl (The Prince and the Showgirl) or a man and his keyring (Marco Ferreri's I Love You). But what Curtis's films fatally lack is the conflict of the most robust romantic comedies. How easy it is for love to conquer all when "all" amounts only to the difference between Britain and America. For Curtis to continue ploughing his humble furrow, he needs America in more than just the commercial sense. His dithering British heroes are invariably defined by the presence of the Americans around them. That's the function of actresses like Andie MacDowell and Julia Roberts, but it also applies to the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) who looks like a little-boy-lost next to the sinister president (Billy Bob Thornton) in Love Actually, or the hero of Notting Hill (Grant again) who is mistaken for a lowly porter by a boorish movie star (Alec Baldwin). A British actor in the romantic comedy genre will always look like the little guy when placed in the same frame as an American counterpart. The day that Curtis risks pitting his alter ego against someone of equal status could be the day he starts developing as a dramatist. These films feel shallow because the most convincing love story on display is the one between the writer and his potential marketplace. This stopped being a case of big fish/small pond syndrome a long time ago. In Britain, Curtis is more like a whale languishing in a puddle. A film adapted from the doodles on his telephone pad would make it into the top ten hits of the year, so it can't be surprising that his attention seems focused more than ever on America. But he has no need to "crack" the States: he's done that. A Hollywood agent recently admitted, "It's hard to bet against Richard Curtis." Each of the last four films he has worked on, including Bridget Jones's Diary, which he co-wrote, has grossed over �100 million, with Bean and Notting Hill passing �200 million. So what exactly does Richard Curtis want? In one way he's the walking fulfilment of Alan Parker's depressing announcement that British film-makers should reject the parochial in favour of the transatlantic. But then Curtis is lucky enough not to need to choose anymore: he has flogged his brand of Britishness across the world, no matter that it is as artificial as the images of pink-haired punk rockers on sale to tourists in Trafalgar Square. Curtis says he'd like to make a movie that addresses a social issue (he's a fan of Lukas Moodysson's Lilya 4-Ever - about the child sex trade). But don't hold your breath; if Love Actually is anything to go by, he's feeling more business-like than ever. Curtis may not be anywhere near the peak of his powers, but he knows all the angles. Even as it's draped in the Stars and Stripes, the film emphatically waves its Union Jack. The picture is rigged to appeal to British audiences, especially those who never venture into the cinema. Curtis has cast some of the smaller roles from British television, and with each recognisable face that appears - Martine McCutcheon, Andrew Lincoln (Teachers), the pop-eyed Kris Marshall (My Family), the doughy Martin Freeman (The Office) - you experience the same slump that you get when a promising actor turns out to be mixed up in a sex scandal, or involved with the Church of Scientology: There goes another one. Those actors will be balm for some viewers, as will the proliferation of cameos by TV celebrities such as Ant and Dec, Jo Whiley and Michael Parkinson, whose vocal acclaim the film has cleverly bought. Everybody wins - the audience is soothed by familiar performers, the celebrities are flattered that their popularity has been further ratified by this promotion to the cinema screen, and the film-makers can be certain that these double-agents will use their media outlets to endorse the movie. But then the movie, like all Curtis's work since The Tall Guy, is nothing if not calculated. Its Christmas setting, guaranteed to ensure longevity in the form of seasonal television screenings for decades to come, is only the most obvious example. When Jarvis Cocker wrote "Disco 2000", he had the decency to confess that his inspiration came from contemplating the hefty royalties Prince would pocket - come the end of the decade - from the song "1999". In that sense, Love Actually will be the gift that keeps on giving, to the Curtis family if no one else. But what did we expect? If there is a single scene which encapsulates this man's facile oeuvre, it's the dinner party in Notting Hill. In it, a group of troubled-but-happy Londoners quiz the Hollywood star Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) on her salary and her lifestyle. The scene is played entirely without irony, begging comparison with a near-identical moment in the excellent Six Degrees of Separation where a house guest purporting to be the son of Sidney Poitier is grilled by his anecdote-hungry hosts. That film explored the chasm between the lives we lead and the lives we yearn to lead, but no such disparity could be accommodated in a Richard Curtis script because it doesn't exist in his world. Hugh Grant recently explained that Curtis has "this very rare thing of actually quite liking life." Isn't there a word missing from that sentence? It seems rather that Curtis actually quite likes his life. You can't blame him. But as the basis for a movie career it leaves something to be desired. 'Love Actually' goes on release on November 21

OMG, the HUGE clickable publicity pics. I think I've died and gone to heaven. The one where he's standing alone in the tweed coat looking like AFG, melted me right into my bowl of cereal. I know, cereal for dinner, but oh well. If I wasn't so self-conscious I'd have my new wallpaper. Got to say that's one of the best I've seen other than some of the natural setting pics. Great set of pictures. I just can't wait to see the movie Thursday night. I've got the pass sitting right here next to the laptop so I can stare at the pictures. I saw the Entertainment Weekly spread last night at my parents' house. I laughed very hard at CF's quote. (Dorine) I'm holding out for the whole shebang...."F'n A" I'm waiting for all the words you can't say on radio. We learned it in school (not in class) as one long expletive. To hear it with *that* voice would sound quite nice. Language in this house is quite censored for obvious reasons. Loved the quotes from W Magazine. "Airy Fairy" has to be my favorite. Was really good friends with an Art Historian in grad school. Lots of meaning there with that quote. Hola Lola, Congrats! Happy and Healthy 9mo to you. I've told everyone I can think of including the clerks at Barnes & Noble this morning about LA and GWAPE. Michelle

(The Indep) it was too skewwhiff to succeed Translation, please, someone. :-) (Michelle) I'm waiting for all the words you can't say on radio. We learned it in school (not in class) as one long expletive. To hear it with *that* voice would sound quite nice. Yeah, doesn't sound quite so mesmerizing from George Carlin. ;-) Thanks, Murph. That guy is quite the Scrooge.

I will go to spoilers to discuss LA, but first just a bit of stuff. Hola Lola, you need not worry about being cheesy. This film is a winner. The sneak preview was sold out. We had people on the floor at our viewing. The crowd loved it. The laughter was non stop except for ET's storyline. I must say, Bill Nighy stole the show. Hugh Grant was excellent, and Colin was simply fantastic. At the end, the guy behind me said I will see this 15 times. I thought, hey that's my line;-) When it was over loud explosion of applause, cheers, whistling and what have you. I left feeling v.v. good, and didn't feel cheap at all;-)Not even a hint of emotional manipulation! It does need further viewings and my DH said it first...he's learning;-) Bravo!

OK, back from the sneak preview (and a long hiatus due to too much real life/work, etc). Big audience, lots of couples. (Wives dragging husbands along?) My DH liked it. Nudged me every time there was a London view that he recognized. (He is hopeless at remembering names of actors, but he's fair on places.) A few other Firth fans were sitting near me. They had bought their tickets on line Friday morning as soon as they saw the ad. They were hoping to see more skin than there actually was. I explained about the red fingernail test for scripts. (They did not know about drool or firth.com--didn't know about GWAPE, either. Clearly not die-hards.) Several big laughs, the biggest for an early scene with Emma Thompson and one of her kids. I think Curtis definitely gave HG the greatest number of cute moments. Most of Colin's laughs came from his stumbling with language. One one brief flash of MPB, very much in the back not the top. Dare we hope that one of the DVD features will be options to see just one character's storylines? That will save a lot of fast-forward/jumping.

Like the rest, I'll take my further comments about LA to the spoilers room, but I did want to post this spoiler free (I Hope) review/critique. I just returned from the sneak preview of LA in the Jacksonville Florida metro area. Before the program started, I took a minute to scan the house, just to get a feel for the general make-up of the audience. They were pretty well mixed. So...I will tell you up front that I liked the movie VERY MUCH. THere were scenes that had all of us on the floor, and some that, I was the only laugh. Those were due to the fact that the film has a distinctly British feel and if you don't know Brit humor and/or watch BBCAmerica, you would miss some of the slang and references. Colin was delicious. It was great to see him really cut loose and smile. His character was altogether loveable and he has really good comedic timing. Hugh was also excellent (though he should keep his day job and not pursue a singing or dancing career), as were Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman. The young man played the love sick 12 year old was totally adorable with huge and expressive eyes and was well matched with Liam Neeson. Watch him, I think he'll grow into something very special. My main issue with the film was that, because Curtis tried to do so many stories, you aren't given the opportunity to get to know or care about any of the characters, and that might be the film's downfall. Two or three related storylines, perhaps, but 10 or 12 is just way too many for any kind of character development. It felt like a superficial "skimming" over the characters and left me, at any rate, wanting more. I'm extremely glad that I braved the teenaged hoards at the local mall and cineplex (something I would ONLY do for Colin or Hugh). Will I recommend it to friends...oh, YES. Will I go see it again...OH YES! Will I buy the CD when it's released...Do you have to ask? This is Eithne reporting for the NE Florida bureau of Sit Up Drool. Now back to the studio.

From NY Times today, from the Dorchester PA, only RC and HG but hopefully we will see more soon?? Pic looks like HG is playing hopscotch with RC... Four Comedies and a Collaboration By SARAH LYALL Published: November 2, 2003 LONDON AS with lovers who take a while to warm up to each other, the couple's first meeting promised nothing but mutual dislike. Richard Curtis, auditioning actors for "Four Weddings and a Funeral," felt that Hugh Grant was unreasonably handsome. Mr. Grant was annoyed by the way Mr. Curtis, the film's screenwriter, leaned impassively against a bookshelf and said nothing during his reading. But the 11th-hour decision to cast Mr. Grant as the lead in "Four Weddings," a low-budget romantic confection that became one of Britain's most successful films ever, was the start of an unusually felicitous, not to mention profitable, collaboration that has continued through "Notting Hill," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and now, imminently, "Love Actually." The new film, which Mr. Curtis wrote and directed and which features Mr. Grant as a bachelor prime minister awkwardly in love, is opening Friday in New York and other cities. Despite a striking difference in outlook (Mr. Curtis is a romantic and an optimist; Mr. Grant, under all that charm, is not), theirs is a marriage of comic minds. Mr. Curtis, 46 � the writer responsible for some of the best-known British film and television comedies in recent years � has found in Mr. Grant, 43, the perfect muse, an actor with the comic instincts, sense of timing and particular sensibility to spin his finely calibrated words into gold. For better or worse, the two together have successfully made Mr. Curtis's rosy-eyed vision of a loved-up England one of the country's most visible exports in the last decade: their first three films have earned $886 million at the box office worldwide. Now, for the first time, Mr. Curtis is directing that vision himself. "The central character in Richard's films is always Richard himself," said Tim Bevan, co-chairman of Working Title, the London-based production company responsible for most of Mr. Curtis and Mr. Grant's films together. "In finding Hugh, Richard found the alter ego who could play him. There's no one better who can carry a Curtis gag with timing and polish than Hugh Grant, and they're very lucky they found each other." The alter ego description comes up often in discussions of Mr. Grant and Mr. Curtis, but in a recent interview here neither wanted to admit to anything quite so straightforward. They are both extremely English, after all: Mr. Curtis bespectacled, affable and boyish, despite graying hair; and Mr. Grant sharp-eyed and effortlessly good-looking, despite suffering from what he said was a serious hangover. Ensconced in a plush suite at the Dorchester Hotel at the start of a long day of media appearances � the sort of cringe-inducing event that Mr. Curtis lampooned so deftly in "Notting Hill" � the two could easily have been a small mutual-admiration society, if not for their gently abusive banter. So symbiotic have they become that by now Mr. Curtis, who agonizes over the smallest word and trick of timing in every joke the way a mathematician frets about a minute change in a proof, allows Mr. Grant at times to meddle with his dialogue, even the shape of his character. In "Love Actually," a romantic roundelay of interlocking stories, Mr. Grant repeatedly pressed Mr. Curtis to make his character more authoritative and less haplessly charming. "I thought, `Well, look, he's the prime minister, and almost every joke in every scene will be about the fact that he's not behaving in a prime ministerial manner,' " Mr. Curtis said. "But Hugh said, `Well, we'd better make sure that people believe he is the prime minister in the first place, because if he hasn't got a little bit of presence, they might not buy the story.' " Much of the Curtisian vision remained � toward the end of the movie Mr. Grant's character goes door to door in a working-class London neighborhood on Christmas Eve in search of the object of his affections, an office tea girl (played by Martine McCutcheon), but Mr. Grant successfully tempered the characterization. "The key is generally not to be too cuddly," said Mr. Grant, who says he feels more affinity with Daniel Cleaver, the slightly wicked, slightly kinky editor he played in "Bridget Jones's Diary" (and which he is reprising in the sequel currently being filmed) than with his characters in other Curtis films. "I found, in doing some of the more recent films like `Bridget Jones' or `About a Boy,' that I quite liked breaking out of that. I quite found that girls found me more attractive that way." Both men were at turning points when they met. Mr. Curtis, who had made his name with classic television comedies like "Not the Nine O'Clock News" and "Blackadder," had just one film under his belt, "The Tall Guy," and was at a loss to find the right actor for the "Four Weddings" lead. Then came Mr. Grant, whose recent work had included such projects as a potboiling mini-series and "The Lair of the White Worm," a high-concept horror film. Mr. Grant said: "I remember stomping up the stairs there � wherever it was, in Carnaby Street or somewhere � and thinking, `This is positively the last audition I ever go to. It's undignified.' " Mr. Curtis said: "You'd been running around the park teaching Juliette Binoche how to do an English accent." Mr. Grant said: "That was a low point." (A long story ensued about how Mr. Grant, instructed by his agent to help Ms. Binoche, who is French, prepare for a part in an English film, ended up chasing her around a park in London at her behest, shouting, "Would you like a cup of tea, Madam?" Then, Mr. Grant recalled, he was handed an envelope containing �200, about $350, "like the plumber.") Meeting Mr. Grant, even at a low point, proved a revelation for Mr. Curtis. "Suddenly in walked someone whose sense of humor was very similar to mine," Mr. Curtis said. "It was a huge relief to find someone who actually got what the joke was meant to be." Mr. Grant had a similar moment of truth when he read the script. "I remember thinking, `This is bizarre because it's good,' and literally everything else I'd read was bad," he said. Yet Mr. Grant said he did not fully understand Charles, the slightly bumbling, altogether sweet Englishman he played in "Four Weddings," until he got a better sense of Mr. Curtis. "He was a strange combination of being cynical and being positive, and I thought, `I can't hear this character at all,' " he said of the role. "But as soon as I started rehearsing and Richard was there, I thought, `I see � it's him,' " he added. "The joke was that I played Richard in the film, and then for years afterwards everyone said, `You're such a nice person, Hugh.' " The famously unattached Mr. Grant freely embraces his pessimism, however, even in the face of his collaborator's sunnier outlook. Mr. Curtis's longtime partner, Emma Freud, is about to have the couple's fourth child, and his films all celebrate the triumph of love over adversity. "Love Actually" is perhaps the most rosy of all. "That's the whole basis of your success, really," Mr. Grant said, turning to Mr. Curtis. "If one were to distill it, it's you being unbelievably positive and up and � I don't think sentimental is the right word � but romantic. And just at the point where you're about to say, `Oh, give us a break,' a really good joke comes which undercuts it and makes you think, `That's all right; I like these people anyway.' " Mr. Curtis said, "Actually, I don't think the world is a place without pain and sorrow, but on the other hand I have had a very happy life, and I see a lot of good things around me." He believes love really is the answer. "I'm sure if I said to an assembled room of journalists, `How many people do you hate?,' they'd be quite hard-pushed to name five people." Mr. Grant said, "With the British journalists, you'd be there all day." Asked whether he shared Mr. Curtis's optimism, he said, "Profoundly not." "That's the whole joke of the film," Mr. Grant added. "The voice-over begins, `Some people think the world is full of hatred and greed.' And I'm one of them." But Mr. Grant and Mr. Curtis share not only similar backgrounds � both come from the same middle-class English milieu that Mr. Curtis writes about so effectively � but also the same rigorous approach to comedy. It is here that Mr. Grant's insouciance begins to seem like a clever dramatic performance. Underneath the self-deprecation and the easy-going wit and the louche charm lurks someone who takes it all very seriously. "A curious thing has happened with Hugh," Mr. Curtis said. "He is the most disrespectful actor in the world about his acting. I remember on `Four Weddings' he said, `I can only do three things: normal; sexy, which is down an octave; and serious, which is up an octave.' " "That's pushing it," Mr. Grant said. Mr. Curtis continued: "But as it turned out, Hugh now takes the job in some ways more seriously than any of the other actors. He reads the lines and actually knows what is the perfect delivery of them in the same way that when you write a line you think you know what the perfect delivery of it is. And I think you find it very frustrating" � he turned to Mr. Grant � "when in the circumstances, with the rhythm and all that, you don't convey what's in your head." Mr. Grant said: "It's one of the reasons I'm so violently anti-rehearsal. You sit there rehearsing a film, and � partly to impress the actors around you, and partly to encourage the author or impress the director or whatever � you give it your best in rehearsal and you do something pretty funny, you get a good laugh. And from that moment on, you can never get it again." The two occasionally clash. At one point during the filming of "Love Actually," Mr. Grant was heard to mutter, "I am not a puppet!" at Mr. Curtis ("It was like `The Elephant Man,' " Mr. Curtis said). By the same token, Mr. Curtis sometimes bristles when Mr. Grant messes with his lines, but often ends up conceding the point. In the scene in "Love Actually" where the prime minister's sister (played by Emma Thompson) telephones him at the office, for instance, Mr. Curtis originally had him pick up the phone and say, "Hello, prime minister speaking." "But then you insisted on doing your version, which was, `Hello, I'm very busy and important � may I help you?' " Mr. Curtis said to Mr. Grant. "And that was funnier than my line." Conversely, in a scene in which the prime minister stands up to the American president (Billy Bob Thornton) with a rousing speech listing Britain's greatest assets, the actor drew the line at including "Catherine Zeta-Jones's breasts." "You couldn't say it," Mr. Curtis said to Mr. Grant. "You were like a horse running up to a fence and refusing to go over it." "I shied," Mr. Grant said. "You shied three times," Mr. Curtis said. "I balked," Mr. Grant agreed. Mr. Grant frets endlessly on film sets but enjoys his collaboration with his old friend. "The fun thing about `Love Actually' was being directed by Richard, rather than having to sneak off and get his notes on the sidelines," he said. "It's always nice to be able to say to the director who's just given you an important note, `Oh, shut up.' "

Theater 3/4 full. Mostly women in pairs or groups. 1/4 of audience were couples. Older demographic. Not one child in the bunch, not even teenagers. Some laughs but not as much as expected (from the audience or me). No applause, no whistling. (Kate) Wives dragging husbands along Was walking out of the theater, overheard two DH (wives were strolling ahead of them) chatting away when "CF is his name." One DH was telling the other "he was in BJD. HG was in that one too. CF was on that series on TV, the good one based on a book by Jane Austen". I kid you not. Was too stunned to whisper P&P. DH's talking about ODB without being prompted by their wives! You're doing good work, ladies. (Indep) Yet Ryan Gilbey thinks this smooth operator has nothing to be proud of [well not much anyway](...) These films feel shallow because the most convincing love story on display is the one between the writer and his potential marketplace. [sure is starting to look like it] (Dorine) That guy is quite the Scrooge. Yet now that I've seen LA, I'm with Scrooge. Bah humbug :-(

(Sonia)No applause, no whistling. Totally opposite reaction in out theater. Still in that feel good mode, so I needed to post again, to thank the boss for the updates on the clickables, and pictures.

(Dorine) That guy is quite the Scrooge. (Sonia), Yet now that I've seen LA, I'm with Scrooge. Bah humbug :-( I agree. I'm with Scrooge too. :-( LA is totally overrated. Bill Nihey(sp?) was the best part. Hugh was terrible. Hard to buy Colin's storyline as well as others. The ending was more pat than a classic "happy" one. And my DH would have to comment, "it's summer in France and they're passing it off as late Nov." LOL! Thank heavens we have GWAPE!

Not having seen The Tall Man, I can't (read: won't bother to) comment... Sneak was totally sold out in advance, but was in one of the smaller theaters in the complex. Two seats over from me, I heard a woman telling her husband how she "loved Colin Firth" as the film was starting. There was no applause or whistling at mine. Laughter was sporadic. Bill Nighy definitely became a crowd fav, but the biggest laughs were when the character Colin said he had a plane ticket to Wisconsin (you have to understand, the Wisconsin border is merely an hour or so away from where I was) and then again when the guy was in the bar in Wisconsin and meets up with that pert trio of American Heartland nymphomaniacs. ;-) Jamie/Colin's segment got some very warm-hearted laughter with the language issues. Over to Spoilers with my other comments...

The theater I went to was completely sold out. I bought tickets in advance, and wound up sitting in the third row. Not a seat to be had. Audience laughed a lot. Typical comments heard repeatedly on the way out: --Too many storylines and none of them fleshed out adequately. --Hugh Grant is the same in every movie. --Emma Thompson was great. --Funniest parts were the has-been rock star, and the subtitles in Colin Firth's storyline. I'll take spoilers over to that topic, but overall, I liked it, didn't love it. I can't see this doing as well as BJD, Notting Hill, or 4 Weddings. Just IMO.

--Hugh Grant is the same in every movie. They're just not watching him closely. I thought he was great. That one look after the BBT/Martine thing was brilliant. (Mari) I can't see this doing as well as BJD, Notting Hill, or 4 Weddings. Just IMO. Agreed.

From Aishling, an excerpt from the Telegraph's magazine article "On the Set of Love Actually": As Jamie, a writer who unexpectedly finds love with a young Portuguese woman in the south of France, Colin Firth shot his scenes in Marseilles; here he anxiously waits at the door of her family home. 'Night shots are wonderful if you're on location,' he reflects. 'There's this united feeling-we're all up when everyone else is asleep. This night in the city's old port district was bizarre. We were working with Portuguese people in France, I was acting in Portuguese, which I can't imagine ever happening again, and a local heavy from this dodgy neighbourhood was running security. In one scene, I accumulate a crowd as I go down the street. Five, then 15, then 30 Portuguese people marching behind me in the streets of Marseilles at three in the morning. Extraordinary.'

From the NY Post by Megan Lehmann, with Contents page pic from Time mag: November 2, 2003 Hopeless romantics rejoice! In time for the holidays comes a gift from Richard Curtis - undisputed master of the romantic comedy (author of the screenplays for "Notting Hill," "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Bridget Jones's Diary"). "Love Actually," opening Friday, is a great big bliss bomb of feel-good sentiment, set in fairy-tale London during the holiday season. The movie also serves as Curtis' directorial debut, and it pops with his trademark blend of sharp humor and unabashed emotion. An impressive A-list cast - including Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Colin Firth and "Pirates of the Caribbean's" Keira Knightley - cavorts through a dizzying array of bittersweet romantic entanglements. Curtis says he didn't find it such a challenge to write such a dense story peopled with so many characters. "I think it may be that I decided that films take me such a long time - about three years, in the end - and I thought that if I wanted to go on writing romantic films, I would spend the rest of my life doing it," says Curtis. "So I decided that I would try to write nine or 10 of them all at the same time." There are 10 interweaving vignettes dealing with love in all of its forms - between husband and wife, brother and sister, boss and employee, boy and girl, father and son. Despite an R rating and Curtis' penchant for having his characters curse profusely, the pile-up of love connections puts "Love Actually" in danger of prompting a nauseating sugar overload. But Curtis - a gray-haired, bespectacled Londoner whose longtime girlfriend, Emma, is a descendent of Sigmund Freud - is an unapologetic Pollyanna. "I do seem to have written a great deal about love," Curtis has said. "But, I mean - if you look at the world, there are huge amounts of love and affection, and yet so much of art portrays the darker side of humanity. When I look around the world I notice a lot of things that are rather gorgeous, lots of people with kind hearts." (It should be noted that this is a man who considers "The Sound of Music" to be "quite a realistic piece of work.") Grant, who has starred in all three of Curtis' other films, endorses the writer/director's view of the world. "The comedy is hugely important in the success of Richard's work, but equally important is this very rare thing of actually quite liking life," Grant has said. Curtis - currently working on "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" - has been dubbed the "British Spielberg." The modestly budgeted "Four Weddings" raked in more than $250 million worldwide in 1994; "Notting Hill" made $390 million in 1999; and 2001's "Bridget Jones's Diary" made more than $170 million. "One of the strange things about these films is how well they've gone down in other countries," Curtis said recently. "I can't explain that." In Britain, one bookmaker is offering odds-on that "Love Actually," made for $51 million, will become the highest-grossing British film ever. "It's going to be huge," says Adam Dawtrey, Variety's European editor. "It is Curtis' best film yet - a real advance for him, much more interesting than anything he's done before." http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/9662.htm

The "official" hype for LA is making me sick. (It should be noted that this is a man who considers "The Sound of Music" to be "quite a realistic piece of work.") I love TSOM. Realistic? Well, yeah, I break into song too when the mood hits.;-D

Well, America was clearly more in "Love" than some here. From Variety; these are outstanding numbers: Universal drew 78% capacity auds to 565 sneaks of Working Title's holiday romancer "Love Actually." A big 78% of moviegoers rated pic "excellent." Overall, 73% of "Love" moviegoers were over 30 and 68% femmes. Richard Curtis penned-and-helmed pic, starring Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson and others, unspools in limited release next weekend.

Nice little bit in the NYT today. No mention of CF though (but hey, the article is about RC and HG); some of this is old or repeted elsewhere. November 2, 2003 Four Comedies and a Collaboration By SARAH LYALL LONDON AS with lovers who take a while to warm up to each other, the couple's first meeting promised nothing but mutual dislike. Richard Curtis, auditioning actors for "Four Weddings and a Funeral," felt that Hugh Grant was unreasonably handsome. Mr. Grant was annoyed by the way Mr. Curtis, the film's screenwriter, leaned impassively against a bookshelf and said nothing during his reading. But the 11th-hour decision to cast Mr. Grant as the lead in "Four Weddings," a low-budget romantic confection that became one of Britain's most successful films ever, was the start of an unusually felicitous, not to mention profitable, collaboration that has continued through "Notting Hill," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and now, imminently, "Love Actually." The new film, which Mr. Curtis wrote and directed and which features Mr. Grant as a bachelor prime minister awkwardly in love, is opening Friday in New York and other cities. Despite a striking difference in outlook (Mr. Curtis is a romantic and an optimist; Mr. Grant, under all that charm, is not), theirs is a marriage of comic minds. Mr. Curtis, 46 � the writer responsible for some of the best-known British film and television comedies in recent years � has found in Mr. Grant, 43, the perfect muse, an actor with the comic instincts, sense of timing and particular sensibility to spin his finely calibrated words into gold. For better or worse, the two together have successfully made Mr. Curtis's rosy-eyed vision of a loved-up England one of the country's most visible exports in the last decade: their first three films have earned $886 million at the box office worldwide. Now, for the first time, Mr. Curtis is directing that vision himself. "The central character in Richard's films is always Richard himself," said Tim Bevan, co-chairman of Working Title, the London-based production company responsible for most of Mr. Curtis and Mr. Grant's films together. "In finding Hugh, Richard found the alter ego who could play him. There's no one better who can carry a Curtis gag with timing and polish than Hugh Grant, and they're very lucky they found each other." The alter ego description comes up often in discussions of Mr. Grant and Mr. Curtis, but in a recent interview here neither wanted to admit to anything quite so straightforward. They are both extremely English, after all: Mr. Curtis bespectacled, affable and boyish, despite graying hair; and Mr. Grant sharp-eyed and effortlessly good-looking, despite suffering from what he said was a serious hangover. Ensconced in a plush suite at the Dorchester Hotel at the start of a long day of media appearances � the sort of cringe-inducing event that Mr. Curtis lampooned so deftly in "Notting Hill" � the two could easily have been a small mutual-admiration society, if not for their gently abusive banter. So symbiotic have they become that by now Mr. Curtis, who agonizes over the smallest word and trick of timing in every joke the way a mathematician frets about a minute change in a proof, allows Mr. Grant at times to meddle with his dialogue, even the shape of his character. In "Love Actually," a romantic roundelay of interlocking stories, Mr. Grant repeatedly pressed Mr. Curtis to make his character more authoritative and less haplessly charming. "I thought, `Well, look, he's the prime minister, and almost every joke in every scene will be about the fact that he's not behaving in a prime ministerial manner,' " Mr. Curtis said. "But Hugh said, `Well, we'd better make sure that people believe he is the prime minister in the first place, because if he hasn't got a little bit of presence, they might not buy the story.' " Much of the Curtisian vision remained � toward the end of the movie Mr. Grant's character goes door to door in a working-class London neighborhood on Christmas Eve in search of the object of his affections, an office tea girl (played by Martine McCutcheon), but Mr. Grant successfully tempered the characterization. "The key is generally not to be too cuddly," said Mr. Grant, who says he feels more affinity with Daniel Cleaver, the slightly wicked, slightly kinky editor he played in "Bridget Jones's Diary" (and which he is reprising in the sequel currently being filmed) than with his characters in other Curtis films. "I found, in doing some of the more recent films like `Bridget Jones' or `About a Boy,' that I quite liked breaking out of that. I quite found that girls found me more attractive that way." Both men were at turning points when they met. Mr. Curtis, who had made his name with classic television comedies like "Not the Nine O'Clock News" and "Blackadder," had just one film under his belt, "The Tall Guy," and was at a loss to find the right actor for the "Four Weddings" lead. Then came Mr. Grant, whose recent work had included such projects as a potboiling mini-series and "The Lair of the White Worm," a high-concept horror film. Mr. Grant said: "I remember stomping up the stairs there � wherever it was, in Carnaby Street or somewhere � and thinking, `This is positively the last audition I ever go to. It's undignified.' " Mr. Curtis said: "You'd been running around the park teaching Juliette Binoche how to do an English accent." Mr. Grant said: "That was a low point." (A long story ensued about how Mr. Grant, instructed by his agent to help Ms. Binoche, who is French, prepare for a part in an English film, ended up chasing her around a park in London at her behest, shouting, "Would you like a cup of tea, Madam?" Then, Mr. Grant recalled, he was handed an envelope containing �200, about $350, "like the plumber.") Meeting Mr. Grant, even at a low point, proved a revelation for Mr. Curtis. "Suddenly in walked someone whose sense of humor was very similar to mine," Mr. Curtis said. "It was a huge relief to find someone who actually got what the joke was meant to be." Mr. Grant had a similar moment of truth when he read the script. "I remember thinking, `This is bizarre because it's good,' and literally everything else I'd read was bad," he said. Yet Mr. Grant said he did not fully understand Charles, the slightly bumbling, altogether sweet Englishman he played in "Four Weddings," until he got a better sense of Mr. Curtis. "He was a strange combination of being cynical and being positive, and I thought, `I can't hear this character at all,' " he said of the role. "But as soon as I started rehearsing and Richard was there, I thought, `I see � it's him,' " he added. "The joke was that I played Richard in the film, and then for years afterwards everyone said, `You're such a nice person, Hugh.' " The famously unattached Mr. Grant freely embraces his pessimism, however, even in the face of his collaborator's sunnier outlook. Mr. Curtis's longtime partner, Emma Freud, is about to have the couple's fourth child, and his films all celebrate the triumph of love over adversity. "Love Actually" is perhaps the most rosy of all. "That's the whole basis of your success, really," Mr. Grant said, turning to Mr. Curtis. "If one were to distill it, it's you being unbelievably positive and up and � I don't think sentimental is the right word � but romantic. And just at the point where you're about to say, `Oh, give us a break,' a really good joke comes which undercuts it and makes you think, `That's all right; I like these people anyway.' " Mr. Curtis said, "Actually, I don't think the world is a place without pain and sorrow, but on the other hand I have had a very happy life, and I see a lot of good things around me." He believes love really is the answer. "I'm sure if I said to an assembled room of journalists, `How many people do you hate?,' they'd be quite hard-pushed to name five people." Mr. Grant said, "With the British journalists, you'd be there all day." Asked whether he shared Mr. Curtis's optimism, he said, "Profoundly not." "That's the whole joke of the film," Mr. Grant added. "The voice-over begins, `Some people think the world is full of hatred and greed.' And I'm one of them." But Mr. Grant and Mr. Curtis share not only similar backgrounds � both come from the same middle-class English milieu that Mr. Curtis writes about so effectively � but also the same rigorous approach to comedy. It is here that Mr. Grant's insouciance begins to seem like a clever dramatic performance. Underneath the self-deprecation and the easy-going wit and the louche charm lurks someone who takes it all very seriously. "A curious thing has happened with Hugh," Mr. Curtis said. "He is the most disrespectful actor in the world about his acting. I remember on `Four Weddings' he said, `I can only do three things: normal; sexy, which is down an octave; and serious, which is up an octave.' " "That's pushing it," Mr. Grant said. Mr. Curtis continued: "But as it turned out, Hugh now takes the job in some ways more seriously than any of the other actors. He reads the lines and actually knows what is the perfect delivery of them in the same way that when you write a line you think you know what the perfect delivery of it is. And I think you find it very frustrating" � he turned to Mr. Grant � "when in the circumstances, with the rhythm and all that, you don't convey what's in your head." Mr. Grant said: "It's one of the reasons I'm so violently anti-rehearsal. You sit there rehearsing a film, and � partly to impress the actors around you, and partly to encourage the author or impress the director or whatever � you give it your best in rehearsal and you do something pretty funny, you get a good laugh. And from that moment on, you can never get it again." The two occasionally clash. At one point during the filming of "Love Actually," Mr. Grant was heard to mutter, "I am not a puppet!" at Mr. Curtis ("It was like `The Elephant Man,' " Mr. Curtis said). By the same token, Mr. Curtis sometimes bristles when Mr. Grant messes with his lines, but often ends up conceding the point. In the scene in "Love Actually" where the prime minister's sister (played by Emma Thompson) telephones him at the office, for instance, Mr. Curtis originally had him pick up the phone and say, "Hello, prime minister speaking." "But then you insisted on doing your version, which was, `Hello, I'm very busy and important � may I help you?' " Mr. Curtis said to Mr. Grant. "And that was funnier than my line." Conversely, in a scene in which the prime minister stands up to the American president (Billy Bob Thornton) with a rousing speech listing Britain's greatest assets, the actor drew the line at including "Catherine Zeta-Jones's breasts." "You couldn't say it," Mr. Curtis said to Mr. Grant. "You were like a horse running up to a fence and refusing to go over it." "I shied," Mr. Grant said. "You shied three times," Mr. Curtis said. "I balked," Mr. Grant agreed. Mr. Grant frets endlessly on film sets but enjoys his collaboration with his old friend. "The fun thing about `Love Actually' was being directed by Richard, rather than having to sneak off and get his notes on the sidelines," he said. "It's always nice to be able to say to the director who's just given you an important note, `Oh, shut up.' "

Thanks to everyone for the photos and articles! Any Canadians here should check out Movietelevision this week for a bit on LA. And I do mean 'bit'! From the London interviews, there's some of HG and RC, then a few words from Laura Linney with Colin on her right and Liam on her left. CF took his glasses off for this. Lovely faded jeans. We get to see him nod as LL talks about love.

If anyone has the tv times and dates of Colin appearances, please email them to me so I can put tivo to work capturing them. terry@spring.net.

If this has been posted, I apologize for the duplicate - I scanned the past week or so of posts and didn't see anything. My TiVo, which can do "actor wish lists" in which it scans upcoming programming for an actor's name, is claiming that ODB will be on "Today" on Monday the 10th. Speaking of TiVo, promotional bits for LA have shown up there off and on for the past week or so. At first it was the theatrical trailer plus a three-minute behind-the-scenes mini-featurette. Then yesterday it switched to the behind-the-scenes thing plus a clip from the film (the one in which Huge offers to have Martine McC's ex-boyfriend killed).

UKers: Thursday's Evening Standard this week will have a free LA dvd with extended preview, two trailers, documentary, intro to film's characters from the stars. Big pic in the Metro today advertising it.

Thanks for the info re the Evening Standard, Emma. I'll ask my brother in London to get me a copy, as its unobtainable in my neck of the woods. The December issue of Empire has 4 pages of behind the scenes photos from the set of LA with accompanying comments by RC. They include a rather nice pic of CF sheltering in a doorway between takes. The photo appears under the charming heading "Git" and RC comments: "This was CF waiting for the rain to stop before we could start filming the proposal scene in Marseilles. That's the irritating thing about CF - even when he's just hanging out in a battered od doorway, bored out of his box, he still looks attractive."

Why would the heading be "Git?" What does that mean in that context?

(gomezdo)Why would the heading be "Git?" What does that mean in that context? A abbreviation of 'jammy git' ie lucky so and so, for managing to look attractive, even in the most unlikely circumstances. - You've either got it, or you haven't!!

TV Guide also shows Colin for Monday's Today Show. Excellent!!

(Karen)biggest laughs were when the character Colin said he had a plane ticket to Wisconsin (you have to understand, the Wisconsin border is merely an hour or so away from where I was) forgot about that one, it got a good laugh in NJ, too

WARNING! On 60 Minutes last night there was a story on "pirating" and file sharing, etc. One of the people interviewed claimed that there is some kind of (infrared?) sensor that can be used to catch people taking pictures/clips from the movie screen. I don't know if that's true, but I thought I'd share the info. (I know, Boss, it sounds more more like something for O&E, but given current, um, temptations, I thought I'd post this here) SO BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

On Oprah this a.m., the clip of Huge and RZ rolling on the floor was shown and then she asked about the sequel. He said the usual stuff about RZ and her gaining the weight, etc., then mentioned Colin, "who now looks too old for the role - they wheeled him on." For the intro to LA, Oprah naturally said it starred Emma and Hugh and then Liam Neeson, Colin Firth and many others. The montage of stories did show Colin at the lake working away, but otherwise that was it. The show was live (which I think is unusual) and Greg Wise was in the audience (very much greying at the temples). Hugh and Emma were typically very funny and she looked v. good. Hugh backtracked on the retirement thing, about the only serious thing he said (how friends had said it was a mistake to have made that comment).

Thank you for the Today Show and Oprah news! (Janet)You've either got it, or you haven't!! He's got it, big time!

(HG) "who now looks too old for the role - they wheeled him on." And no one in the audience would know that Huge is a day older than Colin. ;-)

The whole "Wisconsin" thing got big laughs here in the Southeast. I think it's a joke for Americans ;-)

Thanks for the heads up about the Today Show. Looks like there are many LA related interviews this week (Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson). Does anyone know who was on this AM (Monday). Time has passed, so the web site has moved on...

(HG) then mentioned Colin, "who now looks too old for the role - they wheeled him on." He's just jealous 'cause Colin looks so much better for their age. ;-) (Kate) One of the people interviewed claimed that there is some kind of (infrared?) sensor that can be used to catch people taking pictures/clips from the movie screen. I don't know if that's true, but I thought I'd share the info. They have special security people hired by the studios in screenings to monitor the audience. Usually 2 of them depending on the room size. They kicked out one guy yesterday who had a really expensive camera with him. Not sure if he just planned to take pics at the Q&A, or what. Either they kicked him out or he refused to leave, what he claimed was a $4000 camera, anywhere for safekeeping. Not sure if it had video capability. For that price it should cook and clean the house. ;-)

(Meredith) Thanks for the heads up about the Today Show. Does anyone know who was on this AM (Monday). Time has passed, so the web site has moved on... I don't remember, but nobody associated with LA was on. Here's a calendar of what I've found (this is the first time I've used the TiVo "wishlist" feature and I like it!). The dates are of course the ones for my local listings: 11/4 - Liam Neeson on "Today" and "Regis & Kelly" 11/5 - Emma Thompson on "Today" and "Regis & Kelly" 11/6 - Colin Firth on "The Daily Show" 11/7 - Laura Linney on "Today" 11/7 - "Access Hollywood" has a piece about LA 11/8 - Review of LA on "Ebert & Roeper" 11/10 - Colin Firth on "Today" (I wonder if he'll also do R&K?) 11/10 - Hugh Grant on "Tonight" 11/11 - Hugh Grant on "Today" 11/12 - Emma Thompson on "Ellen DeGeneres" There could be other things - some shows don't submit the details of their upcoming programs (such as guest lists) to TiVo, or only submit them for the current week.

(Kate F) One of the people interviewed claimed that there is some kind of (infrared?) sensor that can be used to catch people taking pictures/clips from the movie screen. I don't know if that's true, but I thought I'd share the info (Dorine) They have special security people hired by the studios in screenings to monitor the audience. Usually 2 of them depending on the room size. When I was at the GWAPE Gala, there was an announcement after the stars left the stage and before the film began that they would have infrared sensors in use and to keep all cameras/camcorders off. 11/10 - Colin Firth on "Today" (I wonder if he'll also do R&K?) This is great news for those staying on in NYC!! I'll have to watch from home, but expect to see droolers outside waiting for ODB !!! (Go Rika, Go Rika!!)

Colin is also scheduled for The View on Tuesday, Nov 11th. Let's just hope he's not on Reege on Monday too, as the Poster Girl for Too Much Plastic Surgery--Joan Rivers--is shown as the main guest. It could be more awful than with just Reege and Kelly. ;-)

Nov issue of Esquire Magazine UK (Meg Ryan on cover)- COLIN FIRTH The star of "Love Actually" on getting into Bridget Jones's wet swimming trunks 1 PAGE Q&A FEATURE

Found this at Canoe.... Love Actually' a curious cultural artifact Ensemble cast works quite well, actually By BRUCE KIRKLAND -- Toronto Sun LONDON -- Every actor has an ego and no actor ever loses it, no matter how sweet in disposition and disinclined to ego-driven tantrums. "Actors never give up their ego!" Irish star Liam Neeson says. "We place it in different places," he muses with a mysterious air and a hushed voice. "We surrender it to a point -- but only to a point!" So Love Actually, the new film from New Zealand-born, England-based Richard Curtis, is a curious cultural artifact. That is because Love Actually is a true ensemble from the man who wrote the film scripts for The Tall Guy, Four Weddings And A Funeral, Bean, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary. There are nine major stories going on separately and simultaneously, weaving together only briefly at the end. Each concerns a different kind of love: Fresh or faded, youthful or mature, platonic or sexual, happy or miserable, hopeful or doomed, and so on. Critically, there are a clutch of stars in the film, including Neeson, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean himself), Keira Knightley (the breakout star from Bend It Like Beckham), Billy Bob Thornton (in a cameo as the bully-boy president of the United States), Martine McCutcheon (a singing star in Britain, known for two albums and a West End revival of My Fair Lady) and Bill Nighy (a brilliant character actor who shamelessly steals this picture). Egos had to be surrendered to Curtis, who is making his directorial debut. Linney, for one, says it was easy and describes Love Actually as a case study in how to make actors happy, and ego-less, in their work. "I would so have to disagree with you!" she says to Neeson, while sitting at a podium during a group interview. "I've worked with this man a lot and he's one of the most ego-less people to work with -- period! There is the idea that you have to be really selfish to be an actor. It's really the opposite. You have to have be as selfless as possible. "This was just great fun. This was just a baseball team of people coming together. For me, an American, to be able to come over here was just heaven. I find these the most satisfying experiences, when you're in a fabulous group of actors you're proud to be a part of and you're all sort of looking to the same end." Grant, being the bratty and bemused English schoolboy even in his 40s, claims he only wants to do ensembles now, if anything at all. In Love Actually, he plays the newly elected British prime minister, a single man with his eye on his sexy assistant (McCutcheon). "Well," Grant says with a droll tone in his voice, "I'm going through a phase in my life where I'm not that keen to act at all, really, especially not in lead parts. I just find it too stressful. I'd rather sit at home and watch the telly or play golf. "So, in a way, it's absolutely ideal to just come in and do a bit. There was no grand idea of sharing or diluting myself." In that spirit of NOT sharing, Grant had some sharp words for Firth, who so bested him on screen as a competing character in Bridget Jones's Diary. "I always hoped Colin would be bad," Grant says of Firth's acting in Love Actually, "and, indeed, he is!" Grant, of course, is kidding. He admires Firth. He just won't admit it. Firth, in a separate interview, gets serious, as is his wont. In the film, he plays a jilted English author who falls hopelessly in love with his Portuguese housekeeper during a writing session in Provence. Firth's scenes with Lisbon actress Lucia Moniz are the most exuberantly romantic in the entire movie. "There's no subtlety here," Firth says. "Part of the reason we have to be so bold is that we had very little time to tell our story, each (of us). We would have four or five scenes in order to develop the whole concept of a story. You tend to have to use broader strokes. "And I was fortified by Richard Curtis in this, partly because (I trust) a man with his track record in storytelling success. I must say, I have never felt so little pressure on any film because there were so many of us and so many other stories and so many talented people around me. Nobody felt the film on his shoulders, so you could abandon yourself." The actors also believed, Firth says, they would be cut out if they screwed up. "I think most of us were fairly certain we'd be the first to go!" McCutcheon did feel that, although she is delightful in her role. She just didn't feel she belonged at first. "For me," she says, "there was definitely no ego involved because I was just absolutely gobsmacked that I got the part. Most actresses would cut their arm off for my part. "You know, I've done lots of TV work and music stuff and, for me, the movie business and the people who are in it are the creme de la creme of the business. I actually found that they were the people with the least ego. They were so gracious. So, I was absolutely honoured to be working with everyone: Very excited, very nervous and convinced that someone was going to find me out and that I was rubbish and would get kicked out." Nighy, like McCutcheon, was happy for the role, in his case as an insane, washed-up, self-indulgent rock star who catapults back into infamy with a cocked-up Christmas CD. He was, like the rest, delighted to be in an ensemble that actually is stellar in the true sense. "I think you can use the word, for once, properly," Nighy says. Credit goes to Curtis, as writer and director, and to the actors for recognizing that being part of a whole is creative and cool. "And," Nighy says, "everyone has big, fat, fundamental, profound, groovy jokes -- not the least me! That makes me think: 'What did I do to deserve all this shite?' " Surrendering an ego doesn't mean you have to give up your sense of humour, especially in Love Actually.

(Karen) Let's just hope he's not on Reege on Monday too, as the Poster Girl for Too Much Plastic Surgery--Joan Rivers--is shown as the main guest. It could be more awful than with just Reege and Kelly. ;-) I'm torn. On one hand, I'd hate to see him subjected to that idiocy, but on the other, if he's on the show, I'll be unable to resist the temptation to get up early and get in the standby audience line. Rather like someone hoping there won't be a car wreck, but if there is, she wants a front-row seat, but there it is.

Hello. I'm supposed to give you some tv dates for Colin Firth. Here goes: Colin Firth is on the Daily Show this Thursday, on the Today Show next Monday, on The View and Extra next Tuesday, on Kilbourne next Wednesday Bye

Firth, in a separate interview, gets serious, as is his wont. I wonder how long it took Kirkland to come to this conclusion? ;-)

Hola Lola: ...Kilbourne next Wednesday OMG, I better call and see if I can get tickets.

Thanks Rosemary, standing in for Hola!

Thanks, Lola! Good article, Ada - thanks! In that spirit of NOT sharing, Grant had some sharp words for Firth, who so bested him on screen as a competing character in Bridget Jones's Diary. Of course they're probably just referring to the fight, but I'll second this emotion!

Sorry to follow up my own post, but Kilbourne comes on at 12:37 am or so EST. So if CF is on Wednesday, does that mean Wednesday at 12:37 am? Or Wednesday night, which would actually be Thursday at 12:37 am?

I posted an SF Gate story on Alan Rickman and LA on Odds and Ends...

(Rika) Or Wednesday night, which would actually be Thursday at 12:37 am? This would be my bet.

Thanks, Rosemary standing in for Lola. (Karen) Let's just hope he's not on Reege on Monday too, as the Poster Girl for Too Much Plastic Surgery--Joan Rivers--is shown as the main guest. Just as long as she isn't co-hosting. The two of them wouldn't be out there at the same time, would they? (remembering Chevy Chase makes me ill) Nice article, thanks, Ada.

(Linda) The two of them wouldn't be out there at the same time, would they? No, but merely the thought of the two of them being in the Green Room together kind of makes me ill...no very ill.

Oprah is reall in love with this movie. I could have done without the catty remarks about C.F. that Hugh Grant made though. I don't think emma Thompson thought much of them either.

Lucie)I could have done without the catty remarks about C.F. that Hugh Grant made though. I think it was all in fun, and it may have been in response to Colin saying (At the LFF)that he kicked HG arse last week when filming the fight scene. (Or because Colin accidently connected with a punch.) That still cracks me up;-)

(Lucie) I could have done without the catty remarks about C.F. that Hugh Grant made though. My opinion only: Hugh sees the future and it belongs to CF. HG's range is narrow. He finds acting torturous work and is generally pessimistic. Contrast that with CF's broad acting range and successes, his enjoyment for his work and add to that a happy family life. CF is proof that being a nice person and a movie star are not mutually exclusive. HG just might be a little envious.

Closing tags - I hope

I think it was all in fun, and it may have been in response to Colin saying (At the LFF)that he kicked HG arse last week when filming the fight scene. (Or because Colin accidently connected with a punch.) That still cracks me up;-) I think it's in fun too and it's another way to get his name out! I say keep it up Huge.

Now?

(Beedee) I think it was all in fun . . . Me too. It's great to see CF in this company. Wouldn't it be awesome to see CF and Emma Thompson as the leads in a movie?

(Beedee) I think it's in fun too and it's another way to get his name out! I say keep it up Huge. Of course it's all in fun! If you're going to take pseudo-shots at someone in a movie, you have to up the ante and encourage people to think there's undertones. This movie (LA) together is the best possible advertising for TEOR there could be and they'd be fools not to use it. (Even if some of it is maybe true...)

Very happy to hear that Colin will be making a number of TV appearances for LA. I knew Katie wouldn't let him out of the country before doing Today, and The View ladies will eat him up! GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING Film Journal International review: If ever a film was Oscar bait for cinematography and production design, Girl With a Pearl Earring is it. First-time director Peter Webber and his team have adroitly channeled the look of Vermeer into a celluloid facsimile. In this adaptation of Tracy Chevalier's eponymous novel, which invents a backstory to Vermeer's immortal painting, the filmmakers have uncannily reproduced the painter's color tonalities�the Delft blues and yellows, the dull gleam of pewter cutlery, pale shimmering robes edged in white and black ermine. They've nailed as well the quality and light source we associate with Vermeer: that gauzy bath flooding in from a window to the subject's left. The sepia-colored exteriors capture the flavor of 17th-century Delft, and there's one knockout scene of lovers strolling along a poplar-lined canal that deserves an award all its own. It's as if Webber and friends had touched a magic wand to the Dutch master's oeuvre and wakened it to life. That said, the story content could hardly be more puerile. In fact, Pearl Earring is a chick flick dressed up in Old Master clothes, a 'You go, girl' essay in female empowerment, threaded through with that old chestnut, 'My wife doesn't understand me.' Griet (Scarlett Johansson) is forced by her father's accident to work as a servant in the household of Johannes Vermeer (a glowering Colin Firth in a major wig). Ruling the roost is Vermeer's harridan mother-in-law (Judy Parfitt), who focuses on the bottom line and lobbies patrons such as van Ruijven (Tom Wilkinson) for commissions. Meanwhile, the painter manages to keep his wife (Essie Davis) perpetually pregnant. When Vermeer forms an attachment to Griet, who develops an interest in art and assists him in his studio, his wife becomes the queen of mean. Meanwhile, Griet must weigh a marriage proposal from the local butcher boy, played by the divine-looking Cillian Murphy of 28 Days Later, got up in gear to trigger a new fashion craze. Spoiler ahead: Griet and Vermeer, separated by class and age, never consummate (which, to judge by recent films such as Lost in Translation, has become the theme of the season). The psychology feels jarringly anachronistic. The 17th-century dude Vermeer gravitates toward Griet not only for her bruised-fruit lips, but because she understands his art, unlike his hysterical wife ruled by hormones. When the wife pitches tantrums and Vermeer escapes to his studio (and Griet), it seems a retread of unappreciated husband taking up with the secretary. Griet is conceived as a girl waking to art and life's finer things, but assigned by class strictures to slicing veggies and emptying slops. That's uplifting, but the film fails to render Griet's growing artistic sensibility dramatically credible. The villains are flat-out melodrama: the patron a grabby lech, the wife a spite machine. Meanwhile, Firth's Vermeer has little to do besides glower and sweat under his copious curls, curb his libido, and filch his wife's pearl earring. It's to Johansson's credit that she alone pulls something plausible out of her character. Her haunting beauty is a throwback to an earlier century, her screen presence luminous, her stillness and intelligence mesmerizing. And let's hear it for the make-up artists and DP Eduardo Serra, who have fashioned a face that morphs so thrillingly at the end into Vermeer's actual painting. �Erica Abeel

Rolling Stone review of Love Actually ** out of **** One movie, ten love stories -- only half of them funny. Actually Hugh Grant is a world-class charmer, and he pours it on as Britain's prime minister, a sort of bachelor Tony Blair in heat for a chubby staffer (Martine McCutcheon) who also attracts the U.S. prez, played as a Clintonesque horn dog by Billy Bob Thornton. The PM has a sister (marvelous Emma Thompson), whose husband (Alan Rickman, of the witty sneer) lusts for his secretary. There are laughs laced with feeling here, but the deft screenwriter Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) dilutes the impact by tossing in more and more stories. As a director (it's his debut), Curtis can't seem to rein in his writer. Did we need Liam Neeson as a widower teaching his ten-year-old stepson about shagging? It's tough to see talented Laura Linney and Keira Knightley wasted in nothing roles. It's even tougher to endure the language-barrier humor between Colin Firth as a writer in love with his Portuguese housekeeper. And why the ungallant fat insults? As for the girl-boy porn actors too shy to ask for a date, that's one joke pounded into hash. And the subplot about the geeky British kid (Kris Marshall) who has to go to Wisconsin to find babes is not only subpar, it wouldn't work in any movie. It helps that the great Bill Nighy nails every comic line as an aging rocker who claims Britney Spears was a lousy lay. Nighy's rocker refers to the old song he's recycled into a Christmas chart-topper as "solid-gold shit." If only Curtis' ear had stayed that acute. He ladles sugar over the eager-to-please Love Actually to make it go down easy, forgetting that sometimes it just makes you gag. PETER TRAVERS (November 3, 2003)

In case it hasn't been mentioned, someone at ebay is selling the December issue of the UK Marie Claire. Fabulous bathtime photo! I had posted it as a birthday present to Rika yesterday at O&E. I'm happy with the scheduled Kilbourne visit next week! Would love to see ODB do 5 Questions. I didn't think he'd fly to LA. And I still wish there'd been a Letterman appearance. Dave's a daddy by now and they could share war stories. A bunch of you are probably making your way to NY soon. Best wishes and good luck! Take plenty of film!

And I still wish there'd been a Letterman appearance. Dave's a daddy by now and they could share war stories. It looks like LA didn't place anybody on Letterman - not even Huge - unless it's happening the week of the 10th. Dave would have loved having Keira Knightley - he goes for the sweet young things.

Village Voice review: Odd Couplings: Brit Stars Flounder in Singleton Dysfunction by Michael Atkinson Love Actually No critic likes kicking lapdogs (though many semi-secretly enjoy, as I do, punting the occasional Rhodesian Ridgeback), and Richard Curtis's Love Actually is a veritable teacup poodle. It's so lovey-dovey, anything but permissive coos may seem cruel. The word itself is pounded with Pentecostal insistence: love, love, love, lovelovelovelovelove. An old-school romantic with a soft skull and a heart as big as a cement mixer, Curtis here extends the niche he eked out with Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Bridget Jones's Diary: love British style, handicapped slightly by corny circumstance and populated by colorful neurotics, one of whom is always Hugh Grant. In a rare moment of inspiration, Curtis casts Grant as a new, Blairean prime minister�and one sequence pits him, gently, against slimy Texan president Billy Bob Thornton. But all that appears to be on this PM's mind is the curvaceous sweetness of his office servant (Martine McCutcheon), and Grant hems, haws, and ho-di-hos his character's way around the Parliament's corridors of power, wondering how to ask her out. That's just one thin story filament among many: Liam Neeson's bruised widower trying to deal with his love-struck stepson, Alan Rickman's office boss succumbing to his horny secretary's come-ons, Laura Linney as a lovelorn nebbish-ess working up the courage to approach a hunky co-worker, Colin Firth as a hack novelist slowly falling for his gangly Portuguese housekeeper, ad infinitum. Most hilariously of all, Bill Nighy salts up the Christmas-eve-countdown scenarios as a spent, self-loathing rock star making a comeback with a seasonal revamp of his old hit, and his blisteringly honest media blitz stands as the film's only, badly needed chord of cynicism. Cretinous love songs from yesteryear clot the soundtrack like factory-dumped phosphates. When he isn't overreaching for absurdity, Curtis can write bouncy patter, but each character gets about 60 seconds before the movie jumps deck to the next love-seeker and the next moony pratfall.

Er, thanks for that review Mari..I think... (VV Review)In a rare moment of inspiration, Curtis casts Grant as a new, Blairean prime minister�and one sequence pits him, gently, against slimy Texan president Billy Bob Thornton. He finds that inspired? It figures, the whole PM and Prez bit was some of my least favorite scenes in the whole movie... As Daphne might have said, "Mr. Atkinson, why don't you pull your lip over your head and shove it up your..." The movie is not perfect, but I'd rather be clobbered by the obvious and killed with kindness a hundred times over by RC's ideas on love than listen to the ramblings of one bitter pri*** spewing his vitriol on the world like this...

Oops, one too many ***..

(Maira)Oops, one too many ***.. It's this thing you have about threes.;-)

(Beedee) It's this thing you have about threes.;-) I'm just an open boook...:-)))

Just had a browse-not-buy look through some of the current UK magazines - all the December film mags are now out. Love Actually gets so-so reviews. Hot Dog magazine has as its heading "Not so good actually" but says that there are some gems, notably Bill Nighy, and Colin Firth's relationship with the Portugese maid, which is "genuinely touching". But all the reviewers expect LA to be very popular with audiences! (isn't that what matters?) There's an interview with CF in Marie Claire - some new facts - he's trying to write a book, cooks a mean curry, reads voraciously but slowly, and has fallen in love with a new area in Italy. And Matteo gives him sleepless nights. Oh, and he prefers dramatic roles to comedy! There's a great new serious photo, but also a very (IMHO) silly photo of him in a foam bath. GWAPE is featuring very strongly as one of the successes of the London Film Festival and is being mentioned as a possible Oscar contender. Will certainly do very well in the BAFTAs. "Trauma" got another mention (in the Independent) as one of the highlights for next year.

From one Catholic viewpoint.... Love Actually -- By Anne Navarro Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- C.S. Lewis eloquently wrote about four loves: affection, friendship, erotic love and the love of God. In the entertaining romantic comedy "Love Actually" (Universal), writer-director Richard Curtis also tackles love in its many forms. And though Curtis isn't up to Lewis' depth and fluency, he manages to be witty while mostly resisting the sappy traps of most romantic comedies. With its huge -- and impossibly good-looking -- cast, "Love Actually" means to please. And with 10 interweaving story lines to choose from, the moviegoer is likely to find at least one amusing subplot to follow. However, there are a few startling sexual scenes that may pull up the viewer and detract from the enjoyment of watching the film. A shy young couple meets. They are naked stand-ins for the stars of an erotic movie. The not-too-subtle gag is that though the duo pretends to perform a variety of sexual acts for the camera both are sweet, almost naive characters who end their first real date with an innocent grade-school peck, and are thrilled by it. Nevertheless, the viewer is taken aback as the filmmaker includes borderline lewd visuals within an otherwise engaging story. Showing off a cozy London without the typical stock shots of Big Ben, "Love Actually" doesn't unreel its story in the traditional sense, but instead cuts among the unfolding lives of the characters in the weeks leading up to Christmas. While none is original or compelling in and of itself, the story lines work to develop the film's theme that "love is everywhere." It doesn't confine itself to romantic love either, but allows for the true love that exists among friends, that flows from parents to children, and is present between siblings. Uppermost on the social ladder is the newly elected prime minister (Hugh Grant) who is immediately smitten with his curvaceous secretary (Martine McCutcheon) upon stepping inside 10 Downing Street. His sister (Emma Thompson) is comfortably ensconced in her role as mother and wife until she fears her husband (Alan Rickman) is contemplating an affair with his alluring and most-willing assistant (Heike Makatsch). Another office romance is brewing between an expatriate American (Laura Linney) and the office's shy dreamboat (Rodrigo Santoro), but pangs of guilt wrack her as she is torn between having a love life and caring for her mentally ill brother. As the writer of "Notting Hill," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral," Curtis (who directs for the first time here) gets the wedding and the funeral out of the way early on. A recently widowed stepfather (Liam Neeson) struggles to form a loving relationship with his late wife's son (Thomas Sangster) who is dealing with his very first case of puppy love (an endearing subplot with the single drawback that Neeson's character bafflingly shares sexual profanity with his pre-pubescent son). Another thread, in the form of unrequited love, exists when a bride (Keira Knightley) realizes what is behind the hostility her husband's best friend (Andrew Lincoln) seems to have for her. Unlucky in love, a writer (Colin Firth) flees his native London for the refuge of the French countryside where he becomes love-struck by his young Portuguese maid (Lucia Moniz), despite each being unable to speak the other's language. An aging rock star (a very saucy Bill Nighy) attempts a comeback with the help of his faithful manager by launching a Christmas CD that he willingly admits is rubbish. And -- can you believe there's more? -- there's the geeky waiter (Kris Marshall) who believes the answer to his dating woes is to move to the United States, where his English accent will charm the pants off -- literally, he hopes -- hot American women. The novellas are mostly made up of comical and emotional moments threaded together with an unbendingly cheering attitude. Curtis' view is of the silver lining -- not the cloud. Even the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, are spun so as to highlight the expressions of love amid the peril. The film's driving force is that love in its every form is within grasp, if only we reach for it. Curtis does strike one rather sour note in his otherwise sweet confection. With the exception of Laura Linney, the Americans portrayed in the film come off rather shabbily. The American president (played with veiled dignity by Billy Bob Thornton) is a sleazy womanizer and American females are uniformly ditzy and promiscuous. Clever dialogue, several perfectly delivered zingers and fine performances camouflage the narrative's flimsy parts. By film's end, everything is neatly, if not quite believably, wrapped up like a Christmas gift. Too bad the film is seriously marred by the inclusion of the unwarranted, brazen sexual visuals. Because of several scenes of sexual encounters with nudity, a few sexual references and innuendoes, and intermittent rough language with an instance of profanity, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. - - - Navarro is a part-time reviewer in the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Ebert & Roeper TV this weekend: early reviews of: "LOVE ACTUALLY" with Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman and more. -- "MASTER AND COMMANDER: Far Side of the World" with Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany and more. http://tvplex.go.com/buenavista/ebertandroeper/today.html

Guess half of everybody's packing........

Yes, I suppose they are, but I hope that they remember the 'poor folks' here on the other side of the world. I live for details which such excursions bring ;-) And also, if anyone is watching the TV interviews, details please, remember, I live for details...

I saw Liam Neeson on "Today" and "Regis & Kelly" today. Nothing much to report, except that Katie Couric may have gotten over her crush on ODB. Either that, or she's trying to play it cool. She was reviewing the names of the cast members, and they ran through Thompson, Linney, Rickman... then Katie said, "...Colin Firth, and Hugh Grant, who's excellent in this movie." (That's a paraphrase)

I noticed Katie mentioned the Time article a couple of times. LN seemed lost when she said something about Schindler's list and also the vomit comment.

Love's actually funny to Curtis By Susan Wloszczyna, USA TODAY TORONTO � Richard Curtis is a hopeless romantic. A pathetic one, actually. "I always said I would never go to Venice until I found the girl I would spend the rest of my life with," says the British scribe behind such sublimely swoony movie hits as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary. (Related item:five films and a directorial debut) At 35, "I did finally take my current girlfriend. Then I got stomach poisoning on the first night. So she spent two days in Venice. I spent two days in a hotel. Throwing up." Like we said, pathetic. But funny. And when it comes to being romantic onscreen, the bespectacled fellow who looks like an Oxford-educated version of Charlie Brown is a regular Colin Firth or Hugh Grant, two of his favorite actors who just happen to have plum parts in his directorial debut, Love Actually. Looks as if this bloke, 46, has another winner on his hands after a successful sneak preview last weekend and a roaring reception at the film festival here. A bookmaker in England is even laying odds that Love might actually become the country's biggest moneymaker ever. Curtis' multi-tiered cake of comedy, slathered in eye-candy icing and set mostly in London at Christmas, serves sundry slices of love � sad, sweet and silly � in all of their messy, often surprising, glory. Other performers among the 20 main roles include Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson (his Mr. Bean is a Curtis invention), Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy, whose antics as a faded rock star making a desperate comeback with a tacky yuletide version of the Troggs' oldie Love Is All Around ("Come on and let it snow," he warbles sheepishly) provide a framing device. Curtis promised himself he would direct his next script. That it is an unwieldy ensemble piece that weaves nine stories together is just the luck of the draw. "But the flip side is that nobody had time to see through me," he says, ever the optimist. A few cranky critics have dismissed this typically glossy Curtis confection as so much saccharine goo with uneven resolutions. But there is one crowd-pleasing piece of Risky Business that would melt the heart of even the most jaded journalist: Grant's unlikely prime minister, smitten with an underling (newcomer Martine McCutcheon), shakes a tail feather and then some to Jump by the Pointer Sisters. In the hallowed halls of 10 Downing Street, no less. "Hugh now says he will never dance again in public because he feels he's outed," Curtis says. "We've got some fantastic outtakes, as you can imagine. There's a shot where he goes across a hallway and he did that 47 times. So we've got every single variation. Riverdance dancing, the funky chicken, the Egyptian. We've got him leaping on the word 'jump.' He was very game that day. At least he got to keep his trousers on." Curtis came up with the idea for Love Actually while on vacation in Bali recovering from a bad back. "Every day I would go on an hour-long walk in order to stretch and get a bit healthier. I just scoured through my life and the lives of people I knew, and every day I would come back with one story." He enjoyed working with more diversity in both his cast (two couples are interracial) and his material (love is explored between a child and his widowed stepfather). Probably the relationship Curtis most relates to, however, is the one between Nighy's effete musician and his chubby, long-suffering manager. "I used to work with Rowan all the time (since the late '70s), and I remember realizing that I spent more time with him than with any girlfriend. We were married." But he met broadcast journalist Emma Freud, who is indeed related to the big Id himself. "He's her great-grandfather. She's instinctively very much like him," he says of his companion of almost 13 years and mother of his three children, ages 1, 6 and 8. (A fourth is due in December.) They never bothered to marry because, much like Grant's character in Four Weddings, "between the age of 25 and 35, I worked out that I went to 72 weddings. I couldn't think of a way to distinguish my wedding from all these other weddings I've been to. But we might do it when I turn 50." Hitched or not, no one has been more committed to renovating the romantic image of the citizens of England, too often painted as repressed cold fish. "I see a lot of love around me," Curtis says. "And that's the truth." http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2003-11-04-curtis-profile_x.htm

(Beedee) Guess half of everybody's packing........ Sigh, yes, I guess so. Wonder if O&E would be an acceptable place for anyone sympathetic to those of us living vicariously through them to keep us posted? Surely someone has a laptop or the hotel a computer.

On the following link http://www.prosieben.de/film/specials/tatsaechlichliebe/ You can find a picture gallary of LA Picture Number 8 shows Colin On the following link (the official german website) http://movies.uip.de/tatsaechlichliebe/ you may notice, that picture 4 on the left side of the poster shows somebody else instead of Martine McCutcheon. It�s Heike Makatsch, a popular german actress who is in the movie, too. She was guest on a german TV show an spoke only a litte about the movie and no word about Colin :o( . She said that Hugh Grant is really charming, but also cynical and honest. Futhermore she said that she was pleased to have most of her scenes with Alan Rickman because Hugh Grant would have made her to nervous.

(AdaVW, about Katie Couric's interview of Liam Neeson)and also the vomit comment. She said it again with Emma Thompson - basically the same as yesterday, "I loved it, I ate it up, but aren't some people going to think it's really treacly", and miming vomiting. Interesting. (BarbS)Wonder if O&E would be an acceptable place for anyone sympathetic to those of us living vicariously through them to keep us posted? Surely someone has a laptop or the hotel a computer. I'm not going till tomorrow, but I'm taking mine, and I'm sure I'm not going to be the only one who does. Seems to me in the past the reports of premieres and such have gone right here in the CF topic, haven't they?

Likeable actually By Steve Sullivan, Movie Review November 05, 2003 How do you criticize a movie that stars more big name British actors than all the "Harry Potter" films and is built on the warm premise that "love is all around." Well, when the movie is "Love Actually" criticism is actually kind of easy. Then again, so is praise. There is so much going on in this ambitious romantic comedy that you are bound to find some things you like . . . and some things you don't. A cheerful, mildly satisfying romantic comedy that's as frustrating as it is sweet. "Love Actually" marks the directorial debut of screenwriter Richard Curtis ("Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill"). Working with an immense and immensely talented cast and nine interwoven plot lines, Curtis has created a light, uneven film with enough assets to diminish its flaws. "Love Actually" takes place in London in the weeks leading up to Christmas. It stars the loose and charming Hugh Grant as the new British prime minister, who scores big when he tells off the president of the United States (a slick cameo by Billy Bob Thornton) at a press conference. (The scene is a sly swipe at the Blair administration.) But, international affairs aren't the biggest issue for the new P.M. He is falling in love with his attractive, foul-mouthed secretary Natalie (Martine McCutcheon). The P.M.'s sister Karen (Emma Thompson) is married to Harry (Alan Rickman), who owns a business of some sort. Harry is contemplating an affair with his very willing new secretary. Sarah (Laura Linney), who works at Harry's firm, has been infatuated with an incredibly attractive co-worker for years. He has similar feelings for her. But, the needs of her mentally ill brother interfere with her love life. Meanwhile, Sarah's friend, Mark (Andrew Lincoln), is struggling with the love he feels for his best friend's new wife. The strongest story involves Jamie, a crime writer played by Colin Firth. After he discovers his wife is having an affair with his brother, Jamie retreats to a cottage in France to write and let his broken heart heal. There, he falls in love with Aurelia, a Portuguese maid. Neither can speak each other's language, but, of course, love transcends that minor hurdle. A touching story involves Karen's friend Daniel (Liam Neeson), who is mourning the recent death of his wife and raising his young stepson Sam (Thomas Sangster). Sam is sad about his mom, but his real problem is that he's fallen for a girl at his school. Sam needs Daniel's help dealing with the "total agony of being in love." The cast is strong, particularly Thompson, Rickman, Grant, Firth and the tow-headed Sangster. But, it is Bill Nighy who steals the entire movie as burned out rock star, Billy Mack. Hoping for a comeback, Mack has recorded a special Christmas version of the Troggs' "Love is All Around." Nighy is a riot and "Love Actually" gets needed jolts whenever he appears on screen. He plays Mack as a cross between Rod Stewart and Keith Richards, and gets to say a lot of hilariously improper things like "Kids, don't buy drugs...Become a pop star and they give them to you for free." Nighy is a well-known actor in England and "Love Actually" should substantially raise his profile on our shores. Curtis does a good job juggling his multiple stories, but he never makes the characters' connections mean much. The comedy is all over the place, ranging from broad to sophisticated. The broadest bit, involving a pimply waiter who flees London to pursue American babes in Wisconsin, is ridiculous and could easily have been cut. Another expendable plotline involves two stand-in actors who "meet cute" while blocking a sex scene on a movie set. The actors spend much of their screen time nude, which helped "Love Actually" earn an almost otherwise needless R rating. "Love Actually" begins and ends at Heathrow Airport, with scenes of full of hugging and kissing as people greet each other. The opening features narration by Grant, who talks about how 9-11 victims who were able to make phone calls talked not about anger or revenge, but of love. "Love Actually" isn't the perfect answer to our troubled times, but, right now, it may be all we've got. 'Love actually' 3 out of 5 stars Directed by: Richard Curtis Starring: Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Kiera Knightly, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney The bottom line: This is a sweet but frustrating romantic comedy. Details: Universal Pictures, 128 minutes, rated R for sexuality, nudity and language.

There was more of the Colin, Laura and Liam interview on etalk daily in Canada yesterday. The camera kept cutting off Colin's face which was very rude. He was asked what the most romantic time of year is and he said Christmas and that September in London was nice with the leaves changing colour and the shadows being longer. The chill in the air. Then he was asked what the worst advice about love that he'd ever received was and he said "Tell her the truth". He smiled but didn't laugh at that.

(Brenda)Then he was asked what the worst advice about love that he'd ever received was and he said "Tell her the truth". He smiled but didn't laugh at that. LOL! Thanks for that Brenda. My DH would agree with that whole heartedly.;-)

BBC Talking movies which airs on Thursday mornings 2:30am (in South Africa) will feature the New York Premier of Love Actually, on 13 Nov. {and no I don't watch the programme, that's what video machines were made for ;-) }

Found this at Zap2it.com...gave it 2 stars out of 4 Love Actually (R) By Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune The ensemble romantic comedy "Love Actually" opens with one of its least familiar actors, Bill Nighy, as a wonderfully crooked-faced pop singer recording a lame, Christmas-themed remake of the Troggs' "Love Is All Around." The running joke, which provides the movie's most reliable laughs, is that this old-timer is so candid and good-natured about the record's crassness that the British public sends it zooming up the charts. Alas, "Love Actually" has more in common with the renamed "Christmas Is All Around," at least in terms of commercial calculation, than writer-director Richard Curtis probably would wish to admit. Curtis is the smart writer behind "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Bridget Jones's Diary," three of the more accomplished romantic comedies of recent vintage, so he must realize how patronizing "Love Actually" is. He's taken the most crowd-pleasing conventions of his films and photocopied them over and over in an apparent attempt to maximize the consumer-friendliness of his directorial debut. He should have called this overstuffed comedy "Love, British Style," as it interweaves eight stories in a manner reminiscent of a certain corny TV series of the early '70s. Individually, the tales wouldn't stand up as short stories. Together, they make for sporadically amusing, ultimately wearying viewing. Perhaps Curtis just wanted an excuse to work with an all-star cast of appealing, mostly British performers. Curtis has Hugh Grant, his longtime stand-in of sorts, playing England's new bachelor prime minister, a glib, likable chap (surprise!) who finds himself drawn to 10 Downing Street's young catering manager, Natalie (likable newcomer Martine McCutcheon). The movie also gets Colin Firth to do his trademark yummy-to-the-ladies, shy-guy thing as a cheated-on writer who heads to the country and falls for the Portuguese housekeeper (Lucia Moniz). Emma Thompson brings her characteristic warmth and intelligence to a housewife whose husband, played by Alan Rickman, appears to be tempted by his new seductress secretary (Heike Makatsch). Rickman also plays boss to Laura Linney's shy Sarah, who's been harboring a crush on her company's chief designer (Rodrigo Santoro) but is constantly distracted by phone calls from her mentally ill brother. The other stories involve the awkward relationship between a best man (Andrew Lincoln) and a newlywed couple (Keira Knightly and Chiwetel Ejiofor); a lovesick 11-year-old boy (Thomas Sangster) who seeks advice from his recently widowed stepdad (Liam Neeson); a happy-go-lucky twit (Kris Marshall) who hopes to hit the hot-chick jackpot by moving to Wisconsin; and a pair of porno film stand-ins (Joanna Page and Martin Freeman) who strike up sweet conversations while enacting lewd poses. Each segment has its moments, but they're rarely more than moments, and there are so darned many of them. Curtis just cuts from one to the other, never establishing depth anywhere. He's a talented enough writer with a talented enough cast that you'd be a killjoy to dismiss the whole kaboodle. Much of the dialogue is sharp, but Curtis also reveals a cutesy, precious streak. Grant's introductory voiceover, for instance, makes the pro-love case by citing heartfelt phone calls from doomed Sept. 11 jet passengers before concluding, "I've got a sneaking suspicion that love actually is all around." The movie grows more cloying and repetitive as it stretches well beyond two hours. Almost every main character boasts the same bashful, puppy-dog attitude toward romance. Three segments feature someone being ridiculed for being overweight, and characters keep pointing out that Christmas is the traditional time for declaring one's love to another. (I thought it was the traditional time for being driven nuts by your family.) If Curtis could fling cotton candy from the screen into the audience, he probably would. At one point he shows Grant doing a "Risky Business"-style dance to the Pointer Sisters' "Jump," followed by Firth trying to save his blowing-in-the-wind manuscript (ugh) by jumping clothed into a lake. The Grant scene may draw laughs, but you suspect that Curtis won't respect you in the morning. Curtis tries tying everything together neatly at the end, but he's working with too many strands. The Rickman-Thompson and Linney stories, in particular, get short shrift, and characters who appear to be close friends early on -- such as Neeson's and Thompson's -- don't even acknowledge one another when they're in the same place. The most satisfying relationship turns out to be a non-romantic one, between Nighy's rock star and his manager. Otherwise, "Love Actually" is too much tease, not enough satisfaction.

At DVD Talk: http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=8180 Followers of The Aisle View know my feelings on romantic comedies: I loathe them. But for some reason, Love, Actually did not make me want to vomit like all the others. Typically, when viewing a romantic comedy, the predictable scenarios and contrived dialogue make me feel like my soul is being sucked from my corporeal body. Love, Actually opens with scenes of people hugging and I began to mentally compose my will; but after the first ten minutes, the film began to win me over. With no fewer than twelve different stories of love and relationships, Love, Actually doesn't have time for redundant jokes or insipid smarminess. The writing is very smart and it sparkles with tongue-in-cheek creativity. In the first scene of the actual film, Bill Nighly grudgingly records a Christmas-themed cover of "Love is All Around," (the song from Four Weddings and a Funeral). He is clearly disgusted by the schmaltziness of the whole affair, and his unchecked disgust for the project makes for one of the most hilarious stories in the film. In addition to the Nighly story, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, and Liam Neeson each star in their own mini-plots. Each actor skillfully carves out dynamic, complex characters in a matter of moments which helps keep the story confusion to a minimum. However, those already familiar with who's who in the cast will benefit greatly. It's nearly impossible to list all of the various intertwining stories of Love, Actually, but my favorites included: the young man who dreamed of going to Wisconsin where he would sleep with dozens of hot American girls who were immediately charmed by his, "cute accent," Hugh Grant as the neurotic and romantically tortured Prime Minister, and the complicated married couple played by Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman. Not all of the stories are successful. Though I like Colin Firth immensely, and his Mark Darcy-esque performance was enjoyable, his story of a cuckolded husband who falls in love with his non-English-speaking housekeeper was a little contrived. His character's attempts at speaking Portuguese were funny, but the rest of the story was either boring or plagued by dramatic violin music. With a running time of over two-hours, Love, Actually would have benefited by dropping this story and re-using Colin Firth somewhere else. One bad story out of twelve ain't bad especially when writer/ director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones' Diary) displays a conscious love for his audience. When Hugh Grant (as the Prime Minister) danced around his living room to the Pointer Sister's "Jump for my Love," I swear the lady sitting behind me screamed like she was reliving a Beatles concert, and every scene with Colin Firth prompted a chorus of longing sighs. I enjoyed Love, Actually more than I expected to mostly because of the constantly rotating series of stories and unique group of characters (I think the relationship between the two sex scene stand-ins is a cinematic first). I won't say that Love, Actually isn't painfully predictable or forcefully heartwarming, but it inflicts the usual tortures with thoughtful wit and decorum. -Megan A. Denny I haven't posted in a while but thank you all for pics, news, etc... And best of luck to the NY contingent of Drool reps. :)

(Odile)...best of luck to the NY contingent of Drool reps. :) Ditto! Can't wait to hear all the stories...

Someone sent this to me, so I figured I'd pass it on:-)! Firth on breasts and bad hair by Annette Dasey Colin Firth's new film Girl With A Pearl Earring is a far cry from Bridget Jones � in it, he plays 17th-century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer who befriends his young maid (Scarlett Johannson). But you can see why he's often cast as the tall, dark, handsome, silent and mysterious type. For one, he is tall, dark and handsome (pretty much a prerequisite), and he's also enigmatic, thoughtful and intelligent. Firth seems serious at first but once he warms up he proves a right cheeky monkey. That's clear in his banter with Girl With A Pearl Earring co-star Scarlett Johannson. The film illustrates eroticism with furtive glances as opposed to naked flesh. When Johannson explains the pressure put on them to make that more concrete by having him watch her wash her breasts in a basin, Firth quips: "All that pressure was from me." To play the Dutch master, Firth donned a fetching hair piece his co-star describes as "a Fabio wig". "The wig was ah... it was a lovely script and if you know if you accept this part, a wig awaits you, it's an alarming prospect," he says. "Had it been anyone other than brilliant hair designer Jenny Shircore, it would have been the kiss of death." Firth is well aware his bad hair film could change his sex symbol status. "My fear was that the rest of the world would react to my wig the way Scarlett did," he laughs, referring to the fact that his co-star said the wig looked particularly weird the first few days before it fell properly. "I'm doing what I think is a sexy, smouldering look and she's giving me, 'I can't believe it's not butter'." Not much is known about Firth's character Johannes. "The secret was in the mystery. What you have in terms of historical understanding is mystery. The author Tracy Chevalier also wrote mystery. I was perpetuating that interpretation," says the 43-year-old star. "It was a balancing act � fleshing him out without revealing too much and preserving the enigma." Much is being made of the fact that Girl With A Pearl Earring has a lot less dialogue than many modern movies. "Dialogue is often very limiting, particularly if it's anything other than excellent," says Firth. "Mediocre dialogue is utterly crippling to the process and brilliant dialogue a free ride, but no dialogue is a very liberating and inspiring thing to do as long as you've got the confidence of a great director. "I've got this complex view of this woman and am going to have to do it all with my eyes. It gave us an added sense of responsibility." Referring to some of the terrible lines he's had in the past, he says, "I insisted someone else's line was cut as I refused to be in the same room with the line. It was, 'You played me, Ross, you played me... and I'm not a piano'." Here's the link if anyone wants it... http://www.teletext.co.uk/entertainment/generic.asp?slot=32&page=1&ref=31

OOOOHHHHHHHH! I'm so anxious about tonight!!! I can't stand it. It's now my turn to sit by the computer, calculate what time it is in NY and just wait, wait, wait to hear what is happening. SO, I'll take this time to make small talk about the articles. Thanks ladies for taking the time to share. They are fantastic and if they had come during the Dirth of Firth would have carried us through a week easily.:-) (Bethan's article)There's an interview with CF in Marie Claire - some new facts -... and has fallen in love with a new area in Italy. Did it say which area? Wonder if he's planning to buy there? (Odile's article) Not all of the stories are successful. Though I like Colin Firth immensely, and his Mark Darcy-esque performance was enjoyable,..... With a running time of over two-hours, Love, Actually would have benefited by dropping this story and re-using Colin Firth somewhere else. That girl needs her mouth washed out with soap! Let not the thought be thunk! Glad she didn't get through to the moviemakers while they still had scissors in their hands. Seriously, though, I was surprised to find it had been written by a woman. Almost anything negative about CF usually comes from a guy who seems jealous and clueless. I'm very surprised that the only negative I've read about CF's storyline came from a female. (Ada's article)Referring to some of the terrible lines he's had in the past, he says, "I insisted someone else's line was cut as I refused to be in the same room with the line. It was, 'You played me, Ross, you played me... and I'm not a piano'." Snort! I think we can all guess where that came from!:-) I didn't think it had been cut though. It's sounds awfully familiar. I'm amazed he is still thinking about it ten years later! Playmaker must really have been a low point and a turning point for him. IMO, it's when he mentally "left Hollywood" and turned his attention back to Britian where he has said his pickings are better. I can't complain because that led to P&P2 and I'd rather see him in that anyday rather than Tales from the Hollywood Hills, Femme Fatale(even as much as Joe is a prince to me), and Playmaker.

(Ada's rticle) 'You played me, Ross, you played me... and I'm not a piano' LOL, so he's still having nightmares about it ;-) He's in good company. (Caribou) Playmaker must really have been a low point and a turning point for him. IMO, it's when he mentally "left Hollywood" and turned his attention back to Britian And for that I'll always be grateful for that @#%**! movie. (Odile's article) but my favorites included: the young man who dreamed of going to Wisconsin where he would sleep with dozens of hot American girls who were immediately charmed by his, "cute accent," Is she from Wisconsin and flattered by that storyline? That was the most moronic storyline, imo. I've seen better beer commercials. With a running time of over two-hours, Love, Actually would have benefited by dropping this story and re-using Colin Firth somewhere else. Couldn't agree more. Sorry Caribou :-/ And to redeem myself, LMN has something going on with LA. They randomly show clips interspersed with interviews. Caught LL, RC with HG, LN and ODB(!!) wearing the now famous black rimmed pink glasses. Note to self, always keep vcr at the ready. Sending good thoughts to the NY contingent. May the weather be fair, the sightings and pictures plentiful, and your fingers do the walking on your computer keyboards.

Just spoke with the NYC contingent on the phone - They are having a ball - Saw Hugh Jackman last night. They will tell you all about it -- And are ready for the red carpet tonight. Karen says they will look for an internet cafe, so stay tuned in...

What's the time and place of the premiere, I have a friend in NYC who's going with Kyra Knightly to see Colin and he asked when and where. Anyone know?

Paul, the location is at Ziegfeld Theatre, 141 West 54th Street. The stars arrival at 6:30 and the movie stars at 7:30.

(Murph)And are ready for the red carpet tonight. Ooohhhh! the red carpet! How I long for a red carpet! Thanks for the update, Murph. Every little tidbit is appreciated while we wait for the feast. :-)

A LA review that only likes ODB's romance, snippets only: http://boxofficemojo.com/review/movies/?id=loveactually.htm �Smug Actually� by Scott Holleran ..Though the tenderness of his previous movies comes in patches, Love Actually is too modern, too long and too much...There are more affairs than a Love American Style marathon... The story's main thread is an annoying rock star who possesses none of the charm of Rhys Ifans's underwear-clad flatmate in Notting Hill . Don't bother trying to keep track of the dozens of episodes; they�re all interconnected through work, blood and friendship and not one stands completely on its own -- only one couple's story holds together. A writer (Colin Firth) who escapes to the country to work on his novel falls for a Portuguese maid (L�cia Moniz), and theirs is the only courtship that evokes genuine romance. A countdown to Christmas lets Curtis express the movie's cheerfulness, but it's overwhelmed by a distinctly modern sensibility: to love is to suffer. These martyred people don't fall in love so much as avoid falling in love, and what are supposed to be cute foibles are serious character flaws. Watching an adult ensemble in a state of arrested development wears thin... Funny lines, an infectious soundtrack and several promising newcomers -- L�cia Moniz as the maid is cool and captivating in the movie's best performance, and seductive Rodrigo Santoro owns the screen � can't save Love Actually from playing like a special two-hour episode of The West Wing with its smug cast cruising on the Love Boat . Grade: C-

More snippets from various reviews posted on rottentomatoes.com singling out ODB in LA. The last one is especially sweet: Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Some stories are better than others. We could watch the burgeoning romance between Colin Firth's language-challenged Englishman and his Portuguese-speaking maid for hours. Rickman and Thompson bring their stage-honed savvy to the enterprise, while Firth reminds us why Bridget Jones fell for him. Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews: Colin Firth (last seen as the single, adorably flustered PM of "What a Girl Wants") is author Jamie who whisks his broken heart off to a French villa to write, but instead is distracted by the charms of his Portuguese-speaking housekeeper Aurelia (Luca Moniz). This is one of the more poorly written segments, beginning with wobbly confusion before segueing into fantastic romantic comedy overkill, but the two actors have chemistry... Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews: ...Brit heartthrob Colin Firth and Lucia Moniz have the most charming story in the film with him only speaking English and her only Portuguese, making for some of the most sparkling and amusing dialogue in �Love Actually...� Ella Taylor, L.A. Weekly: ...and followers of Colin Firth�s torso will be ecstatic to hear that the dishy actor , as a diffident mystery writer with a radar for the wrong woman, once again dives shirtless into a pond... Betty Jo Tucker, ReelTalk Movie Reviews: Still, how could anyone resist ... Firth, playing a writer enamored of his Portuguese housekeeper (Lucia Moniz) and struggling valiantly to communicate with her? ... ...At the screening I attended, other members of the audience felt the same way. It's the first time I've heard people go "Ahhhhh" out loud over a movie kiss. That happened when Firth (who gets better and better with each movie, if that's possible) finally buzzed his lovely housekeeper...

(Murph)And are ready for the red carpet tonight. (Caribou) Ooohhhh! the red carpet! How I long for a red carpet! AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGG!!! What I wouldn't give to be there! Can this be endured?!

(BarbS) What I wouldn't give to be there! Can this be endured?! My thoughts exactly! You know, seeing Colin in the flesh is like making love. Once you do it and discover how great it makes you feel you want to do it all the time. I'd give a lot if I could be there. I hope all the lucky ones are going to have the time of their lives tonight.

Well, obviously our Droolers are still out partying with ODB. In the meantime, here's a clip from etalk daily. It takes a while to get playing. Click under Web Exclusive in the upper right (etalk daily update). http://www.ctv.ca/generic/generated/news/Entertainment.html

Okay so was it any of our fellow DD's greeting ODB outside the hotel on his way to the taping of The Daily Show, when he slipped on the *cobbles* on his a**?

Just saw and taped Colin on the Daily Show! He was adorable. He and Jon have a nice rapport. But he mentioned that on the way to his limo to get to the Daily Show interview that he ran into about 7 members of his "fan base." After signing autographs for them he said he then managed to fall right on his arse on the way back to the limo! Poor man, he said he was so embarrassed. Was that our contingent of "fan base" there with him? Did you guys help him up? What happened? He seemed fine on the show, just a little wiped out, poor guy. You guys must have made him nervous ;-), if it was you... Hope you're enjoying yourselves. So was it a kindly drooleur who came to his rescue to help him up? What a grand opportunity!

Jon Stewart used the term *drool* in his initial introduction of Colin at the beginning of the show,too!

(Bonnie)when he slipped on the *cobbles* on his a**? We posted at the same time! Love the way he called the sidewalk "cobble." LOL!

Just finished watching ODB on The Daily Show. He looked wonderful, was absolutely charming, had a twinkle in his eye the whole time....and why haven't I heard that adorable laugh before? I've got it TiVoed, and, for sure, it will get good use. Now, can't wait for next week, and his other TV visits. Also, hope that the members of the "fan base" he spoke about were Droolers. Everyone must be having a great time in NYC, can't wait to hear about the fun.

Lora,do you think his glance to his right upon sitting was to Livia?

Daily Show rough cut http://spring.net/drool/firthdaily.wmv You'll need Windows Media Player to view this.

(Bonnie)Jon Stewart used the term *drool* in his initial introduction of Colin at the beginning of the show,too! And the reaction of some audience members when he mentioned at the beginning of the program that his guest was CF, made me think there were DD's there too. JS thought they sounded like males, but they didn't sound like that to me. I'm going back to listen for that part again and for the word *drool.* I missed that.

(Bonnie)Lora,do you think his glance to his right upon sitting was to Livia? I'm sure she was there. Especially after the fall he had. If she was there after the cold fountain fight in TEoR filming, then she surely went with him to the DS after a tumble on the cobble. Will be rewatching tape for "a glance to his right upon sitting" too!

Wonder if the fans he spoke of are some of the folks on this board? He said he stoppped to sign fans autographs after he left the hotel, just before the fall.

I just watched the rough cut Terry linked-ODB looked to the right as soon as he faced the audience, then again upon being seated.(You're in Miami, right? I'm in Jupiter)

I'll get a final cut up tomorrow, this one has my tivo message toward the end. That will get cleared out in the next rev.

Thanks, Terry-that's nice for those of us without TiVo!

Oh what a night.... And about the fall, no! We were not that kind of pain in the ass! We had a lovely time and I'm still feeling the *afterglow*. I'm home a bit early (but I got up at 5:00 to make the trip) so for all I know the others may have had a second sighting. But I gotta tell you that we all got an eye full! He was AFG and very wonderful about signing for long time. He was such a doll. It was also wonderful to meet the other Droolers who were able to attend. They are every bit as great IRL! I wish I could be more lyrical but I'm just too pooped but I wanted to check in.

Thanks Beedee-go have a good rest so you can give us a detailed account tomorrow. We're not all astonishment that *he was AFG and very wonderful about signing for a long time. He was such a doll*.

(Beedee)He was such a doll. Wow! Sounds like a wonderful and lovely time! Can't wait to hear the details. Thanks for checking in even though you've had a very long day. It sounds like it was well worth your efforts! :-D

(Bonnie)Jon Stewart used the term *drool* in his initial introduction of Colin at the beginning of the show,too! I just rewatched and JS said *gruel* not *drool* after describing what that audience reaction sounded like (at the beginning).

Thanks Terry for the Daily Show link, and BeeDee for checking in. I can't wait to hear more from your encounter... Wireimage has started posting images of the premiere. So far, no Colin; only Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson, Alan Rickman, Martine McCutcheon, and Bill nighy from the cast. http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====41682

Thanks so much for the Daily Show! It's fantastic to be able to see it right here. Bee, I'm so happy for you! Wonderful that he spent all that time with you. Wireimage is putting photos up now. No Colin yet but soon, I'm sure.

Bee, I'm happy for you, and for everyone who was with you. Sounds like a great time was had by all. Thanks for taking the time to check in. It will be good to hear your stories.

Lora----(Bonnie)Jon Stewart used the term *drool* in his initial introduction of Colin at the beginning of the show,too! I just rewatched and JS said *gruel* not *drool* after describing what that audience reaction sounded like (at the beginning). Thanks for the clarification-I just watched the beginning of the rebroadcast-

Yahoo has a few pictures up.

Paul, thank you so much for the Daily clip. My only chance of seeing it and I'm most grateful. And fellow droolers - you are so great. Thank you for all the pictures, articles, reports and what have you :-)

Love the picture of the twins ;-)

GWAPE at the Hawai'i Film Fest.... I wasn't able to see the "Girl with a Pearl Earring" last week Friday, Oct. 31st....By the time my friends and I got there, it was "sold out".....A lesson learned - to get the tickets earlier especially at a film festival where seats are limited and can get sold out early.... Oh well, we'll have to wait until GWAPE is shown in wider release in Jan. 2004....

Here�s a Hawaii Film Festival review I found at the IMDB page of �GWAPE�.....Reading the review makes me think of how �bummed out� (disappointed) we were in not being able to see GWAPE�..It�s a positive review on a �beautifully artistic� film: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0335119/

When you get to the imdb page of "GWAPE", scroll down to "User Comments" to read Katsat's review....Here's the link again: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0335119/

My friend John in NYC went to all the festivities with Keira Knightley, who plays a role in love actually. He got to got to all the parties from what I understand.

The beginning of the Daily Show in Windows Media. Does anyone not have Windows Media? If you use something else like Quicktime or Realplayer let me know and we'll put it up in that format: http://spring.net/drool/dailybegin.wmv

(Beedee) It was also wonderful to meet the other Droolers who were able to attend. They are every bit as great IRL! Somehow I knew that would be the case, not sure what I'm more jealous of, ODB or you all! Thanks for checking in Beedee, so glad you had a good time!

The full showing of the Daily Show, without the rough ending this time. http://spring.net/drool/firthondaily.wmv This clip will there in about an hour from now.

NY Times Review November 7, 2003 MOVIE REVIEW | 'LOVE ACTUALLY' Tales of Love, the True and the Not-So-True By A. O. SCOTT Love Actually," which opens today nationwide, is an indigestible Christmas pudding from the British whimsy factory responsible for such reasonably palatable confections as "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Bridget Jones's Diary." A romantic comedy swollen to the length of an Oscar-trawling epic � nearly two and a quarter hours of cheekiness, diffidence and high-tone smirking � it is more like a record label's greatest-hits compilation or a "very special" sitcom clip-reel show than an actual movie. The air is thick with bad pop songs, which those plucky, ironical Britons seem to love in spite of their badness. A sparkling British-American cast of newly minted and long familiar stars chirp, swoon, pine, quip and shed the odd tear. Presiding over it all is the new prime minister, a twinkly bachelor with a tonsorial resemblance to Tony Blair, who is played by none other than Hugh Grant. As he did in the far superior "About a Boy," Mr. Grant makes a climactic onstage appearance at a school talent show. He also sings "Good King Wenceslas" and disco-dances around 10 Downing Street in his shirt sleeves. In his opening voice-over, Mr. Grant establishes a new standard for bad taste masquerading as its opposite when he introduces this fluffy farrago, written and directed by Richard Curtis, with a reference to the World Trade Center attacks. The phone calls made from the towers, he suggests, show that however perilous the state of the world, "love is all around." Further support for this thesis is gleaned from the arrival gate at Heathrow, where people tend to hug and kiss each other a lot. Like much else in "Love Actually," you almost buy this moment of banal sentiment, because it is so prettily shot and smartly spoken. But the film's governing idea of love is both shallow and dishonest, and its sweet, chipper demeanor masks a sour cynicism about human emotions that is all the more sleazy for remaining unacknowledged. It has the calloused, leering soul of an early-60's rat-pack comedy, but without the suave, seductive bravado. The worst kind of cad is the one who thinks he's really a sensitive guy deep down. Most of the picture's half-dozen or so romantic subplots � which lie scattered about like torn wrapping paper on Christmas morning � involve workplace dalliances of one kind or another. The ones with the best chances of success all involve an older male boss and a young female subordinate. Jamie (Colin Firth), a writer cuckolded by his own brother, retreats to a villa in the South of France and falls for his Portuguese housekeeper, Aurelia, who speaks no English and who obligingly strips down to her underwear to rescue manuscript pages that have blown into the lake. Harry (Alan Rickman), the head of a nonprofit organization, is besotted with his secretary, Mia (Heike Makatsh), who makes no secret of her attraction to him. The prime minister, moral exemplar of the nation, develops a crush on Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), a member of the Downing Street household staff. When the goatish president of the United States, in London for a state visit, puts the moves on her, the P.M.'s jealousy precipitates a chill in British-American relations (and also makes him a national hero). The funniest and most winning on-the-job romance bubbles up between two people (Martin Freeman and Joanna Page) who work as body doubles on a movie set, miming explicit sex scenes in the absence of the prudish stars. As their naked bodies go through the motions, the two of them chat mildly about traffic and the weather, and their mutual attraction is sealed, on the first date, by a chaste kiss on the cheek. The other genuine comic spark comes from Bill Nighy, playing a washed-up, dissolute rock star named Billy Mack, who is trying for a comeback with a treacly Christmas record. Billy says shocking, hilarious things in television and radio interviews, and his casual indifference to proper decorum makes him the most honest character in the film. The problem is that the movie, more than any of the characters in it, is a mess of crossed signals, swerving between cynicism and sincerity without quite knowing the difference between them. It is most grotesque when it tries for earnest drama, parading the grief of a widower (Liam Neeson) and the humiliation of a middle-aged wife (Emma Thompson) before us when it thinks our throats need lumping. It is disturbing to see Ms. Thompson's range and subtlety so shamelessly trashed, and to see Laura Linney's intelligence similarly abused as a lonely, frustrated do-gooder. The fate of their characters suggests that women who are not young, pert secretaries or household workers have no real hope of sexual fulfillment and can find only a compromised, damaged form of love. Perhaps Mr. Curtis wishes to offer this as an insight into contemporary social arrangements; if so, his indifference to the cruelty of those arrangements is truly breathtaking. But it is unlikely that any particular insight was intended. Instead, "Love Actually" is a patchwork of contrived naughtiness and forced pathos, ending as it began, with hugging and kissing at the airport (where returning passengers are perhaps expressing their relief at being delivered from an in-flight movie like this one). The loose ends are neatly tied up, as they are when you seal a bag of garbage � or if you prefer, rubbish. "Love Actually" is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It has sex, nudity and profanity. LOVE ACTUALLY Written and directed by Richard Curtis; director of photography, Michael Coulter; edited by Nick Moore; music by Craig Armstrong; production designer, Jim Clay; produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Duncan Kenworthy; released by Universal Pictures. Running time: 128 minutes. This film is rated R. WITH: Alan Rickman (Harry), Bill Nighy (Billy Mack), Colin Firth (Jamie), Emma Thompson (Karen), Hugh Grant (Prime Minister), Laura Linney (Sarah), Liam Neeson (Daniel), Martine McCutcheon (Natalie) Heike Makatsh (Mia) Rowan Atkinson (Rufus), Lucia Moniz (Aurelia), Martin Freeman (John) and Joanna Page (Just Judy).

I got this from Universal in my email box this morning, surprised my Spam bonker didn't dump it! But it somehow got through. John Long, my friend, says in his email this morning that he and Colin are now "buds" and he promises to share the details after he's recovered from his partying last night in NYC with Keira and Colin.

TiVo is working on the Today Show now with Laura Linney expected to appear.

Globe photos has pics up from premiere...3 parts (2 red carpet, 1 after party) just keep hitting "more" at the bottom of page to find them. http://www.globephotos.com/scripts/kws30pre.exe?site=GLOBEPH&maxhits=12&type=GfxOnly&picktype=GfxOnly&efile=pevents.htm

Just some filler till everyone wakes up and gets typing... The free LA dvd yesterday had the longest preview ever and I have pretty much seen the whole movie! Nothing too exciting on it, short interviews with Colin, behind the scenes stuff, normal dvd extras that will eventually be on the one for sale I'm sure. But good to see as I am yet to see the movie - the 18th Survival screening, which I got my tickets for yesterday (was a bit panicked due to postal strike), will be my first time. And Amazon has apparently dispatched my LA book so looking forward to that.

Review from Entertainment Weekly Love Actually - Grade B Reviewed by Owen Gleiberman A romantic comedy, it has often been observed, needs an obstacle, a force of natural confusion to keep its objects of affection (temporarily) apart. On the other hand, there's Love Actually, the first movie directed, as well as written, by the compulsive British crowd-pleaser Richard Curtis (''Four Weddings and a Funeral,'' ''Notting Hill''). Set in London during the weeks before Christmas, it's a toasty, star-packed ensemble comedy in which a handful of lonelyhearts attempt, with some success, to come out of their shells, and it's going to make a lot of holiday romantics feel very, very good; watching it, I felt cozy and charmed myself. It's worth noting, however, that the appeal of ''Love Actually,'' a movie as sweetly munchable as a Christmas cookie (and about as nourishing), lies in the way that its romantic ''obstacles'' are, for the most part, barely even there. Curtis' cheaply winsome stroke of genius is to have made an unabashed celebration of the fairy-tale obvious -- that love is standing right in front of you, and that all you need to do is reach out and grab it. Your average Jennifer Aniston or Luke Wilson character should only have it this easy. At the beginning, Bill Nighy, looking like a trampy, gone-to-seed Crocodile Dundee, appears in a recording studio as a raunchy has-been rock star who's gotten corralled into doing a special yuletide version of ''Love Is All Around.'' He thinks the song is crap, but, make no mistake, it will stick in your head (for days), and the rest of the movie follows suit: It's fashionably acerbic about being unfashionably sappy. We're soon introduced to Hugh Grant as the newly elected prime minister, and before we've had a chance to giggle at the amusing perfection of Grant, with his elegant downcast features, playing an alpha-male bachelor version of Tony Blair, he has fallen head over cuff links for his new personal assistant (Martine McCutcheon), whose radiant moon face reflects that affection back at him. It just wouldn't do, of course, for the freshman PM to be shagging his servant. So Grant flirts with her in innocent, stammering agony. He has become a peerless romantic star, even if the film takes a bit too much delight in having him shimmy around the mansion to the Pointer Sisters' ''Jump,'' as though to prove that British men can be funky too. If anything, this particular PM should probably be listening to Billy Joel's ''Tell Her About It.'' In a bizarre retrograde twist, ''Love Actually'' is preoccupied with liaisons between shy, chivalrous male bosses and pliant female underlings. In addition to Grant, there's Colin Firth as a cuckolded novelist who finds the perfect companion in his willowy Portuguese maid (Lucia Moniz), who doesn't quite speak English. Meanwhile, Alan Rickman, as a somber executive stuck in a comfy marriage to a touchingly devoted Emma Thompson, must fend off the advances of his sex-bomb secretary (Heike Makatsch). He seems to be doing a fair job of it until he decides to buy the assistant a gold necklace. Thompson's reaction upon discovery of this secret Christmas gift is the film's most wrenching moment, though the episode would be stronger if we had any idea what was going on in Rickman's head. The gravity of it all is balanced by the levity of two professional movie stand-ins who chat politely as they mime sex, nude, all day long, and also by a goofy-faced bloke (Kris Marshall) who thinks that his English accent will ma e him a stud in America. (In the film's cheesiest gag, he's proved right.) Meanwhile, Laura Linney, with those dimples you just want to curl up in, is adorable as a pathologically shy American with a consuming crush on her office colleague (Rodrigo Santoro). After working up the nerve to take him home, Linney has one of those exhibitionistically private, hands-in-the-air ''Yes!'' moments that's meant to unite the audience in vicarious happiness. But the joy, rather inexplicably, is short-lived, as it turns out that she's too wrapped up in caring for her mentally ill brother to let herself go. Ultimately, a more compelling case of amorous denial arrives with the blithely charismatic Andrew Lincoln as a fellow who's doing all he can to hide his secret yearning for his best friend's wife (Keira Knightley). If that doesn't pluck your heartstrings of bittersweet nobility, try Liam Neeson as a widower who coaches his 11-year-old stepson (Thomas Sangster) into confessing his feelings to the girl he has a crush on. Tell her about it, indeed. At its best, the movie reminds you how one such moment can activate, and set, your lifelong romantic compass. That's ''Love Actually'': the heartfelt, sometimes the wise, layered atop the unfinished and the glib, with even the British prime minister as just one more sweet and lonely guy who's really got to get out of the house more.

Hi all, only enough time to say that I don't have any time but I hope that some of the others will be able to *write* more than my quips but I'm off to take care of some business!!

A quick New York report on a slow connection - All of us got to stand IN the press tent, and we all got to see him, most got things signed, got to ask a quick question, etc. (The award for best question, though, goes to something Mari said to Hugh Grant that I'll let her tell). As you've already seen, he was wearing the trademark blue suit and white shirt - black shoes this time. He looked wonderful - he's very tall and he's younger-looking and more handsome IRL than in pictures. He had by far the largest fan contingent, and spent by far the most time with the fans as well. Seemed to be having a wonderful time, smiling, talking to fans and others, etc. A funny moment - when HG arrived (just a couple of minutes after he did) and worked his way back into the press tent where Colin was, he got this huge smile on his face and threw his arms around Hugh for a big hug. Livia looked beautiful - there's a picture of the two of them up on Wireimage - and had the long ponytail again. After that, we stood outside the Metropolitan Club and saw him arrive at the party - just a couple of quick glimpses. And you wouldn't believe how rude the photographers are at these events. When Emma Thompson came in with her husband, Greg Wise (Willoughby in "Sense & Sensibility"), some of the photogs wanted pictures of her alone, and apparently Greg Wise didn't get out of their way fast enough. One of them yelled, "Get the f*** out of the way." Really nice, huh? And if a star didn't pose for long enough and went on into the main area of the tent, the photographers would boo them (I was standing directly across from the photographers - if the shots weren't cropped, I'd probably be in the background of a lot of the head shots.) More later.

http://spring.net/drool/linney.wmv will be ready in about a half hour.

Bee, Rika...sounds like you all had a lovely time...really really wish I could have been there. All of us got to stand IN the press tent ALL of the Drool contingent? And there was still room for the photographers;-)! he got this huge smile on his face and threw his arms around Hugh for a big hug. Heh..please, tell, what did Hugh do? Nice pic of CF at Ananova... http://www.ananova.com/entertainment/story/sm_836266.html Also Skymovies has pic gallery... http://www.skymovies.com/skymovies/article/0,,1110413,00.html

Morning ladies! Sorry we didn't post last night but I lost two of my messages in midstream (hitting something on Linda's laptop wrong) and now it is beeping on us because of low battery. Well, I'll get as much as I can now before Linda comes with the adapter... Last night was fabulous. Not only meeting all the great Drooleurs but getting to see Colin looking so mahvellous and receiving more attention than everyone else put together. It was so evident to all the press that his fans became part of their interviews I'm sure because during each, they would point to all of us behind the barricade and Colin would turn around, wave and smile broadly at the thronging fans. He even cut short his press, holding up his hands and saying "That's enough," and came over to the fans. He *did* all the important press though--ET, Access Hollywood, etc., before deciding we were more important. LOL! No, he probably realized that there wasn't enough time before he'd get shooed into the theater. Colin was pretty much the second to last to arrive and while he was doing the rounds, Hugh slipped in virtually unnoticed by the fans. Wonder why?? ;-D But the funniest part of the evening was when Colin had gone in and Hugh mosied over to the fan line. He stood right in front of us and Mari said, "Hugh, so what was it like working with ColinFirth," to which he replied with a mutter (no stutter), "bloody Colin." Then he kind of smirked, continuing to sign away, but grabbed Mari's GWAPE book and said, "so glad that you could make it here tonight" and signed the book. Actually, the book had been Linda's but it got personalized with Mari's name so there will be some money exchanged. As everyone has said, Colin looked great, but Livia.....eh.....Too much hair. Too much messy hair. BTW, we don't think the photogs were yelling at Greg Wise (uttery doll) another functionary...and Keira Knightley wasn't there so I don't know who John is saying he partied with. More later but we have to meet for lunch.

Turns out Colin read Johns script on the way to the afterparty and Colin hooked with him right a way when he popped in to the party. I just got off the phone with John and he described his meeting with Firth in excruciating detail. They really hit it off and turned out to be buds. There were some very funny and interesting moments at the after party, wonder if any drooleurs made it there? It turns out it was easy to get in because John's friend was co-ordinator of the after party.

Thank you for stopping by, Karen with the long awaited report :-) Enjoy your lunch (we know, you'll be in the best company :-))

Details, Paul, details!!! Please :-)

I didn't ask John the specifics about Keira, he just said that she (Keira) delivered John's letter to Colin personally. And Colin read it in the limo on the way to the afterparty. I may have to the rest of this conversation to "unplugged" with Karen's permission of course as I don't want to reveal any information that is not intended for public consumption and I may be slipping dangerously close to that! John went in to very great detail about his meeting with Colin, and I'm sure it's not the last. Some astounding things occurred and I'm a bit stunned at John's success with Colin.

"Unplugged" with Karens permission will do me fine, Paul :-)

Just a real quick note for now. Last night was fabulous, definitely exceeded our wildest expectations. Colin had the largest fan presence by far and was gracious and friendly with the fans. I couldn't believe he actually cut short some press interviews so that he could come back over and spend more time with his fans. I think he was surprised and very pleased, seemed like he was having a great time. Looked absolutely gorgeous. I was able to ask him a few questions. Very quickly, The Dead Wait is very up in the air, but it sounds as though he has something else in the pipeline. More later! Well done, New York!

(Karen)Mari said, "Hugh, so what was it like working with ColinFirth," to which he replied with a mutter (no stutter), "bloody Colin." Then he kind of smirked, continuing to sign away, but grabbed Mari's GWAPE book and said, "so glad that you could make it here tonight" and signed the book. LOL! Cheeky Mari! HG's a great sport. Loved his response. Thanks for the report, Karen. I'm so happy for all the Droolers. What a dream come true! We picked a great guy to like :-)

You lucky bunch!! Sounds like you all had a wonderful time - and he did too!! For those of us in the UK unable to watch the US TV appearances, I'd check out Talking Movies on BBC News 24 at 5.30am(!) tomorrow morning. It's bound to feature LA. Set your VCRs!

Two from the Washington Post: washingtonpost.com 'Love Actually': Romance Submerged in Sugar By Ann Hornaday Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, November 7, 2003; Page C05 "Love Actually" could have been ordered straight off a takeout menu of British romantic comedies. Take something from Column A ("About a Boy"), take something from Column B ("Bridget Jones's Diary") and as for the rest, forget the alphabet and take as much as you can from "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Slather with heaps of cloyingly sweet froth, and serve. That's what writer-director Richard Curtis has done in "Love Actually," a busy, overstuffed and achingly saccharine ensemble vehicle that features, as it happens, one wedding and a funeral. At least Curtis is stealing from himself: He wrote the screenplays for "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Four Weddings," as well as "Notting Hill," the Cinderfella romance starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. The connective element in all of these, of course, is Grant, whose stammering, self-deprecating, devastatingly handsome presence made all of them hits of varying degrees. Curtis, making his directorial debut here, doesn't lean on the association. He has cast Grant alongside a dozen other actors in just one of countless story lines that jumble together to form a nonsensical, if warmhearted, roundelay. So we have Grant playing a young, single British prime minister who yearns for his sweet, unassuming secretary (Martine McCutcheon); Emma Thompson playing the PM's sister, who is married to a straying nonprofit manager (Alan Rickman); Liam Neeson playing a man who has just lost his wife and is trying to forge a relationship with his stepson, and who has a relationship to Thompson's character that is never entirely clear; Laura Linney playing a character who works at the aforementioned nonprofit and who yearns for its sweet, unassuming graphic designer; and Colin Firth playing a cuckolded novelist who decamps for the South of France and yearns for a Portuguese maid. And that's just for starters. Have we mentioned the new bride (Keira Knightley) and her husband's lovesick best man? Or the two stand-ins on the set of a pornographic movie? Or the unappealing cater-waiter who finds passion and romance in Milwaukee in the dead of winter? Or the aging rock star played by Bill Nighy? Or the clerk played by Rowan Atkinson? Would you believe Billy Bob Thornton as the president? Denise Richards for a cameo, anyone? Claudia Schiffer to block? If listing the cast of "Love Actually" is exhausting, it's even more tiring to watch it, chiefly because Curtis makes such long-winded and strenuous labor of making such simple, unassailable points. (He may be the only director earnest, or self-important, enough to invoke Sept. 11, 2001, in a romantic comedy.) His premise -- stated during an admittedly touching opening documentary sequence filmed at the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport -- is that "love, actually, is all around us." True enough, but Curtis can't leave well enough alone, throwing plot line on top of character on top of cliche on top of manipulation to create a movie whose desperation to be liked can have only one effect: to make it thoroughly unlikable. Although Curtis has rounded up a redoubtable cast, he misuses them in a series of too-cute gags and set pieces. So we have Grant at 10 Downing St., doing the Tom Cruise dance bit from "Risky Business"; a wedding where the choir not only sings "All You Need Is Love" but wherein an entire orchestra pops up out of the audience and the priest high-fives the best man; a school Christmas play featuring moppets in octopus and lobster costumes and a 10-year-old's sexy solo worthy of Britney Spears; a mad dash through an airport for a first kiss; and a mad dash through France for a marriage proposal. A few recognizably human feelings manage to peek through sentimentalism that seems to have been applied with a trowel: Thompson plays the harried, middle-aged wife with dignity and pathos, and Rickman and Neeson wring as much self-respect as they can from roles that are far from fully realized. Linney, too, is far underserved by a script trying too hard to shoehorn in every "aw, shucks" moment from the romantic comedy canon. By the time "Love Actually" winds up back at Heathrow and Curtis reprises his conceit of showing real-life footage of arrivals, what started out as a genuinely emotional moment feels like one cherry too many on a sagging confection. Love Actually (135 minutes, at area theaters) is rated R for sexuality, nudity and language. � 2003 The Washington Post Company **************************** 'Love Actually' Is a Many, Many, Many Splendored Thing By Michael O'Sullivan Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, November 7, 2003; Page WE45 "LOVE ACTUALLY" is less in love with love -- although, with nine separate subplots about heterosexual coupling, it is certainly that -- than it is in love with itself and its own cleverness. Mind you, there's lots to like, if not love, in this London-set, star-studded comedy. Unfortunately, there's a little bit to hate, too. But first the good news. Written and directed by Richard Curtis (writer of "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Bridget Jones's Diary"), the script is a mostly witty, audience-charming froth with a healthy, if not always fully fleshed-out, balance between the sweet and the bitter. I suppose it's evidence of my slightly perverse taste (as well as Curtis's), but my favorite plot lines in what is essentially a comic romp about the ubiquity of love are those flavored not with the sap of happy-ever-afterdom, such as the central, upstairs/downstairs romance between the prime minister (Hugh Grant) and working-class staff member Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), but with the complex bouquet of thwarted intentions. One story, involving the disintegration of trust between a woman (Emma Thompson) and her almost-philandering husband (Alan Rickman), and another, involving a neurotic American (Laura Linney) whose infatuation with a gorgeous co-worker (Rodrigo Santoro) is paralyzed by a martyr complex focused on her mentally ill brother, are among the most interesting, and the most achingly real. What a shame, then, that there's not much room in this crowded film for these stories to be developed in much more than cursory fashion. Particularly not when valuable celluloid real estate is wasted on such story lines as the one about a boorish and horny Brit (Kris Marshall) who convinces himself that his English accent will act as a natural aphrodisiac on this side of the pond, leading to an exercise in stateside bad taste straight out of MTV Productions. Curtis, who reportedly has set aside enough unused ideas in the making of this film to make a second one, should have considered letting this episode fall to the cutting room floor, too. It's not a fatal miscalculation -- there's enough that's right about "Love" to compensate for what's wrong with it -- but such missteps detract from Curtis's otherwise admirable mastery of multiple, interwoven narratives. Another quibble: Although there's an initial hint that there may be a gay/straight/straight love triangle involving a new bride (Keira Knightley), her husband (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and her husband's best friend (Andrew Lincoln) -- something that there seems to be more than enough room for in a movie purporting to be about love in all its many splendors -- Curtis ultimately opts for the more conventional, i.e., straight/straight/straight, formulation. That, along with the tittering we're meant to do when a washed-up rock star (Bill Nighy, in a scene-stealing performance) declares his love for his longtime, long-suffering manager (Gregor Fisher), leaves a faintly homophobic aftertaste. But these and other flaws chafe only because so much of "Love Actually" actually works. In its blend of relationships sublime (as between the recently widowed Liam Neeson and his lovelorn young stepson, played by Thomas Sangster) and ridiculous (as between two porn-movie stand-ins, played to deadpan perfection by Joanna Page and Martin Freeman), it aims to put not just a smile on your face, but perhaps a tear in your eye as well. Like love, "Love Actually" is far from perfect. But it's close enough to perfection to hurt, every once in a while, when it blows up in your face. LOVE ACTUALLY (R, 135 minutes) -- Contains obscenity, sexual humor and partial nudity. Area theaters. � 2003 The Washington Post Company

Most of the reviews are here at Meta Critic: http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/loveactually/ Hugh and Mari! There's a picture that will live in my mind forever. Mari, his response to you was so Hugh. Loved it - And loved how CF was to his fans. Good going gals. Sounds like a memorable time.

There are LOADS of new pictures from the NY premiere at the Colin Firth Image Gallery. One even shows that black string necklace - revealing some round metal beads on them! And some of the pics are HUGE. He's absolutely beaming at the premiere, thanks in no small party, I think, to the great fans there, present company included! http://colinfirth.casa-feliz.net/images/details.php?image_id=2024

Hi. My boss asked me to tell you that there will be another Love Actually press junket Nov 21 - Nov 23. So there will be more media soon. Bye

USA Today has a lovely big photo of this... ... CF described as The cuckold: Colin Firth is at a loss for words when he fall for a Portuguese maid. Lots to 'Love' It's hard to fail when you have the cream of the U.K. crop signed on. Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson and Colin Firth are all in top form. All Together Now

There is another ecstatic account from a fan called FionaFirthFan on another Colin site who actually got to KISS Colin at the NY premiere: http://groups.msn.com/ColinFirthFantasyWomen/general.msnw?action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=20548&LastModified=4675446216775159261 It's a long passage that's a great read. The kiss part: "... I swear I think I only meant to ask him if I could shake his hand. But he looked at me as if to say, 'What? Spit it out,' with this kind, amused look in his eyes (I'm sure I looked like an idiot). And before I knew how to stop myself, I took advantage of his kindness and reached up and gave him a big kiss right on his dimpled cheek. It was heaven, I can tell you. He gave me this 'Oh, you shouldn't have done that' look -- very, very cute...I'm so, so happy! I don't know how I'm going to stand myself for the next few days..."

From the LA Times: 'Love' is all around, and often funny Equally satisfying in a more unashamedly romantic way is the story of Jamie (Colin Firth), a jilted author with no foreign-language facility who retreats to the south of France and takes on a severe-looking housekeeper named Aurelia (Lucia Moniz) who speaks only Portuguese.

Lola's Assistant..thank you very much for the press update! Now I've got to make sure I have enough blank videotapes;-).

Drool Darlings NYC Crew, Wonderful, fun filled evening for you all. Colin will not tell another interviewer he has only heard of someone's relative that is a fan...he's met you terrific Drool Darlings (and others) bringing his gathering to more than the other actors'fans combined. Hurrah!!!! He looks very pleased. Thanks for the reports.

As adorable as CF was on THE DAILY SHOW, he all but choked when JS asked him how good LA was:( For whatever reason, the Austin American-Statesman's main page at austin360.com has a picture of CF culled from the LA advertisement adorning the film listings:) Their review: By John DeFore Special to the American-Statesman Posted: November 7, 2003 Lots of intelligent people with good taste enjoyed "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Notting Hill" � guiltlessly, even, although many of them would admit to cringing now and then at the cutesy extremes to which the films go in search of heart-tugging laughter. But what if the first movie directed by Richard Curtis (the scribe behind the aforementioned romantic fantasies) was composed solely of the moments that embarrassed us most in those films? With all the sing-alongs, mad gestures and holiday cheer in the advertisements for "Love Actually," it appeared that might be the case. Surely, wary viewers assumed, the final product couldn't be worse than the trailer � but it could be longer. Actually, "Love" isn't a worst-case scenario. Yes, viewers can set their watches by its now-clich�d contrivances � a room breaks into spontaneous song 10 minutes in, a sweetly ridiculous eulogy is delivered at the quarter-hour mark, a character is caught dancing by himself half an hour later � but these moments aren't exploited as shamelessly as they have been before. That's because none of the characters doing these silly things are onscreen long enough for you to care much what happens to them. Having apparently grown tired of simple girl-boy and boy-girl-boy stories, Curtis has concocted (depending how you count them) at least a dozen romances, played out by actors who fortunately are charismatic enough to make their brief minutes count. Drawing a schematic of all this coupling would take all day, but it would be pointless anyway because few of the affairs have much at all to do with the others. "Love Actually" is billed as "The ultimate romantic comedy," and in a way that's true: If Curtis' previous stories were fairy tales for romance junkies, this is their pornography � all the cute moments of a month's worth of date movies, without those trifling time-fillers like character development. To be sure, there are entertaining things on the buffet. Audiences will be treated to many laughs, a disproportionate number of them coming from Bill Nighy, who plays a grandly self-obsessed has-been rock star. Nighy's Billy Mack charms those around him by dispensing with all pretense regarding his hackneyed new Christmas single: He's only in it for the money. (The movie could use more of this self-awareness.) Another high point comes in a cameo from Billy Bob Thornton, playing a disgustingly slick United States president who gives Hugh Grant's 'til-now timid prime minister a chance to become Great Britain's version of Josiah Bartlet. But as a director, Curtis has lots to learn. He squanders the talents of his old colleague Rowan (Mr. Bean) Atkinson, cropping him so tightly that we can hardly see what the famously physical comedian is doing. And he's at a complete loss where music is concerned. From songs in the background to those accompanying button-pushing montage sequences, everything is too obvious, too loud and too dull. While there are many charming moments here, one wonders what the happily-ever-after crowd will make of two subplots that mock the very idea of love-and-marriage. The most puzzling of the two places Keira Knightley in newlywed bliss with Chiwetel Ejiofor (who was magnetic in "Dirty Pretty Things" but is thrown away here), only to have her go all doe-eyed for the first guy who develops a crush on her. Her response would be poor form in real life, but Knightley's flightiness is a good metaphor for the movie itself: "Love Actually" may be entranced by all the little charms it depicts, but it isn't really moved by any of them.

Beedee, Rika, Karen, Mari, and all the wonderful d's in NYC thanks for all your reports! What a great bonding experience for all of you and Colin, too! Can't wait for more later. Can't believe Hugh signed Linda's GWAPE book for Mari! LOL! Sounds like a scene from "Love Actually," actually ;-).

there are a bunch of pics here: http://217.158.83.123/scripts/kws30pre.exe?fchange=&ffirsthit=0&fmaxhits=6&type=GfxOnly&site=LFI&ENext.x=54&ENext.y=14 (i can't get my computer to open the pics, but hopefully something good?) did anyone get into the after party? dorine? ;)

Thank you for your lovely reports, NY ladies, I'm so happy for all of you - and the rest of us. This is a great time to be a drooler. I can't wait to hear everything from every single one of you. :-) Paul, a million thanks for posting the JS clip!!! I don't have cable, so I was resigned to my fate that I'd not see any of the interviews, and I was very sad about it. You are my saviour! Loved Colin on the show. All of you who posted pics and links to more, thank you! I'm giddy with excitement! (Katty - "FionaFirthFan") .... I took advantage of his kindness and reached up and gave him a big kiss right on his dimpled cheek. It was heaven, I can tell you. He gave me this 'Oh, you shouldn't have done that' look... LOL!!! I guess there IS a reason why they usually don't let fans too close to the stars. ;-)

Hi all, sorry for waiting so long to post. Just got back from seeing LA, again. It was wonderful seeing it after last night...Now about last night. Well I can honestly say I'm no longer a Firth virgin. Seeing him so close was truly amazing. He was AFG and so very nice. I'm not going to repeat what others have said because I was standing next to them and don't want to repeat the same things. When Colin walked in I thought I would die. I think I held my breath for ten minutes. My biggest fear was that we would only catch a gllimpse. But, thanks to whoever made the decision to let us in the tent, the experience was so much more than I could have hoped for. When Colin came over do interviews and was standing just in front of me I had a chance to gaze for about 10 minutes...unobstructed. When he put his hands up to the press and said enough then turned and walked straight over to us...well you can imagine how felt. He signed my Speaking With the Angles and then I thought to ask him to personalize it, but he was already finished, and said, sorry? I said oh don't worry that's fine thank you, Colin then bent down and said what's your name ( I thought he hadn't heard my request) I told him Linda and he asked "with a Y or an I"? Then I asked if he could include my daughter's name and he bent down to hear what I was saying....Oh Gawd. Then he continued to sign and talk to the others around me. Amazing experience. I won't forget this one for awhile. The entire evening was mesmerizing. Only one small fly in the ointment. One girl that was a few people down from me (who was annoying the entire evening)to the point that she was warned by the guards, In my opinion, crossed the line. Whan Colin came over to her she stood on the barricade and kissed him. Now, I know she thought that it was OK with him, but I can tell you from a birds eye view of the situation, he was not amused. He pulled back and, you could tell he did not like it one bit. Thankfully, Colin, being the professional that he is, continued on. Thankfully, this person's actions didn't ruin it for everyone else. However, actions like this, when people cross the line and think that they can invade someone's space will only make celebrities, especially someone like Colin, think twice about getting up close and personal with his fans. Please don't think this small incident ruined the magic of the evening, it didn't. Just wanted to give you the whole story. Thanks everyone for the vibes and good thoughts you sent our way. They worked! And, just let me mention that the best part of this trip was getting to be with everyone from drool who are in NY. These few days have been wonderful.

In my opinion,(she) crossed the line In Hawaii where people are always giving leis with kisses, I see that that sort of thing as pretty common. BUT reading the way you saw it and thinking about it from Colin's point of view, it was a kind of invasion. Thanks for your on-the-spot perspective.

Is there any media this weekend on LA? I'm trying to find out if there's anything beyond the great listing Karen has at http://www.firth.com/tv_promo.html Of, course, anything not during the Longhorns game (the one exeption)

I agree with Linda about the kiss. And I believe someone pointed out later that if it had been a male fan that leaned over and did that to a female star, he'd have been out of the tent before he knew what hit him. And it was amazing seeing him in person! Everyone that said he's even better was absolutely right. Didn't know it was possible, but there you have it. Emma commented to us that he was very surprised by his reception. She also said she was very happy for him though and that he's wonderful and nice, etc. and really deserves it. She thought all the screaming of "Colin, Colin" was fantastic.(Emma was absolutely beautiful and charming by the way...)

To the people at the premiere: What was Livia like in person? How were they together? Thanks so much for sharing all the photos and commentary!

Linda, thanks for the report! Have you been able to sleep yet? :-D I'm so happy for you all! I checked the entertainment shows tonight and saw bits of the premiere on Access Hollywood, Extra and ET. Extra talked for a second to CF. They said to him that LA has been described as a big St. Bernard licking your face. Colin agreed. I don't think he said anything on the other shows. The best show so far was etalk daily tonight in Canada. I'll transcribe it once I get it all on tape. Emma Thompson talked about how noisy Colin's fans were! Nice shot of him getting out of the limo. I was hoping for some close-ups of the fans but the shots are too quick. Maybe freeze framing will help. I can't remember seeing Livia at all.

Arggh!! _ I can't believe it!! I had set my VCR to record Talking Movies on BBC News 24 overnight, and went off to bed. My normally wonderful DH Tommy then sat down to watch some football on the Sky Sports Channel. Consequently I have, instead of the expected feature on LA, a half hour of sport! Can anyone help me out if they managed to copy it? - Please!!!!!!!!!

Livia pretty much just stood there and looked around with a pleasant look pasted on her face. But really what else could she do? I think she looked pretty good, especially considering she just had a baby a few months ago. I can't believe I missed Extra for Access Hollywood. Does anyone know if Extra does reruns? At the premier, after all the stars went in and they were taking things down, two camera men stopped my sister and I, along with a few others, and had us scream "Colin" and pretend he was right there. They did four takes of this. I'm a little nervous that we may look like complete lunatics, but would still like a copy of this if it ever airs. So if I miss it, and someone else catches it, I'd really love a copy. I think... : ) I was surprised that since CF received twice the attention and four times the noise of everyone else, the shows so far are still pretty much ignoring him. Maybe they think his entire fan base was there. I spoke to a lady from People and she noticed it. Maybe they'll have an article that focuses more on him than Hugh. Or maybe her editors will make her change the focus back to Hugh. I love that Emma commented on it in her interview! So, just how long does it take to come down from this high? Still can't believe I was there.

This is listed on Yahoo TV CST: WABC Wayne Brady Show Nov 13 09:00am Series/Talk, 60 Mins. Episode #2054. Actor Zach Braff (``Scrubs''); actor Colin Firth; actor Jeffrey Tambor

Local review out yesterday. Best one I've read so far. http://www.cincinnati.com/freetime/movies/reviews/11072003_loveactually.html

Re Talking Movies in the UK. It's due to be repeated on BBC News 24 at 10.30 tonight and again at 3.30 tomorrow morning. Hope this helps.

I haven't posted in a while. Just wanted to say a big thank to you all for the articles, pics, TV listings and sharing your experiences at the NY premiere. You gals are great!

(Meg)At the premier, after all the stars went in and they were taking things down, two camera men stopped my sister and I, along with a few others, and had us scream "Colin" and pretend he was right there. They did four takes of this. I'm a little nervous that we may look like complete lunatics, but would still like a copy of this if it ever airs. So if I miss it, and someone else catches it, I'd really love a copy. I think... Meg, there was a shot from E News Live of a few women holding the LA poster and screaming something (couldn't hear them) and then the camera zoomed on Colin's face on the poster. Could that be you?! I went over the etalk tape. It's a jumble of questions and jumps around a lot. LL, LN and CF are together. Asked if they think public displays of affection are OK, Colin says something like, "As a married man, life is window shopping for me now." Asked if they think marriage is a good thing, he says, "I love love." They were asked if they had any favourite pet names but CF didn't answer that one. HG said, "Bitch". LOL! On the red carpet, Emma says, "Did you see what happened when Colin Firth turned up? He must be thrilled. Shrieking on a great scale. ....hysterical." CF says, "The audience reaction to the film is already fairly legendary so I'm looking forward to hearing all those people laughing so loud you can't hear the next 3 lines."

We weren't holding a poster, but since they were hung all along the fences and we were standing right behind them, it might have looked that way. Wish I could remember if I had my hands on the poster, but it's all a blur. Was one of the girls a cute blonde? (My sister.) If so, did we look like idiots? I don't suppose E News "Live" runs repeats...

(Meg) I don't suppose E News "Live" runs repeats... E! News Weekend is on at 6pm et on Saturdays and recaps the week's news. Thanks to all for sharing your NY experience. (Dalec) You gals are great! I second.

How fabulous! NY sounds like the place to be! How many drool crew were there?? Not sure if anyone else has posted this but HS is now out to rent in the UK. I happened upon it at my local but the one copy had been taken out already. Anyone seen if there are any extras on it? Also my LA book arrived and it's very bright and glossy. Includes family tree of character connections, the screenplay, lyrics to Christmas is All Around, deleted scenes, behind the scenes, a quiz, amusing questionnaires to the actors, posters advertising the movie or that didn't make it, and more. Waiting to read it as I haven't seen the movie except for Colin's questionnaire. Think maybe I'll transcribe it for you all.

Love Questionnaire Colin Firth (Jamie) Who was the first person you ever loved � and how old were they and you? It might be Heather Bailey � I was eight. There were crushes before then but she was the first person I cried over. Actually, no � I think it was Lynne Lassin. I loved her because she loved me. Well, not JUST because she loved me � but, you know, it helped. Who [ed.: you mean WHAT] is your favourite romantic poem? Every Day you Play by Pablo Neruda What is your favourite romantic movie of all time? I'm afraid I'm not really a massive fan of romantic films. I like feeling a bit upset at a movie ending, rather than warm and fuzzy � I mean I prefer Brief Encounter to Sleepless in Seattle. What is your favourite romantic song? �Hot Baritto [ed.: BURRITO!] Number 1� by Gram Parsons What is your favourite Christmas song? �Fairy Tale of New York� by The Pogues. What is your best ever Christmas present? A plastic sword. I was six. And what is your worst? The plastic sword � my brother, who was a toddler, got past the fireguard with it on Christmas Day and then walked round the house with this burning brazier dropping molten plastic on to the linoleum tiles in the hall and the living room carpet. It was nearly the death of my entire family, but I just missed my lovely sword. If you had to have sex with one British Prime Minister, who would it be? Well I wouldn't have f**ked Callaghan, that's for sure. Would I f**k Attlee? I don't know. I think Pitt the Younger sounds promising � at least he's not some jowly old incontinent. But it's so much easier with American presidents, isn't it. Who would you have as your naked stand-in? Hugh Grant ten years ago. Is love actually all around? Pass

Love may or may not be all around but thank yous are actually all around. I was glad to finally hear from the NY contingent. It sounds like a fabulous time!!! It's always so nice when things work out better than you think they will. Keep posting girls; we haven't heard from everyone or had enough details yet. (Karen)Mari said, "Hugh, so what was it like working with Colin Firth," to which he replied with a mutter (no stutter), "bloody Colin." Then he kind of smirked LOL!! I found myself giggling about it all day. Poor Hugh! up against Mari! Not really an equal match, was it?;-) Love his answer though! Too cute. Way to go, Mari!!! Again, thanks for all the articles, photos, the Daily Show link, and the transcription. Oh, this is by far my favorite time of a FirthYear. Everybody sing along (it might help get "Love, love, love" out of our heads.) "I feel it my fingers. I feel it in my toes. Firth is all around and so the feeling grows!!!!!"

Haven't seen this here yet, though parts are culled from other reports. What is interesting is that the Guardian is reviewing the US reviews. America decides it's not love but loathe, actually David Teather in New York Saturday November 8, 2003 The Guardian It has been heralded as the next big British cinematic triumph: a hit set to sweep America off its feet during the Christmas period. But the prime exporters of stuttering British charm, the team behind Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones's Diary, appear to have worn out their welcome across the Atlantic. Love Actually, the ensemble film directed by Richard Curtis, was yesterday dismissed with an excoriating review in the New York Times which called it as an "indigestible Christmas pudding". Reviews in the New York Post and Wall Street Journal were lukewarm at best. Set in the weeks before Christmas, the film is a patchwork of nine love stories, including the film-makers' regular cast members Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, and Rowan Atkinson, plus Emma Thompson, Martine McCutcheon and Liam Neeson. The Times's critic, AO Scott, said it is "nearly two and a quarter hours of cheekiness, diffidence and high tone smirking - it is more like a record label's greatest hits compilation or a 'very special' sitcom clip reel show than an actual movie". The Post also noted the feeling that viewers had been here before. The critic Jonathan Freeman said the film "cannibalises whole scenes" from the team's previous movies "including at least three sequences involving shy men making a last-minute dash to make a splashy declaration of love to a woman in some unlikely public place". As for its feel-good credentials, the Times's critic was equally scathing, referring to the "calloused, leering" soul of the movie. "The film's governing idea of love is both shallow and dishonest," he wrote, adding that the film swerved "between cynicism and sincerity without quite knowing the difference between them". There was at least one good review in USA Today, which probably holds more sway over middle America than its more highbrow rivals. It gave the film three stars out of four. "Love Actually is irresistible," wrote Claudia Puig. "You'd have to be Ebenezer Scrooge not to walk out smiling."

Every Day You Play by Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) Every day you play with the light of the universe. Subtle visitor, you arrive in the flower and the water. You are more than this white head that I hold tightly as a cluster of fruit, every day, between my hands. You are like nobody since I love you. Let me spread you out among yellow garlands. Who writes your name in letters of smoke among the stars of the south? Oh let me remember you as you were before you existed. Suddenly the wind howls and bangs at my shut window. The sky is a net crammed with shadowy fish. Here all the winds let go sooner or later, all of them. The rain takes off her clothes. The birds go by, fleeing. The wind. The wind. I can contend only against the power of men. The storm whirls dark leaves and turns loose all the boats that were moored last night to the sky. You are here. Oh, you do not run away. You will answer me to the last cry. Cling to me as though you were frightened. Even so, at one time a strange shadow ran through your eyes. Now, now too, little one, you bring me honeysuckle, and even your breasts smell of it. While the sad wind goes slaughtering butterflies I love you, and my happiness bites the plum of your mouth. How you must have suffered getting accustomed to me, my savage, solitary soul, my name that sends them all running. So many times we have seen the morning star burn, kissing our eyes, and over our heads the gray light unwind in turning fans. My words rained over you, stroking you. A long time I have loved the sunned mother-of-pearl of your body. I go so far as to think that you own the universe. I will bring you happy flowers from the mountains, bluebells, dark hazels, and rustic baskets of kisses. I want to do with you what spring does to the cherry trees.

PRAYERS REQUEST PLEASE.... I left a "prayer request" for my Uncle Bill under "Odds & Ends" part 7....Any and all prayers for my uncle are really appreciated by our families in England and America.... Mahalo Nui, Momi

Just for the record: (And, who doesn't want the record accurate and complete?) Colin was mentioned during the Charlie Rose Love Actually round table last night. They were discussing the nature of the movie and Laura Linney said: "It's very, very hard--and I have to give credit--Colin Firth was pointing this out because he was talking about it in London during our junket--It's very difficult to put this subject matter forward with winking at it, brocading it with sugar, winking at it, being patronizing about it. It's very, very hard to do......" She went on in what seemed to be her opinion that Hugh was very good at playing it like a normal human being would. It seemed a little awkward for everyone else because he was then conspicuously absent but I thought it was very nice of her to mention him. Makes me think she really connected with him during filming and can appreciate him.

The Guardian....Love Actually, the ensemble film directed by Richard Curtis, was yesterday dismissed with an excoriating review in the New York Times which called it as an "indigestible Christmas pudding". Reviews in the New York Post and Wall Street Journal were lukewarm at best. This is what the British press (esp. the Guardian) just love to do. Selectively emphasise the worst and kill a British movie stone dead. No wonder we no longer have a movie industry! Thanks for all the reports - they make great reading!

I just walked in the door from seeing LA and we absolutely loved it. The entire theater was full (this was the second theater we went to since the first one was sold out for a matinee). Everyone laughed at the right parts and everyone said great things about it as we left. I was slightly uneasy after reading the reviews but it was wonderful, heartwarming, christmas pudding :) and ODB looked fabulous!

I just arrived home from seeing LA with two friends and all three of us loved the movie. The theatre was full and the audience broke into applause at the end, something I've never experienced before. Something I wondered about though - was the blue velvet suit CF wore to the London GWAPE gala not the same suit he wore to the weddding at the beginning of LA?

well, looks like when it rains, it pours ! haven't had much time for posting lately, but i'm impressed : thanks everyone for pix & stories & flutterings & all. terry, thanks a million for the wmp file, but, errrr... could i be totally greedy and ask for a quicktime rendition, for this lousy piece of software (aka wmp) runs your clip blotchily and is now responsible for my obvious squinting... plus, i would really really like to see a little more clearly mr f's reaction to the tube joke. the blank alone had me burst out laughing. btw, am not a fan of that kind of show (ironic metacommentary should be reserved to bunches of smashed friends slouching in front of the tube, imo), and i really find the letterman/leno routines stale and contrived but i have to say this looks like a good one, and this js guy seems quick and sharp, thanx, it was all new to me. hey mari, is nov. 7 "pick on hugh grant" day ? should it be officially announced on odds & ends ? anyway, was howling so hard my laptop fell again (just the idea of the gwape book on your shelves has me going again). a few quick stupid remarks : re: emma's posting of the questionnaire : am glad to see mr f. has somewhat changed tack and is now following hugh grant's cue into mock-nasty age related remarks. the fight line was somewhat running thin, this is much better (but still, hugh grant's hilarious weelchair line will be hard to top, keep it up though, mr f.) re: the enormous & super high rez pix posted @ casa-feliz : quite unfortunately, the link led me straight to pix #6, and since it took a looong time to load starting from the top of the pix, i kept hearing the old mst3k line in my head "filmed in baldspot vision" ! lauhged so hard i'm sure i woke the neighbors. oh, and the kryptonite is back ! it might even be responsible for the cobble incident (i am going to stick to my old clark kent theory) re: the blue velvet / black velvet enigma : i was kinda sure the uncertainty was actually part of a pr campaign to cover up another blue suit/brown shoes incident. live reports from the nyc brigade sort of cut short to this theory. thanks everyone for bringing the truth to light (!)

Sophie, I would be happy to post that file in Quicktime. Look for a note on this later and drop me an email reminder. I watched the review of LA on Ebert and Roeper a bit ago and they both give it a resounding thumbs up. But no mention or pix of CF.

HI! Back from NYC. Bloody tired (had 5 hours sleep tops since Wednesday). Everything was amazing and I will get to telling all as soon as I find my brain! He is the most gorgeous thing on earth!!! Love!

Thanks to Bee, Karen, Mari, and Linda for your reports about the ODB NY experience. All around, it sounds like it was an amazing night. Looking forward to hearing more. :-)

Someone asked how many Drool people were there. I think we had 14. We were very lucky to be admitted to the red carpet area. I believe there were about 70 or so people admitted before room ran out, almost all of whom were there for Colin. There were many other fans left behind on the sidewalk and on the street outside the press tent. BTW, I did not know or recognize any of the other fans--so Colin clearly drew from many other places. There were 2 young fans there, late teens, who said they came to know him from What A Girl Wants. I spoke briefly to 2 women from England; they were very disappointed that Alan Rickman would not sign autographs, but were thrilled that Colin was so accessible--so, happily, their trip was very worthwhile! (Caribou)Poor Hugh! up against Mari! Not really an equal match, was it?;-) Love his answer though! Too cute. That was a riot! I have to say, Hugh was a very good sport about it all, and took it with good humor. Right before that, Colin had finally finished greeting all the fans and went into the theater, so only HG was left in the press tent. *No one* called out to Hugh, so he either assumed that we were his fans, or for form's sake, he wanted to be the last celeb to go into the theater, i.e., held up *so* long by *his* adoring fans. Well, he got a surprise, didn't he?;-)

Weekend box office estimates for Love Actually; terrific per screen average of well over $11,000. Good enough for 6th place; keep in mind, it's still in limited release, in only 576 theaters. The 5 films ahead of it are on over 3,000 screens each. LA will expand next weekend, and again the weekend after that. Love Actually Uni. $6,612,000 - 576 $11,479 $6,612,000

Not sure if any has mentioned this item of doctrinal import, but the, um, balding spot at the back of his head is no longer there. We got a good long look as he was doing interviews. Nicely covered, absolutely seamless; whatever he's done, it looks great.:-) Random cattiness department: Nice, fan-friendly cast members--Colin Firth!! (need I say more?;-), Emma Thompson (a real doll, friendly and outgoing), Huge Gnat (a very good sport), Bill Nighy (he was having a great time, doing air guitar and writing wacky stuff on autographs!). Honorable mention to Emma's hubby Greg Wise who was sweet and down to earth; I'll let Evelyn fill you in on Greg. Not nice--Alan Rickman (refused to sign autographs for his fans), Rowan Atkinson (looking so haughty and above it all and turning his back on the press to the point that they booed him), Liam Neeson (scowl on his face the entire time).

Caribou! Geez, the rich get richer . . .;-) Santa Fe Film Festival Announces Lineup Sat Nov 8,10:22 AM ET By The Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. - Stephen Frears' "Dirty Pretty Things" is among the films scheduled for the 2003 Santa Fe Film Festival, which will be held Dec. 3-7. Frears, actor Peter Boyle, and writer Max Evans will receive lifetime achievement awards, festival director Jon Bowman said Thursday. Actress Ali MacGraw (news) will host the awards ceremony. Among the other movies scheduled to be shown: "The Hi-Lo Country"; "Cold Mountain," starring Jude Law and Nicole Kidman; "House of Sand and Fog," with Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley; "21 Grams," with Sean Penn; "The Company," Robert Altman's latest film, about ballet; "Girl With a Pearl Earring," with Colin Firth; "In America"; and "James' Journey to Jerusalem."

(Mari) "*No one* called out to Hugh" Well, actually, we did call him over, along with the girls to our left. I have to admit that I felt a bit bad that as soon as we called to him and he came over, he got the "How was it working with Colin" comment, but have to agree that he was indeed a very good sport. (I know I shouldn't feel sorry for him since he's constantly getting all the attention. I'm too soft by far.) I've heard many times that Rowan is painfully shy. To the point of rudeness, I agree. Alan Rickman never even glanced at the fans. I've heard he doesn't do the signing thing. Which seems a bit arrogant? Liam looked at us, we called to him, and he turned and walked away. He's the one that p'd me off.

(Mari)Caribou! Geez, the rich get richer . . .;-) Santa Fe Film Festival Announces Lineup I was already screaming inside when I had gotten this far!!!!!!!!! Oh, woohoo! woohoo! woohoo! The City Different has come through!!!!!!!!! Oh, and its at a great time of year! Oh, and its so close! Oh, and I might get to see Peter again! Too bad Colin has a new baby, or he could get to see that ab-solutely gorgeous cowboy country again. Oh, woohoo! woohoo! woohoo! HRMH Caribou and DH cordially invite Drool Darlings everywhere to accompany them to the Santa Fe Film Festival December 3-7,2003 Sorry can't do fancy fonts or even center it and I certainly don't want to try to figure it out given the state I'm in. I had looked around a little but had given up hope when PW said he was looking for geographically-diverse film festivals. I had always hoped one of CF's films would come to the Taos Talking Pictures but it is in the spring and GWAPE will be released by then. But, Santa Fe is even better. Oh, if PW and his wife come, I'll bet she'll wear a tiered broomstick skirt and Indian jewelry. Although that skirt might be more Taos-like and denim, suede, and Indian-wool-blanket graphics more Sante Fe. Or maybe that on the jacket and a broomstick skirt. Will have to think about this some more. Oh, and Colin's black cord with silver beads will fit right in. I wonder if Livia is getting all of her shopping done in NYC or if she would be interested in the Sante Fe style this year? Oh! Oh! Oh!

Thanks everyone for your good wishes sent our way. I got my first good night's sleep. I did not sleep in NY. Another highlight in NY...Eileen Atkins (HD's mum in WAGW was in a play just across the street from our hotel. On Friday, I waited outside the stage door and later was joined by Dorine, Rika, Kathy, Tress, and Maria. When Ms. Atkins came out she said something like you can't all be here for this. You must have liked something else I did. (How true) (I didn't want to say, I was hoping Colin had come to the performance and would be leaving with you) But, I told her that I was sorry I hadn't been to see her play, but loved her in WAGW. She laughed and said she couldn't believe it. She then took several pictures with us. What a lovely and gracious woman!!! Ditto on Mari's post about the friendly and the not so friendly. Emma Thompson is one beautiful, gracious lady!! You could tell she was very pleased for Colin and mentioned that to fans and news media. Now I'm off again, tomorrow, to join Dorine and Rika for the GWAPE BAFTA screening with CF, PW, and SJ. I'm still walking on air, and hopefully ODB will show tomorrow evening, and one of us will get to ask a question. Off to unpack and repack. Ebert and Roper gushed on and on this morning, giving LA two thumbs up!! Excellent. Ok, hope to post from NY about tomorrow evening. Keeping fingers crossed.

Quick posting for now--and am not even sure if this info has been posted--however, we have another Colin TV appearance on Thursday, Nov 13th, on the Wayne Brady Show (nevah seen this one before but he's that improv guy from Who's Line Is It, etc.) Also, you can watch some NY premiere footage that ET didn't air, with Booker talking to Colin and others, here: http://et.tv.yahoo.com/celebrities/2003/11/07/loveactuallypremiere/ Catching up will be tough and slow going; I haven't even unzipped Meg's files (luckily have done my suitcase though) :-(

Interesting view at home in the AJC. Love Actually Love and comedy abound in London at Christmastime. FILM FACTS Starring: Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Alan Rickman, Colin Firth and Bill Nighy Director: Richard Curtis Rating: R for sex, nudity and language Genre: Comedy, Romance Grade: B Verdict: As Mary Tyler Moore learned decades ago, love is all around, actually, in this bright Christmas bauble. By ELEANOR RINGEL GILLESPIE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution There's a smashing British boy in �Love Actually� and it's not Hugh Grant. It's Thomas Sangster, a precocious and beautiful middle schooler who speaks about his crush on a classmate with all the gravity and passion of Heathcliff in �Wuthering Heights.� How to gain her attention becomes a much-needed bond between him and his widower stepfather (Liam Neeson). Neeson and Sangster are just two of the outrageously attractive and talented cast who tie a glittering Christmas bow around writer-director Richard Curtis' 10 little love stories. Or rather, stories about love. Love found and love failed, love unrequited and puppy love, love threatened and love triumphant. Even love in Wisconsin. Curtis sets his film five weeks before Christmas in a London so besotted with yuletide that you half expect Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim to come strolling around a corner, holding hands. The movie begins in a recording studio, where a washed-up rock star (Bill Nighy) is ruefully transforming one of his classics into a ghastly Christmas song, in hopes of a comeback. It then darts from newlyweds Keira Knightley and Chiwetel Ejiofor at their rocking wedding; to a mother (Emma Thompson) gamely fashioning her daughter's lobster costume for the school's Nativity pageant; to the arrival of the new prime minister (Grant) at No. 10 Downing St., where he immediately falls for one of his secretaries (Martine McCutcheon). �Terribly inconvenient,� he stiff-upper-lips to himself. And there's more. Thompson's husband, Alan Rickman, is an urbane, dryly humorous boss who might risk a good marriage for a bad-girl employee who all but slithers up his leg. Another of his workers, Laura Linney, has a chance to fulfill a longtime crush on an office colleague but has selflessly � perhaps too selflessly� devoted herself to her brother, who lives in an asylum. Some stories are better than others. We could watch the burgeoning romance between Colin Firth's language-challenged Englishman and his Portuguese-speaking maid for hours. But we see far too much of a couple of pseudo-copulating porn-star stand-ins who �ironically� become interested in each other for real, or the randy young Brit who thinks his love (read, sex) life will change if he goes to America. Most of �Love Actually� is as bright and cheery as a string of Christmas lights. But Curtis also reminds us that not everyone gets a merry Christmas. A single present plucked from under the tree changes a life forever. A wedding video that shows only close-ups of the bride's face reveals a hopeless passion. This is the first directorial outing for Curtis, who's written such hits as�Four Weddings and a Funeral,� �Notting Hill� and �Bridget Jones's Diary.� But he already knows the first rule of directing: As John Huston so famously said, 99 percent of it is casting. And Curtis has hired only the best. Grant, who does this kind of crisp comedy with a romantic subtext so very well, stands out. By contrast, Neeson generously cedes most of his scenes to his young and extremely talented co-star. Rickman and Thompson bring their stage-honed savvy to the enterprise, while Firth reminds us why Bridget Jones fell for him. Linney gives a heartbreaking portrayal of a woman who, by doing the decent thing, may have doomed herself to a marginal life. There's also a terrific, surprising cameo by Billy Bob Thornton. (Well, I guess this is what to expect from the deep South, pfft!) However, Nighy pretty much steals the movie, giving his rock dinosaur a strange dignity as well as a hilarious propensity for telling the truth, no matter how rude it may be. During a TV appearance, after begging the audience to buy his record even though it's �total crap,� he turns to the camera and tells the kids watching, �Don't buy drugs,� then adds, �Become a pop star and then they'll give them to you for free.�

Hi Folks...just got home and checking all the fine postings.Thanks to all... Can't add much to the accounts of the "Magical Night." I must admit I'm so proud of ODB and told him so.Has grown in poise in the years we have been following him. He's obviously one of the "big boys" now, but has managed to maintain his humble and courteous personal manner. He was a prince to come and sign the autographs. It was His Night and obviously he was pleased.Was glowing...waved during the TV interviews. The print and TV media were surprised with the ovation that he received on arrival. Glad Linda gave you the scoop on "Hot Lips" . I was standing there, and his look was more of incredulous shock than pleasurable. (Mari)Honorable mention to Emma's hubby Greg Wise who was sweet and down to earth; I'll let Evelyn fill you in on Greg. Aw, I felt sorry for the guy. Here's the press taking all the photos of Emma and he gets to stand -by like a cast-off. I called over and asked if I could take his pic...He agreed and then my flash didn't go off and he told me so..(duh!) A Bridget moment..but he said he'd wait for me to wind the film. Gawd he's gorgeous. Loved meeting all the Drooleurs. If I must say so myself...ahem, they're an exceptional group! And now this is the longest posting you will ever see me do.

I've just checked http://www.cbs.com/latenight/latelate/guest/ for Colin and he is NOT listed.

(Evelyn)And now this is the longest posting you will ever see me do LOL, until the next premiere!!! Thanks everyone for the clips, photos, and interview updates.

(Evelyn)And now this is the longest posting you will ever see me do. LOL! So glad you didn't just do a one word summary--it's details like these that make it feel more like we were there.:-) (Evelyn)It was His Night I'm also surprised, especially in such company, but so very glad for him. Hope those promoting the movies are taking note. (Evelyn)obviously he was pleased. Was glowing...waved during the TV interviews. He's at his cutest when he's most like a happy little boy. I still really would like a word by word of the questions and comments everyone got to make to him. I can't imagine ever getting to say anything to him. Did you tell him about firth.com? Did anyone take anything to give him? Did he recognize anyone from other visits? Did he sign for everybody and which things did you take? Did anyone ask about upcoming theater? Did anyone get to talk to Livia?

Hello, everyone - I wanted to say thank you to everyone for all of the articles, reviews and especially the reports from the red carpet! I'm a devoted lurker who seldom has anything to contribute, so I hope this isn't old news... The "Hollywood One on One" program which airs on the Starz movie channels has interviews with the cast of LA. The interviews were done during the London press junket (sp) and the host spoke to the cast in pairs/groups: Colin, Laura Linney and Liam Neeson; Hugh and Richard Curtis; Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman; and Martine Mc and Bill Nighy. CF looked gorgeous in his customary black jacket with white shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans. The program will re-air several times this week.

Caribou: I still really would like a word by word of the questions and comments everyone got to make to him. I told him: "I'm *so* proud of you" ; he thanked me gave one of his "blue soup"smiles. I didn't have anything signed. I'm not one for autographs. Several years ago he signed a pic he took with Spring in 1999. That's enough. People took all kinds of stuff...many took Speaking with Angels. Did you tell him about firth.com? You gotta be kidding. Did anyone take anything to give him? No. It wasn't that kind of a function. He was about to go into the theatre. Did he recognize anyone from other visits? No. He kept his head down signing madly. Did he sign for everybody and which things did you take? Yes. He signed for all who wanted an autograph. Did anyone ask about upcoming theater? No. I should have.Thought about it later. Did anyone get to talk to Livia? Mari congratulated her on the baby.And she said" Thank you v. much" She stood in front of us during the whole time he was being interviewed. We really wanted to ask her to move, but didn't have the nerve. I know others will add to this....you were so good to report about Telluride, that's the least we can do. We wish all DD could have been there with us.....toasted: "To absent friends".

Evelyn)It was His Night (Caribou)I'm also surprised, especially in such company, but so very glad for him. Hope those promoting the movies are taking note. Evelyn)obviously he was pleased. Was glowing...waved during the TV interviews. (Caribou)He's at his cutest when he's most like a happy little boy. He was lovely! He was flirting with us! He would smile at us and wave while he was doing his press stuff and we were not unresponsive as you might imagine! This happened several times. I can safely say that he made the best effort of anyone there and I think made the trip well worth while for his *fan base*. He might not always be eloquent when referring to his fans but he sure made it well worth my efforts to see him and he continued to be gracious to fans after that dope grabbed at him! Whatta guy! Loved meeting fellow Droolers! Better than I'd imagined. This guy has some amazing fans!

(Caribou) Did anyone ask about upcoming theater? (Evelyn) No. I should have.Thought about it later. Thank you!! Question for sometime tomorrow!! That's been one of my burning questions, had an easy chance and forgot, damn it!! We really wanted to ask her to move, but didn't have the nerve. LOL!!!

(Caribou) Did anyone ask about upcoming theater? Any answer from the weather man would probably be *precipitous* ;-) Thanks Valerie. Always good to hear from you, with or without items of doctrinal import.

(Evelyn)We really wanted to ask her to move, but didn't have the nerve. Probably, she would always rather have us view him through the "Livia lens" as it were.:-) (Karen)Any answer from the weather man would probably be *precipitous* ;-) Isn't that the truth! So good to have everyone back on board! Am really looking forward to news from GWAPE BAFTA screening. Please, if you guys get the chance, ask CF if he's going with PW to any more film fests. You might suggest Santa Fe if he has trouble thinking of any nice ones.:-) (BeeDee)He was flirting with us! Did you ever in your wildest dreams think you would be able to write those words???!!!?? Did anybody just happen to have a video camera handy? (Evelyn)We wish all DD could have been there with us.....toasted: "To absent friends". That is so sweet. It reminds me of the International Sand Club toasting to absent wives.:-)

Don't know what I can add to all that you have already heard (but you do know I'll go on too long, so apologies in advance)! Was surprised that we were let into the press tent and wonder if things would have been different had it not been raining! We really lucked out....I believe there were 14 Droolers present and probably about 70 fans in the tent? We were representin'! ODB got the most applause and cheers. He looked amazing! Blue suit (again!) and black shoes this time! Livia looked lovely. Black cashmere type top with a red suede skirt....nice shoes (took a few pics of them) and the hair is faux. Goes down to her butt and is HUGE. Have a few pics of it as well (one with SAL-MAAAAAN Rushdie standing next to her and talking). BTW, did not get to ask Mr. Rushdie were the loos were....rather disappointed !! ;-D Is very important to me to know were all toilets are situated. Bill Nighy was a sweetheart! He came over to me (after noticing I wanted an autograph earlier, when he was done with his press obligations he said "where is that lady with the poster? I have to sign for her". Came over and personalized his autograph to me. We talked of LA (told him I thought he was brilliant....too funny) and told him I enjoyed I Capture the Castle. He said he was proud of both films. He then gave a big ol' belly laugh when KathyF told him that she enjoyed LA so much that "Christmas Is All Around" was growing on her.....he said "it's rubbish!" and laughed some more! Emma Thompson was incredibly nice. She came over to sign and said "I think you are all going to really enjoy this film". Most of us said that we had already seen it. I then told her that her part really moved me and was a real treat to watch. She said something like "that is really kind, thank you" and then asked "who are you all here to see?" When we said "Colin" she said something like "I'm so thrilled for him! He has so many fans here tonight!" She seemed genuinely pleased that ODB was having such a fuss made over him. ODB was friendly and talkative and seemed really relaxed (unlike Toronto). He spoke to our 'corner' for a few minutes (thank you Mari for keeping a cool head and being able to actually 'verbalize'). She asked him about The Dead Wait ("precipitous" he replied! He couldn't really talk about it as it was still up in the air). Mari also mentioned seeing him at Donmar and welcomed him to her 'neighborhood' (he smiled with dimples at that remark). She asked how long he had been in NYC ("three days now"). He was initially confused by a question (don't think he heard it all) when she asked "what is after TEOR?" and he replied "We are filming that right now". She then said something about "I meant projects" and that is when he used "precipitous" (my new favorite word now! LOL!). He touched me this time (no poking!). First when I handed him my poster to sign, he took the pen out of my hand and we had 'contact'. His fingers were cool (not hot or warm) and dry! Big ol' sigh! Then he asked "do you have something I can write on?" Linda was kind enough to hand over her book for him to use as a 'desk' (a hardship to have him fondle her paperback...LOL! ;-D). As he was signing, KathyF handed her book over to me over my shoulder. I stuck it out to ODB and he then took book and pen from me again (touched me at this point too....got the poster and pen back....and he touched my other hand getting pen away from me to sign for KathyF. This time he capped my Sharpie before it came back so I didn't get a 'pokin'). Managed to eek out a 'thank you' and he said "you're welcome" while listening to Mari's questions. It wasn't until after he signed for Linda that I realized ODB had signed autograph actually to me (thank you again Bill Nighy!!!!). There was an akward moment on the carpet, but ODB bounced back fairly quickly. I was taking pics and was messing with my camera...when I looked up, ODB was moving quickly backward with a shocked/stunned look on his face. I asked the girl next to me if he had been hit (as he was making a face as if he had been struck) and she told me that someone had just grabbed him and kissed him. This put a bit of a damper on the festive mood for a minute or two....but ODB recovered quickly and moved down and continued to sign.....I heard later that this woman had been told several times by security to calm down or they would escort her out. She had supposedly been hanging over the barrier and acting out a bit....is unfortunate. One person can ruin a mood or ruin something for dozens more. ODB was a trooper and continued down the row.....but it took a minute for everyone to get 'back to normal'. I don't think because ODB is an actor he forfeits his right to his personal space. I hope that doesn't happen too often o him. Would be very sad if he became like some of the other stars that were at LA who walked by their fans because they didn't want the bother (AR and LN spent no time with fans. Neither did Rowan Atkinson). Hugh was kind and signed for us as well (I saw that Mari has already told you her question to HG and his "Bloody Colin" response! LOL)! He was actually a very good sport. Thought he was very good to us....to tease us and sign. He has lovely blue eyes (incredibly blue eyes) but is showing his age a bit more than ODB. Someone asked "Can I take your picture?" and he responded with "of course" or something similar. Anyway...found him charming. Loved the ODB/HG hug on the carpet! This entire evening was magical! Made more so because I met so many incredibly funny and witty Droolers. Maria and I asked a security guard if we could walk the carpet when all the stars had left, he opened the 'gate' and we were able to walk upon the carpet touched by ODB. We talked to the head of security and Maria made me LOL...she said "So if I were to go to the afterparty, where would I be going?" He told her right away! LOL! He just said "The Metroland" and gave us the address (even drawing map of Manhattan...with his umbrella). He told us what time the stars would be arriving and maybe when we should arrive (which we didn't......I don't know about my fellow droolers, but I was just so thrilled to have spent 30-40 minutes in the same room as ODB that getting into the party was secondary to having cocktails and muscles and frittes at The Plaza with my fellow Droolers)! We did go see ODB arrive at the party (Dorine taking up post in the air.....I have come to believe that in some past life she was either a bird or monkey ;-D). We got to see ODB enter (after much applause and 'fuss' again!) and then went to bond at The Plaza. He gave us a nice wave and big, dimpled, full grin, toothy smile! I must say that the Droolers I met were an amazing group of ladies. I haven't had so much fun in ages.....it is amazing to me that we come from all over and yet when we get together, we have such a connection and can talk for hours about not just ODB, but other things as well. I'm going on 5 hours of sleep in the last 72? 80? hours! Laughed, talked and drooled my heart out this weekend! Thank you all ladies! I had a blast and it was a pleasure to meet each and every one of you! Special shout out to Dorine who organized many of the activities! Thanks! The island of Manhattan will never look the same (right Rika?) and the subway to the Village will be doing the silent hokie pokie thanks to Maria! OH! and several of us met "Lady Dashwood". She was a sweetheart. She took pictures with us...she is so wee! And incredibly kind! I'm off to Bedforshire!

(Tress) We talked to the head of security and Maria made me LOL...she said "So if I were to go to the afterparty, where would I be going?" Was that Mike with the hat? OMG! or did Maria and I ask 2 different people the exact same question, LOL!!!! The island of Manhattan will never look the same (right Rika?) and the subway to the Village will be doing the silent hokie pokie thanks to Maria! ROTFLMAO!! I'll never get on the subway without being a grinnin' fool again. (Dorine taking up post in the air.....I have come to believe that in some past life she was either a bird or monkey ;-D). Maybe a flying monkey? I've always had a huge affinity for The Wizard of Oz. ;-) Thanks so much, Terry! Didn't know about some of the questions and answers down your way. And, your welcome, for the little bit I did. :-D Got a ways to go 'til I'm Julie, the Cruise Director. ;-)

(Dorine) Was that Mike with the hat? OMG! or did Maria and I ask 2 different people the exact same question, LOL!!!! Yes! Did you ask that question? Am I still hallucinating? I thought it was Maria that asked Mike that! GAH! But I do think that Maria asked someone as well....the guy we took to calling Vinnie maybe??! He was the one that let us on the carpet I think....am now all fuzzy and warm after no sleep/all drool diet! Am incredibly surprised at how quickly the security boys gave up their info (they were practically willing to throw us all in the car and drive us there....LOL!). Must now learn to chat up the drivers of various limos and town cars for info....this would also keep us (by us, I mean Maria and I) from chasing the wrong car two or three blocks just in the hope of a glimpse! Not that we would do something silly like that.....;-)

It seems very sure that I can attend the LA London premiere. So everybody who is comming too, please feel free to contact me via e-mail. Also, I would appreciate some tips ( via e-mail), as it is my first premiere.

Just a quick note, then it's off to work! For those in later time zones, Colin is on in the second hour of the Today Show, about 20 minutes into the second hour. Adorable. And Katie couldn't resist a touch on the knee.;-) I want to know who the people from San Francisco are who had the big Colin Firth sign outside the studio.

Katie was cute on the Today Show.....she was too far away to touch him with her feet while they were sitting on those high chairs, but she just *had* to touch him. See that slow little jab on his knee? LOL! She's cute. Not so great lighting for him. He looked a bit tired (not surprising, I suppose) and the lights washed him out a bit.

(Karen)BTW, we don't think the photogs were yelling at Greg Wise (uttery doll) I don't think you saw what I was referring to. Emma Thompson and Greg Wise were being photographed together, and some of the photogs asked for shots just of her. Greg knelt at her feet (you can see a couple of shots of this on WireImage). It was while he was in that pose that one of the photogs yelled, "Get the f*** out of the way." They could have been yelling at someone else, but as nobody else was "in the way" I can't imagine who it would have been. Greg appeared to believe that it was aimed at him, because he immediately stood up and walked around the corner and waited while Emma finished up with the photographers. When she was near the end of the gauntlet, someone asked for a photo of the two of them, and he came back. Okay, on to something new! I just got back to my hotel from the area outside the "Today Show" studio in Rockefeller Center. I saw Colin's interview being taped through the windows. During the preceding commercial break, Katie Couric came over to him and got a kiss, and they chatted with quite a bit of animation until it was time for them to sit down and start the interview. When it was done, the two of them stayed seated for a few minutes chatting some more, before he finally departed. He stopped briefly outside the studio doors - some professional autograph sellers were there, along with one photographer who kept blocking my view, so I have one very bad photo from outside and that's all. Sadly, most of the people waiting by the doors were there to see Ann-Margret, who was on the show about half an hour later, and didn't even know who Colin was, but that didn't stop them from getting in the way! As you saw on TV, he was wearing a dark blue jacket and white shirt, along with light khaki-colored slacks. Maybe the matching blue slacks are at the cleaner's after his spill on Thursday. :-) (Mari) I want to know who the people from San Francisco are who had the big Colin Firth sign outside the studio. I saw them. Didn't get a chance to talk to them, though. I couldn't get into that area - even though it was fairly empty, the area you had to walk through to get there was completely jammed with people standing around a huge stage where they were doing Today's "American Idol" equivalent. And I also wanted to be able to pop over to the stage door afterwards - would never have made it back through the crowd in time. (Dorine) Not so great lighting for him. He looked a bit tired (not surprising, I suppose) and the lights washed him out a bit. He looked tired (though still gorgeous) in person too. Polite but subdued with the people outside the studio. But this was also a very different sort of atmosphere, where he wasn't called upon to be friendly and sociable. Most of the people waiting there just wanted their autographs so they could go sell them. One fan did get her picture taken with him, and I could probably have managed that if I'd been more aggressive, but because he looked tired I decided not to bug him.

Looks like Hugh is getting back at Mari: ;-) GRANT: FIRTH IS TOO OLD FOR COMEDY Actor HUGH GRANT has mocked his younger pal COLIN FIRTH's sex symbol status - claiming the screen star is "starting to look his age". Grant - who teamed up with Firth in BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY and new movie LOVE ACTUALLY - took a good-humoured pop at his friend this morning (10NOV03) on British TV show GMTV, questioning his handsome looks and suitability for film roles. When the NOTTING HILL hunk - who is actually one day older than Firth - was asked whether the pair are pals, Grant replied, "It's very difficult to like Colin. "I feel sorry for him on the regard that he is starting to look his age, poor old boy. The question arises, is he too old for romantic comedy now? I think he is. "The problem is one eye has started to droop a little." http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/news_story.jsp?storyId=2527

I don't want to be an alarmist, but why don't any of the t.v. listings show CF as being on Craig Kilbourn??? Maybe it's next week?

Tivoing the Today show in a later time zone channel, missed the local version. About how far in to the first and second hours is the Firth interview?

Cute interview on the Today Show. Thanks for being the on the spot reporter, Rika.The slacks looked like khaki cords...were they, ? Jacket , denim? Shirt looked like pajama tops; maybe he was in a hurry;-)

Dunno, maybe I missed reading about it, but on the night of The Daily Show, were any of "us" among the "hard-core" fans that were there and witnessed the "falling on his ass" before getting in the limo? Inquiring minds want to know. BTW - The posts the past few days are one of the main reasons why we LOVE this site! KUDOS and THANKS to EVERYONE from me too.

(Meg) I don't want to be an alarmist, but why don't any of the t.v. listings show CF as being on Craig Kilbourn??? Maybe it's next week? Unfortunately scheduled guests often change on these shows. Who knows what will be the case. You should recall the first time Colin was scheduled for the Today Show; it was even printed in the TV Guide (I kept it!!) but didn't happen. If you go to the Wayne Brady Show webpage, Colin isn't listed as a guest either for this week, yet the Late Show lineup page shows him, as well as online TV Guide. Better safe than sorry I say. Colin appears about 20 minutes into the second hour of Today...today.

(Evelyn)The slacks looked like khaki cords...were they, ? Khaki, but I don't think they were cords unless it was a very thin wale. Almost a denim-ish look to them. Odd choice with the jacket, I thought. Jacket, denim? Looked like a pretty standard dark blue suit jacket to me. Shirt looked like pajama tops; maybe he was in a hurry;-) LOL! I don't remember anything specific about the shirt except that it was white. I must apologize, though - I forgot to check the shoe color! Was it visible on camera? I couldn't always hear what was being said during the interview (I know they discussed his learning Portugese), but I saw that they showed publicity shots of the TEOR fight in Hyde Park. Did he get a chance to mention GWAPE or any other project, or did he just stick to the Universal projects?

(Louise) were any of "us" among the "hard-core" fans that were there and witnessed the "falling on his ass" before getting in the limo? My own feeling is that it was an amusing anecdote created for his interviews. Absolutely no rumblings from his *fan base* to validate and you can be sure world would've gotten around...like the lunatic fan who might have ruined it for everyone else in the future by kissing him. Wish the security guard had thrown her out as he had threatened several times. She's really living in a fantasy world if she thinks Colin thought it was cute or had brought it upon himself. :-(

closing tags. Sorry - haven't done that in ages. Must be "ODB Fever."

tag is closed now!

Lucky you, Rika. I'm so glad you got to see him, again, this morning. He looked lovely from a TV POV. Katie will be flustered for a month after this one. LOL that she pronounced Matteo wrong. Went well with the gist of the interview, actually. OK, off to NY in two hours. Hopefully the stars will shine on us again, tonight!!

My guess is that Universal booked him on Craig Kilborn in Los Angeles for Wednesday--without realizing he had GWAPE commitments on Tuesday night in NY. He could take a very early flight Wednesday A.M. and just make it, but it's tight. I'd imagine the Kilborn appearance won't happen. Still, we have The View coming up tomorrow. Terry--did you tape E! News on Friday for us? Since that's a one hour show, I imagine they had decent coverage of the premiere.

Here are some repeat times for the Starz Hollywood One on One program that Valerie mentioned yesterday. These are all Eastern time: STARZ Nov 11 09:00am STARZ Nov 12 03:30pm STARZ Nov 13 01:35pm STARZ Nov 14 07:20am STARZ Nov 15 04:40pm STARZ Nov 19 04:25am STARZ Nov 19 04:30pm However, if you do a search at Starz: http://www.starzsuperpak.com/se/ssp/schedule/grid_search.html you can see there are two versions of this program: a 15 minute one and another on Starz theater which is 24 minutes. V. confusing, though I suppose it doesn't matter, as I don't have that channel. ;-)

(Rika) Did he get a chance to mention GWAPE or any other project, or did he just stick to the Universal projects? Just Universal stuff, unless I missed something.....shades of Thursday night. Maria asked me a couple of days later what he said to me since she couldn't hear, and I freaked because I thought I missed something beside the "thank you very much." I mean it was loud, but.... To top it off she informed me I said something out loud that I thought I was just thinking when my pen didn't work for a sec. I definitely didn't have enough to drink beforehand. ;-) Awesome for you, Rika. Maybe he can get a nap in today and be refreshed. At least he'll be talking about something other than LA tonight and tomorrow night.

Colin's shirt this morning was striped. Very nice. I thought he looked handsome. Poor guy, we expect him to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed 24/7.;-) Good luck to Dorine and Linda at the GWAPE thingie tonight! Really looking forward to your report on the Q&A, darling girls!:-)

(Mari)For those in later time zones, Colin is on in the second hour of the Today Show, about 20 minutes into the second hour. Whew! Mari thanks for that post. You saved my bacon! I would have missed it totally--as it was just missed the first little bit (I hope). Because of my unpreparedness, I was on the wrong channel briefly and saw Russell Crowe. Colin was counterprogramming to R Crowe! Definitely makes him one of the big boys.:-) (Mari)Adorable. And Katie couldn't resist a touch on the knee.;-) I watched that bit a couple of times. She did that to reconnect with him! She had just said that he didn't do a good job with speaking Portegeuse (not really the ad line they were going for). When he heard that, he put on a fake smile and broke eye contact with her and looked down. Then, she kept talking, touched his knee to get him to look up and tried really hard to dig herself out of that hole by saying she thought it was really cute and worked well in the movie. Oh, I do love to watch ODB unrehearsed. Rika, Dorine, or Linda, I had an idea but don't know if it's feasible. On the casa site, there is a photo of him talking to Rushdie at the after party. I bet he would really like a hard copy of that. 4x6 that he could slip in his pocket when you see him tonight.;-) Just a thought. Still enjoying every post and tidbit!!

(Caribou)Colin was counterprogramming to R Crowe! Definitely makes him one of the big boys.:-) Prime Time, wow! When did we *ever* think that would happen. Remember the last time he was on the Today Show ? They put him on from 9 to 10. Who looks at that time...except the cleaning ladies.

Reporting in about the Today Show from the later time zone. It was great! I couldn't focus on anything he wore because of the way he looked at Katie! How could she stand it. He had a full blown BJ birthday Mark Darcy look. I also loved how he seemed to get distracted anytime they showed clips of his movies; he must have been watching the monitor...

Saw the Today Show interview. Nice...ODB did look a bit tired, but still incredibly handsome. Loved that Katie had to slip in the knee touch (reminded me of Bridget's chest touch at the turkey curry buffet) to get ODB to look back up at her (maybe he was dozing in his jammie top! LOL!). Anyway, he looked tired but sexy... Yeah! Rika!!! You saw him again! Good for you, I'm glad you went down even if you didn't get that close. BTW, I think the shoes he was wearing were boots. Dark brown, I believe. Good luck to the BAFTA ladies, Dorine, Rika and Linda! Have fun this evening and I look forward to hearing all about it!

For the crowd that couldn't watch him on TV this morning, the Today show has the clip up on the site now: http://www.msnbc.com/news/today_front.asp?0dm=-20VV

Here she goes... Colin, right after being petted: And his face after Katie congratulates him on the baby:

They're both cuties. Thanks, Karen. (Tress) Loved that Katie had to slip in the knee touch (reminded me of Bridget's chest touch at the turkey curry buffet) Yes!!!! LOL!! It was so far into the interview, I was losing hope of seeing any "moves" from her. ;-)

All together now: Awwwwwwwww!!!!!!!! What a sweet way to start my morning! And didn't the little knee-pat thing bring to mind Darcy's sympathy pats on the distressed Lizzie?

Karen, you really captured him at the right moments! And now we definitively have the correct pronunciation of Matteo. Rika, so glad you got in another peek this morning. I think the sign that was held up right after his segment said: San Franciscans love Colin Firth and the Today Show. We thought we'd tell you "Just in cases." (Which is so clever, because that's Aurelia's line to him when he comes to propose.)

(Mari) And now we definitively have the correct pronunciation of Matteo. Turkish, right? ;-)

Hi again! Just slept (only woke up for the Today Show). OK, I'll attempt to be coherent. I�m sure everything I�m saying has already been said already. And I�ll apologize upfront to Karen for using the plural sometimes. Meeting all of the Drooleurs was absolutely amazing. You all are wonderful and a wholeheartedly wish that everyone could have been there! Oh, and when I checked into the hotel, the first thin I saw was a LA poster outside the room. It was a positive sign! ;-) I saw GWAPE with Dorine and Linda. It was truly a piece of art!!! Before the premiere, everything seemed v. iffy. A bunch of lawyers were having a party that took up the side of the hotel opposite the theater and blocked off much of the access. Harumph! The gang stood on the edge of the press tent in the rain, which I thought was itself exciting. Then a bunch of fans were issued into the tent, but "Vinnie" closed off the barrier while I was outside with several others. Dorine, I think, (the whole experience is still v. dreamlike) pulled the rest of us in after the fans inside yelled that there was still space. We were behind a barrier right on the red carpet and across from all the press. Next to Karen and me were a couple of tourists who had blindly wandered into the tent off the street but had no idea about LA or just about any of the actors. Durr� (though the man did have a video camera). And I must say, I never realized the paparazzi were so nasty and beastlike. At some point (my only time reference is on my photographs) Bill Nighy walked in as the first of the stars. He was posing and really seemed into the whole experience and was great to Tress and Kathy (I wish I had been over there). Alan Rickman was next, followed by Richard Curtis, and then the girl who played Joanna. Oh, and Kelly Clarkston was in that group too. Rowan Atkinson rushed past the photographers and they booed him very loudly until he walked back to stop for a photo or two. Emma Thompson was beautiful, and I really felt sorry for Greg Wise. I have a picture of his picture being taken by Evelyn. ;-) Maurine McCutcheon wore a lovely gown and looked stunning. Liam Neeson was there with Natasha Richardson, but he completely ignored the fans. Rodrigo Sanchez practically slipped by. My heart has started pounding like it was while we were in the tent as a I think about Colin�s entrance. The screams were deafening (he was really the only one who got any screams). Livia was stunning and Colin glowed. He was all smiley and waved and seemed genuinely delighted to be so adored. Hugh came in a moment or two later and the fans were silent. Some publicist asked the fans if we were going to scream for Hugh, and he got a few cries. I remember yelling, �You�re nice too!� He and Colin got in a big bear hug and I thought the stardom torch had truly been passed. By this time the two random tourists had left and I was standing next to the infamous psycho fan �pink girl.� She kept on nearly climbing over the barrier and Vinnie threatened her three or four times that she would be thrown out. I told her to calm down, because it wasn�t worth it to be thrown out (ah, hindsight� had I known what she was about to do, I would have assisted Vinnie in escorting her from the tent!). TMH came over and signed something that pink girl was waving and a few other things from the area in which I was standing, before being swallowed by the press again. When he came back pink girl muttered, �I have to do this,� grabbed him by the lapel/shoulder and kissed him on the dimple. He was right in front of me at that point and he recoiled in abject horror, but was so gentlemanlike and continued to sign for the fans. Pink girl then stuffed another book in front of him and insisted he personalize the message, but he couldn�t understand the way she wanted him to have it spelled and finally scribbled something while muttering that he had to go on. He signed my Speaking with the Angel. I was certain he wasn�t going to after pink girl and all I could say was sorry and thank you over and over. He was like Adonis in person; so tall and broad shouldered in the blue suit! And the dimples when he gave a big smile� wow! Oh and his voice was so deep and resonant and I�m really starting to babble here. ;-) The experience was beyond my wildest expectations, but I think the best part was meeting the other Drooleurs! I had such a blast with the whole chase and New York�s dirty little secret and everything! So much to tell, so much to conceal! It was a dream!

(Shoshana)...but I think the best part was meeting the other Drooleurs! I had such a blast with the whole chase and New York�s dirty little secret and everything! So much to tell, so much to conceal! Girl, don't leave us hanging! Tell more, I beg you!

I really must thank everyone who takes the time and trouble to post video clips, pictures, and accounts of encounters! I feel almost like I was at the LA premier with you all. So...virtual roses and Godiva chocolates to you all!

This might be an entirely impossible link, but it is pics of Rodrigo publicizing the movie in Rio [pause] de Janiero (shaking her shoulders a la HJ) ;-) http://www.globephotos.com/scripts/kws30pre.exe?site=GLOBEPH&maxhits=12&picktype=GfxOnly&type=GfxOnly&search=K33884&hmessage=BRAZILIAN+ACTOR+RODRIGO+SANTORO+DURING+AN+INTERVIEW++RIO+DE+JANEIRO,+BRAZIL++11/03/2003&ShowTotal=on&fmaxhits=&submit=lsearch

Boss Lady, I'm not sure if this belongs here but I guess you'll move/delete if necessary. Don't think I've seen it posted already. Article and review from NBC site about LA, with photo of characters (including CF), but doesn't interview CF in article. http://www.msnbc.com/news/989220.asp?0dm=V22DL

Thanks to all our premiere ladies for the wonderful reports!! I'm sure you are all still on cloud nine and suffering from lack of sleep, so thanks for sharing. You made it possible for all of us to feel that we were there, as we were in spirit! Karen, thanks for getting the Today link up so soon. My VCR's on the blink, but a friend taped it for me. I'll see it tonight, but loved the sneak peek and the caps. Dorine, Linda and Rika: Have a wonderful time and ask some great questions, or any kind of questions, so you can keep him talking! What a marvelous chance to see him in a different setting, away from the press. Looking forward to your reports later tonight!

Thank you so much ladies for all the great stuff. I don't live far from the city but it was an impossible date for me. I can say though that I am extremely jealous of you all yet strangely satisfied b/c all your reports make me feel if I was actually there! On another note, psycho fan "pink girl" has posted her story elsewhere and she saw absolutely nothing wrong with what she did. I am with you girls though, definitely over the line. Thank you again and please feel free to babble on.

Pat O'Brien gave it a rave review on Access Hollywood, he said if it's in your area and you weren't going he would personally come and give you a ride to the theater.

(Jodi) On another note, psycho fan "pink girl" has posted her story elsewhere and she saw absolutely nothing wrong with what she did. One great thing about Drool is that we don't talk about other sites (behind their backs)...that being said, I'm grateful that psycho fan "pink girl" didn't have vampire tendencies. ;-)

Rex Features had a bunch of pics from the premiere and there's a couple of crowd shots with CF signing autographs. There's one shot of a woman in a pink sweater;-). http://www.rexfeatures.co.uk/cgi-bin/r2show0?k=COLIN+FIRTH&f=Next+%3E%3E&s=yPxhs0u6aqj@Pa@MTRcl-ih0&u=DEFAULT&p=b19F8068A0000000A&t=000000DB

Thanks ladies, for your ongoing reports. I, too, am savoring every litte tidbit. Rika, Dorine, and Linda have fun tonight at the Q&A. Mari, loved your report--as you gave us the scoop on his hair, and who was naughty and nice on the red carpet. ;-) So, does this mean that in addition to red suits, we must now avoid wearing pink sweaters? ;-) Lisa, whose postings are almost as short as Evelyn's. ;-)

Hi everyone, Rika, Dorine, and I just got back from the BAFTA screening and Q&A|

(Lisa)So, does this mean that in addition to red suits, we must now avoid wearing pink sweaters? ;-) LOL! Not a hardship here on either count.:-) (Linda the Tease)Hi everyone, Rika, Dorine, and I just got back from the BAFTA screening and Q&A| Yes? So.........? What's the poop?

Sorry about that, but this poxy hotel internet connection is the pitts. Colin, Scarlett, and Peter Webber entered the theater after the screening for the Q&A. We sat in the second row and the first row was divided with a space right in front of my seat. As soon as the screening was over, a women came out and placed four chairs directly in front of that space. I knew we sat in the right spot. I turned to my left as soon as the lights went up and there he was. OMG. Colin was dressed in jeans, a black t-shirt and a brown suede jacket. He was gorgeous. Then the three of them walked down and took their seats. Colin sat directly in front of me. With a bit of effort, I could have stretched my leg all the way out and touched him. Well it might have been a big stretch, but you get the idea. For the second time in four days, I felt like I died and went to heaven. Dorine asked the first question of PW about the ending being so different from the book with almost no passage of time. He had several reasons for this, but in a nutshell he wanted to leave it ambigious, and since it wasn't historical fact, he felt this was the way to go. I'll let Dorine tell you the rest, but it might need to go to Spoilers. There was a question as to why the decision to film in Luxembourg (sp). PW said it definitley was a question of money that helped with the decision. His answers were rather long, and try as I might pay attention, my mind and eyes just kept straying to CF. I was very discreet, but it was almost impossible not to look at him with him sitting not five feet in front of me. When PW answered the question about the shooting location and the money, Colin and Scarlett kept looking at each other and giggling, raising eyebrows, etc over his answer. A few questions came from the moderator. (I have no idea who he was or what he looked like);-) The Q&A lasted about 40 minutes. When we left the theater, Colin was in the hall signing books. I couldn't find my daughter, who attended with me, and as I scanned the crowd she was standing next to Colin and asking him to sign her book. I thought...good girl...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree;-) Colin joked around a bit during the Q&A when he talked about having nothing to do for two months except show up and give a brooding look to Griet and leave. He did say he was terrified when they finally began shooting his part because he had watched for so long and could see the beauty of the film unfolding that he didn't want to mess up. He also laughed about scenes that were cut, but he didn't go into detail. PW promised that all this would be on the DVD...(I hope) What an amazing night. I still can't believe I sat there and kept cool for that long a time in such close proximity. Wow! It was a blast, and like Thursday's premiere, I won't forget it for a long, long time. Have to go...6am train out of here, tomorrow.

I'm sorry, but I must make this quick. Left several mini-crises at home before Q&A, and gee, they seem to still be here. I'll leave the transcript, as such, to Rika and Linda. First things first....he looked AFG! Brown suede jacket shirt thingy, black T-shirt, stonewashed jeans, brown boots. Veeerrrry nice! Hair...awesome!! Really nice skin up close, wonder if he shaved not long before this. (The things we ruminate on here. ;-)) Stupid me, I asked a question about the end of the movie, therefore encouraging PW to speak as opposed to ODB. He's a talker, that PW. Very interesting and passionate about what he says. I really like him and would love a long conversation one day. Scarlett was cute during one of PW's answers....he kept going on and she was kidding around with the mic and Colin, subtly, acting like she was going to try to get a word in edgewise and couldn't. ODB did answer some ?'s, or his part of questions. Q&A was short and sweet and they left the room rather quickly. Must have had somewhere else to go or were just tired. He did stop outside to speak with someone he knew or who knew someone he knew (got that? ;-)). There was a big gap on his left I slid to, though some young guy slipped in between as soon as he was done talking to the other woman...or maybe there was just a lull, cause I think she just stood there while he talked to the kid for a sec. Linda's daughter wanted something signed and seemed reluctant to go up. As soon as that kid moved out, ODB took a couple of side steps away toward the direction to leave, I took a couple of big steps to take up the gap, he looked over to me, I asked if he minded doing something, he said "Wot?," ;-), I backed up a step, pointed to Linda's daughter who was just behind me, I looked at her, tipped my head toward him and said "Go ahead," and she asked him to sign something for her. He did, of course and she got a really nice smile. Way to go G!! :-) And while I had him there (oh the images that conjures up), I managed to get something signed for someone else, as well. To make things easier for him, I had her name on a Post-It sticking up out of the book so he could use it to sign and avoid the issues of Thursday. Almost didn't help too much, he seemed distracted, or confused, or both, because I had to point it out several times that it was the name I wanted on it. Bet he's tired of all this. Can't blame him really. And it's probably been a long day for him and one tomorrow, too. His handler said he had an elevator holding for him, but he still signed a few more, with the crowd getting more dense in front of him. When he stopped and turned to leave, you could tell he'd had enough. SJ and PW must have hightailed it to the elevator right off. We never saw them out there. They came to the event together, so they were waiting on him to leave, I suppose. Gotta say, we picked one helluva guy to Drool over. :-D Outside, ran into a BAFTA VIP, to whom I pointed out that last year when George Clooney was here, she said she could listen to him read the phone book and I had instantly remarked I'd rather hear Colin. I asked her if her opinion had changed at all. She said she was very surprised about how much ODB had "IT" outside of film as he didn't have "IT" for her in films. She did seem rather enamored now, but wouldn't concede ODB had it over GC. Give her time, just give her time. ;-) Bet she'll make sure someone at BAFTA tries to get him next year. ;-D Maybe for EOR, if we're lucky. This wasn't too short. :-( Will probably be incommunicado for the next couple of days. I'm looking forward to Rika and Linda's comments.

(me) When he stopped and turned to leave, you could tell he'd had enough. Gotta say, we picked one helluva guy to Drool over. :-D Just have to reiterate how gracious he was, even when obviously tired. He could be like AR or LN and dis fans. He seemed a tad more business-like in mood and less convivial and flirty as he was on Thursday. Not a huge surprise, really.

(Linda) Dorine asked the first question of PW about the ending being so different from the book with almost no passage of time. He had several reasons for this, but in a nutshell he wanted to leave it ambigious, and since it wasn't historical fact, he felt this was the way to go. I slid in a follow-up question about whether the different ending was in the script originally when he stopped at the end of the original question. He said the script was different, and he wanted it changed. At that point, didn't ask for follow-up to that, as I all of a sudden realized there were other people in the packed house. ;-D First time in weeks, there weren't droves of exits before the Q&A. ;-)

(Dorine)Gotta say, we picked one helluva guy to Drool over. :-D You've got that right! (Linda)With a bit of effort, I could have stretched my leg all the way out and touched him. Well it might have been a big stretch, but you get the idea. Thanks so much Linda and Dorine for those lovely reports. Know how tired you must be and your efforts are much appreciated.

Yipppppeeeeee!!!! Dorine! Rika! Linda! Way to go ladies! So glad you got to see him again....and it sounds like he was looking mighty fine, though tired (can you blame him?? Crikey! I still haven't recovered from NYC and he's still there and still going!). Glad you got to ask a question on the ending Dorine. I know that you had wanted to hear his response to that.... So happy for you guys!!!! Thanks for the reports ladies!

(Ada) Rex Features had a bunch of pics...There's one shot of a woman in a pink sweater;-). Captured for all eternity. *sigh* To the left were a pair of guys holding a white straightjacket. ;-) (Linda) Sorry about that, but this poxy hotel internet connection is the pitts. But do you have water? A flushable toilet? How about working elevators? ;-) Colin sat directly in front of me. With a bit of effort, I could have stretched my leg all the way out and touched him. But could you have kissed him if there had not been a plexiglass divider between them and the audience? Did you notice if he stretched out his legs toward you, indicating (naturally) that he wanted to play footsie with you? ;-) A few questions came from the moderator. (I have no idea who he was or what he looked like);-) Pffft! ;-) I thought...good girl...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree;-) Well done you! (All of you!) Great reports Linda and Dorine. Am savoring every word and trying to visualize Linda playing footsie with him. What a whirlwind week this has been and we're not done yet!

(Linda) A few questions came from the moderator. (I have no idea who he was or what he looked like);-) From EW mag....was a last minute fill-in. Original one cancelled. He left an event to do this. (Karen) What a whirlwind week this has been and we're not done yet! One more lovely course to go! At least here.

Thank you all for the wonderful reports. I am in awe of you all. However I always like to focus on the really important issues. ;-) Did someone say they had taken a picture of Livia's shoes? Any chance of a peek? Just to add to the collection that is...

Hello Everyone and a big THANK YOU to all for your reports, pics, news, etc. - we are all eternally grateful here Down Under for the selfless CF fans out there in the big ol' world. Terry - if you've put the Today show interview into a downloadable format, I'd be very grateful to you for it, since their website seems to have crapped out. Cannot get the darned file in any way, shape or form - it either gives me an error message saying the file cannot be found or it gives me a message saying that the media is downloading - but stays at 0%. :-( I guess all of CF's fans must have murdered the media site...

(Jane) Cannot get the darned file in any way, shape or form - it either gives me an error message saying the file cannot be found or it gives me a message saying that the media is downloading - but stays at 0%. *snort* and I thought it was my computer iliteracy showing. (I also can't get in). I want to add my thanks to all the Drool Reporters and their reports. I have had a great time reading and laughing at your antics.

*TV Alert** BBCA "Talking Movies" with Tom Brook (remember him...the bald guy across from us?) featured the NY Premiere this morning.It is repeated again this morning and this evening. Tress and Linda...you are there!! Look at the right when Richard Curtis is being interviewed.Tress holding camera and talking (surprise!) He interviewed Hugh (long time...catch what he says about American audiences reaction to the president scene!), Emma, but alas not Colin. (I'm taping the next show, Boss)

Too late! Next ep is not till 5:30 am tomorrow morning.

BBC American's Talking Movies airs at Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 am, 7:30 am, and 8:30 am/et and on Saturdays at 6:30 am Eastern. While they didn't air Colin being interviewed (cannot believe that, Evelyn, after that special rapport you struck up with Tom!!!) perhaps some of the footage will show up when he reviews the movie on a subsequent show. Note: There is also supposed to be something with Colin on today's Extra! Check for your local listing here: http://extratv.warnerbros.com/local/index.html

Wonder if Colin will be on before or after the knockoff shoe segment? ;-) Oh yes, I added the December Marie Claire (UK) article here: http://www.firth.com/articles/03marieclaire_dec.html for those who haven't read it yet. More imports to come... [suitcase got significantly heavier] ;-)

(Karen)Wonder if Colin will be on before or after the knockoff shoe segment? ;-) I'm imagining him squirming in the green room wondering if they're going to ask him about home videos, and cursing whoever booked him on this show!

I'm interested to hear that the US edition of Talking Movies doesn't include any coverage of Colin, as the edition I saw here in Britain at the weekend did include a brief comment from him about his character's romance across the language barrier. It also included TB's review. I hadn't realised they produced different versions for different countries.

The ladies on The View loved Colin. He did an excellent job of thinking on the spot,especially with Star Jones and Joy Behar. Joy told him is very funny. When Meredith Viera pronounced Matteo's name properly, he looked at her with a sign of appreciation. The only thing the producer did incorrectly was to to put the guest co-host introducing , beginning and closing the spot. Her voice is "eeewww". Fortunately, the other ladies piped in and carried the brunt of the time allotted.

Just saw Colin on the View. Who dressed him this AM? That shirt is hideious!!!! He was great, very charming and witty. And the ladies were a bit calmer than they had been earlier on the show--no questions about embarassing home sex videos. Same clip as on other shows--begining with the papers flyinginto the lake. Interesting that the clip was edited so that we see less skin/undressing when she runs toward the lake. (Disney at work?) He talked about his children, which always makes him look relaxed and happy. Meredith Viera dragged up the "turnip" description of Luca. CF said he grew out of that by about 8 months and is not an impossibily beautiful child.

Am going to have to replay my tape, but Colin started off rather slowly and appeared a bit uncomfortable, but soon loosened up. Loved how the ladies not only said he was gorgeous but that he was funny (that was right after the "I was four" quip). It was great hearing/seeing the audience's reaction to him (standing and cheering!!), with one person holding up a sign. I didn't think the shirt looked bad at all. Nice to see him wearing something different for a change.

ARRGH! bad typing! Luca is NOW an impossibly beautiful child.

Damn! I'm so sorry I missed his View appearance; sounds like he did well and the ladies and the audience showed proper appreciation.;-). (Freakin' job--necessary only to pay for NYC trips.;-)

Star Jones was practically quivering while she mentioned the "I like you just the way you are" line from BJD. Cute response to Livia's reaction to being voted sexiest male star in Britain (she probably calls his mother and says 'would you please stop voting') Joy was laughing throughout his description of the baby, not having human attibutes or accessories as he called them. Maybe he doesn't remember how his eyebrows never used to show either. ;-)

Agree that Colin started off slowly but blame that on the "auditioning" co-host... (please don't let her get the position full time!). However, once the regulars took over he loosened up and was charming and funny.

Was able to watch The View due to Veteran's Day holiday. He was absolutely gorgeous, funny and charming. The ladies seemed v. appreciative of his wit and loved the way he talked about the little ones. I thought he looked fantastic, flowered shirt and all. Couldn't take my eyes off his face long enough to check out the shoes;-)

(Kate) Just saw Colin on the View. Who dressed him this AM? Some hispanic bell-boy. But agree, it was a change from the black tee-shirt. Nice audience reaction. Such a difference from the Carolyn Rhea Show (RIP)where the mention of Nostromo brought a resounding silence. Play the tape again , doesn't he do those little purring sounds like he did on "Colin Unplugged"tape? Was v. poised...didn't scratch is nose..just kept re-arranging the pillows. The gals were well-behaved which helped. He's ready to take on Letterman and Leno now. Next time.

(Kate) Just saw Colin on the View. Who dressed him this AM? (Evelyn) Some hispanic bell-boy. And here I thought he was introducing his Darcy line of pajama tops. ;-) (Evelyn) He's ready to take on Letterman and Leno now. Next time. Couldn't agree more. So glad that his wit is coming through, too.

Congratulations Dorine, Linda, and Rika!!! Such a lucky trip over and over!! Dorine, I thought of questions for tonight, though they're not fully fleshed. One is something to the effect of how do you approach playing a historical figure about whom so little is known, or in SJ's case, someone who in fact never existed but is integrated into true history? Second would be about making historical behavior understandable to a modern audience (I'm thinking about the whole repressed relationships aspect which seems kind of funny modernly when you would just expect them to shag and get over it, who cares about social roles). Yes, they're rubbish, but I at least wanted to try. ;-) Boy, you can tell that I'm still not coherent. ODB is so amazing that he's only showing some tiredness (although he wasn't on the chasing limos/sneaking around hotel lobbies end of the weekend). ;-) Oh, and if anyone cares, my brother is convinced that he can see me in one of the pictures that shows pink girl (and this was without any coaching on my part). "I" am staring blindly (looks like towards CF's butt) and halfway behind his shoulder. LOL!

(Am going to have to replay my tape, but Colin started off rather slowly and appeared a bit uncomfortable, but soon loosened up. Loved how the ladies not only said he was gorgeous but that he was funny (that was right after the "I was four" quip). Actually, he started off that way, too, last evening. At first I thought, oh no, he's in a bad mood, but as soon as things got underway he was great. But on The View this morning it looked as though he had sat on something or maybe his battery pack or whatever it is had slipped to low for comfort. He was AFG this morning and last night. Glad they didn't bring up that sex video stuff with him. Those ladies are like dogs with a bone. They get on to something and keep it going. More about last night: I was trying to remember what PW said in response to Colin's remark that "it got cut" and PW said it will be on the DVD extras. I remember, now. They were talking about the weather and how cold it was. Colin said at some point during filming it was 15 below. Scarlett joked around about Colin not having any outside scenes. He responded, "Yes I did, but they got cut" And that during those scenes he did shoot outside the weather caused problems with his skin. (Oh Gawd that skin, it looked totally soft and edible last night)sorry! Another moment, off the mic,...(I could hear him breathe)Scarlett mentioned that she loved doing this film because there was so much underlying emotion, and that she had loads of fun looking at all the insturments from Vermeer's studio, she said they were phallic-looking. Colin leaned in to her really laughing and I could hear him say to her, "Wot did you do, steal them from the set, then"? (Evelyn)Tress and Linda...you are there!! ...that's it, I'm off to Hollywood. I've been discovered.;-) (Karen)But could you have kissed him if there had not been a plexiglass divider between them and the audience? Did you notice if he stretched out his legs toward you, indicating (naturally) that he wanted to play footsie with you? ;-). Absolutely, I knew by the look on his face that he was sending me signals to jump him, right then and there. I held back because my daughter was sitting next to me. ...And I knew he wanted to play footsie, too. I could tell.;-))))) But, LOL, I looked down at one point, and found my ankle doing a Couric move. I had to concentrate to stop it. I think I may have been the one sending the signals;-) Oh, and one more thing...I got to hear him say Ab-so-lutely. No wonder I haven't been able to sleep in days. I think if I don't sleep tonight, I'll be ready for the looney bin. OK, who said, "she's been there for ages"? (Karen)But do you have water? A flushable toilet? How about working elevators? ;-) LOL, thanks for the memories!!!

Sorry, here I am, again. I'm surprised Colin isn't on the Talking Movies clip. He spent a really long time with TB. Or, maybe it just seemed that way since I was anxious for him to come over to our side of the red carpet. Thanks for the TV updates, alerts, and phots. Still dreaming in NJ;-)

Finally back home - it's been a whirlwind day so far (5:30 am train so I could be home to teach a class at 10:30). Dorine and Linda have done a great job of covering the major points from the Q&A - let's see what I can add: When they asked about costumes, SJ said hers were pretty comfortable, then asked, "How were those pantaloons, Colin?" He replied, "How did they look to you?" He went on to say that the biggest problem for him was getting a pair of stockings to stay up. Described "straps, clasps, clips, pulleys" used for that purpose. Then he said it was his wig that was the problem, to which Scarlett piped up, "Yes, it was," but they didn't follow that thread any further. He and Peter Webber had a lot of fun with a remark Scarlett made about the "phallic" brushes in Vermeer's studio. They were both talking at once so it was hard to make out what they said, but their nonverbal reaction alone was very funny. As has been mentioned, they apparently shot several scenes that were deleted - Webber said he wanted to cut the film down to the most important stuff, which was basically Griet/Vermeer. (Among other things, there were multiple endings shot.) He said we'd get to see them on the DVD. At one point, CF remarked on how cold it was in Luxembourg - he said, "We were filming in 15 below, weren't we?" Scarlett said, "You weren't filming in 15 below; I was." He shot back, "I was too - the scene just got cut." Apparently they built a three-story set for the interior of the house. CF talked about how nice that was from the standpoint of the actors being able to easily immerse themselves in the fictional world of the movie, compared to situations where you leave a room, and walk into the room next door several weeks later, hundreds of miles away. They were both asked about preparing for their roles, given that they both did contemporary roles right beforehand. SJ said she was exhausted and feeling emotionally vulnerable after Lost in Translation "and I just stayed there." CF talked at length about his preparation process - lots of research, though it was of little help, and eventually he just had to do something because the cameras were rolling. He mentioned more than once the thing he's said before, about trying to leave Vermeer somewhat "in the shadows" as he felt the book and script did. He also mentioned more than once having some feelings of insecurity about the role. The first time, it was in the context of hanging around for five or six weeks and doing nothing but giving Scarlett "sizzling looks" on occasion or looking out a window (he repeated the "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" joke about her reaction to the looks). He said it was hard to hang about watching what seemed to be a masterpiece in development while his confidence "ebbed away" because he was afraid he'd be the weak link. Later he said that walking onto the set of Vermeer's studio was a rather magical experience, but it also gave him some sense of feeling unworthy. They spent two days filming on location in Delft, though CF didn't go. Scarlett said he was glad he didn't need to go because he'd been doing so much brooding (as Vermeer), and all those brooding looks were totally exhausting. I know there's more, but that's all I can recall right now.

Sorry to overlap a bit with Linda - we were posting at the same time. (Linda) And that during those scenes he did shoot outside the weather caused problems with his skin. That's right. He said he suspected the reason the scenes were cut was because of what the low temperatures did to his complexion.

(Rika) He and Peter Webber had a lot of fun with a remark Scarlett made about the "phallic" brushes in Vermeer's studio. Ah ha....I *knew* what I was claiming;-D Thanks gals...How about Dorine..is she still stuck on the Triboro Bridge;-)

(Allison) Did someone say they had taken a picture of Livia's shoes? I have two pictures of (just) the shoes and a couple of the hair as well....Loved the shoes (and the skirt). (Evelyn) Tress and Linda...you are there!! Look at the right when Richard Curtis is being interviewed. Tress holding camera and talking (surprise!) LOL...Evelyn! You didn't find me quiet and reserved IRL? I fear I'm a bit like Lydia ("Save your breath to cool your porridge! I will tell the tale!!"). Actually, I was being coached in that moment. The woman to my right was an Alan Rickman fan from the UK. She said that her English reserve would not allow her to raise her voice over a certain level and she wanted me to yell out to him to get him over to us (didn't work, he dissed his fans). Thanks so much for The View reports ladies! I am stuck at work and my VCR doesn't record! Must live vicariously through you all!!! Have been rethinking my career now as I think I could make a really good limo driver in NYC. Driving around in cabs is like playing Grand Theft Auto and I really had fun...limos are just bigger cabs with bars and posher seats....(and no engorged maps...you can ask Maria about that one! LOL!). And the 'fares'! Oh my! They do come all nicely dressed! (Shoshana) ODB is so amazing that he's only showing some tiredness (although he wasn't on the chasing limos/sneaking around hotel lobbies end of the weekend) LOL! Now Shoshana! We coached you on this!!! We weren't sneaking around hotel lobbies! We were "checking the menu" to see if there was anything we "wanted to order"! ;-D And with all that lurking about...we did get to see Peter Falk! And Rika sat in Laura Linney's chair!

Thanks again for all the up close and personal reports! I think it's great that CF is getting so much appreciation in the US, and of course in other parts of the world. The days have gone when British actors could potter along in the comfort zone of BBC2 films and Film Four. It all seems to be about bankability now, even for casting in "small" movies, and international recognition really does make a difference. And the reviews in the US or Australian or European press are generally much kinder and less biased than the British papers ("candidate for worst film of the year/can Colin Firth act?" blah, blah, blah, rhubarb, rhubarb, etc) One of the nicest things about CF is that he seems to be genuinely unassuming, which means that he sometimes needs other folk to sing his praises! So go to it, ladies! BAFTA UK are screening previews of GWAPE - 18 November in Glasgow (UGC 6.30pm) and 11 December in London (Screen on the Hill 6.30pm, introduced by Alan Parker)

(Tress)Have been rethinking my career now as I think I could make a really good limo driver in NYC. Driving around in cabs is like playing Grand Theft Auto and I really had fun...limos are just bigger cabs with bars and posher seats....(and no engorged maps...you can ask Maria about that one! LOL!). And the 'fares'! Oh my! They do come all nicely dressed! Oh dear Tress! LOL! Or you could be a security guard - I bet Mike wouldn't mind having you around! And with all that lurking about...we did get to see Peter Falk! And Rika sat in Laura Linney's chair! True, though I for all the world would have thought PF was a homeless guy if he weren't at the Ritz Carlton.

(Linda) Glad they didn't bring up that sex video stuff with him. Those ladies are like dogs with a bone. They get on to something and keep it going Hey, it might've been funny, sort of like the autoeroticism comment and we'd get to hear Colin's "I've-been-naughty" laugh. But they could be saving that discussionf for when Huge comes back on the show. ;-) Colin's remark that "it got cut" and PW said it will be on the DVD extras. Phew!! At least they *all* won't be Scarlett scenes. And that during those scenes he did shoot outside the weather caused problems with his skin. (Oh Gawd that skin, it looked totally soft and edible last night)sorry! Uh oh, a lot of subconscious promptings I'm sure. Wonder what kind of skin problems the cold would cause...other than it getting red? Is poor baby plagued by dry skin? Anyone recall if he mentined any skin care products in that silly interview awhile back? ;-) (Rika) He said it was hard to hang about watching what seemed to be a masterpiece in development while his confidence "ebbed away" because he was afraid he'd be the weak link. Later he said that walking onto the set of Vermeer's studio was a rather magical experience, but it also gave him some sense of feeling unworthy. This is an interesting comment. I'd wonder about my own abilities after having been in a string of .... oh nevermind ;-) Thanks for all the great reports ladies from all the NY venues, including hotel lobbies inhabited by Peter Falk and Laura Linney's bottom. Speaking of Bafta screenings, Colin is scheduled for the LA Bafta screening of GWAPE on 14 November, with the same crew: http://www.baftala.org/screenings/current/ No guests listed for the Love Actually one the day before though. Any LA Drooleurs get tix for these events?

(Karen)Speaking of Bafta screenings, Colin is scheduled for the LA Bafta screening of GWAPE on 14 November, with the same crew: Just checked this out and I must say it is indeed gratifying to see CF's name listed first, before SJ (since the movie has been reviewed in the press as mostly about her performance).

I know I'm late reporting but poxy work and a neglected DH were tugging on both arms, thanks to all the previous reporters, it certainly helps fill in the gaps (or is that gasps?)... What can I say? It was an absolutely amazing trip, fantastic meeting other DD (and how great to have faces to put to the names now!), getting into the press tent (thank god for the rain!) and realizing what a good choice we have made in admiring ODB. I flew in Thursday night, got in at 4:20pm, ran to the taxi stand and figured I would get to the theatre about 5:30 or so. My taxi driver had other ideas, like the scenic drive through each one of the boroughs. When I asked him where we were going he said, :"mjuboobbe mwata phlmmp shibby shabba". Right. Exactly what I needed to hear. Anyway, pulled up in the drizzle right about 6 with my silly red balloon tied around my bag so I would be recognizable (v.v. silly) and spotted Dorine straight away. The Photographers were jostling us around a bit as were just trying to keep under the tent and out of the rain. Under normal circumstances I might have been somewhat apologetic and have been quite concerned I was in their way, but these were NOT normal circumstances, many of us had flown quite a ways to have the privilege of taking up that one sq. ft of space (and the wine I had drunk to quell my nervousness didn't hurt either! ;-)) I was still trying to say hello to all the droolers and security or someone was try ng to roll out the red carpet when someone shouted, "come on!" and off we went into the long part of the tent (picture a backwards capitol L, the small part is where the stars made their entrance. Dorine and I were next to each other and directly across from the ET podium where they grabbed everyone after the photographer gauntlet. We were right near the right angle and so could see each person as they came onto the carpet. The lights were blinding but the energy in that room was exhilarating! I think I felt very together until he arrived, and then I had an out of body experience. Or, as I may have tried to explain it to some of the droolers, it was like those near death experiences and people say they saw this great light, and they felt joy and happiness and just wanted to be near the light�But you know, when I explained this in person it came out humorously and not so over the top as it is in print (always a problem for me!) so just ignore that bit! J) So ODB and Livia came up and let the photographers ha e their due and then just as he got in front of us (what was the area from barrier to barrier, 8 feet across total?) He was led up for his little interview. Did anyone here ever go to Catholic Church? Well, I remember being at church as a kid and listening to the raba raba raba and just waiting for the syncopation of the little bits we could join in on and while waiting for those would stare at the lights on the ceiling and then look back at the priest and blink and it looked like he had no head, or blinking away holes in the stained glass windows.(Oh, dear, please no disrespect to the church meant, just a recollection from a child with a short attention span!) but my point was that once Colin arrives it is impossible to take your eyes off of him so when he was being interviewed right in front I stared right up at him and into the blinding light, gladly burning holes in my cornea to savor each moment of seeing him in the flesh! From there memories are wonderful if hazy, he came over to our end, as he approached Dorine was upset as her pen wasn�t working, I think I started rummaging for another for her and then, boop, he was there in front of us and I could hear his lovely voice as he thanked Dorine but I was only looking at him through my camera as was experiencing a frozen moment and hiding behind the camera seemed like an intelligent thing to do when faced with extreme beauty.Then he went to do more interviews. He did come back our way a second time and I wanted to ask him to lean in with Dorine and I for a picture but this was after the infamous �pink lady� incident and all bets seemed off after that although he was still kind enough to not leave anyone without and signed a book for me. So much more to say but I�m sure I have said enough already, I could babble on and on about this fabulous night!! (Ildi)You know, seeing Colin in the flesh is like making love. Once you do it and discover how great it makes you feel you want to do it all the time. Exactly!! And this is what causes one to chase black vehicles around Manhatten on foot in freezing weather on Saturday mornings! (If it had been him my brilliant plan was to keep walking and pretend indifference so as not to bother him! Genius! Not.) Dorine) Was that Mike with the hat? OMG! or did Maria and I ask 2 different people the exact same question, LOL!!!! Great minds think alike�J) To top it off she informed me I said something out loud that I thought I was just thinking when my pen didn't work for a sec. I definitely didn't have enough to drink beforehand. ;-) Wouldn�t have mattered, even with a couple of glasses of wine in me, the adrenaline cancelled it all out! (Dorine)Gotta say, we picked one helluva guy to Drool over. :-D No argument here! We finally know first hand what it is to be jammy gits!!!

(Maria) once Colin arrives it is impossible to take your eyes off of him so when he was being interviewed right in front I stared right up at him and into the blinding light, gladly burning holes in my cornea to savor each moment of seeing him in the flesh! Lordy, you've got a severe case of Colinitis, and it's highly contagious! I do believe I've contracted it just reading all these exciting reports from NYC. I'm so happy for all the Droolers who got to see ODB up close and personal, and I'm also extremely jealous. Next time I'm going to plan ahead and be there with you. Jammy gits, indeed!

Maria, I think your report has become my favorite, as you really captured the emotional essence of the ODB experience. :-) (Cab driver via Maria)" mjuboobbe mwata phlmmp shibby shabba". Are you sure that isn't a refrain from a Neil Sedaka song? ;-)

(Maria) Or, as I may have tried to explain it to some of the droolers, it was like those near death experiences and people say they saw this great light, and they felt joy and happiness and just wanted to be near the light� I completely understood your analogy Maria! LOL! You want to bask in the glow of the light...it is warm and comfortable there...and when the light leaves, you are v. v. sad and want it to come back. And you are not afraid of the light any longer...you know that the light is good. ;-) (Maria) Exactly!! And this is what causes one to chase black vehicles around Manhatten on foot in freezing weather on Saturday mornings! (If it had been him my brilliant plan was to keep walking and pretend indifference so as not to bother him! Genius! Not.) We would have been cool and aloof ice queens....the intellectual equal of everyone there! ;-D (A hearty chase done pre-coffee too! "On foot" no less! Though I would have loved to have jumped into a cab and said "follow that car!" Seems so NYC!) ;-)

OK, absolutely nothing Colin on Extra! today...a bit of Huge though re: love life and Jim Belushi crossing North Ave with my Walgreens in the background...but that's it. Oh yeah, looks like Charley Maher finally found someone to style his hair properly. ;-)

(Cab driver via Maria)" mjuboobbe mwata phlmmp shibby shabba". (LisaJH) Are you sure that isn't a refrain from a Neil Sedaka song? ;-) LOL...and what is that? Turkish? ;-) And I agree with Lisa, your account definitely captures the essence of the ODB experience! I find it hard to put words to how it feels when he is in the room. I am in such a fog and it seems to happen in slo-mo while it is occurring and then afterwards it seems as if it was sped up or fast forwarded!

Maria, loved your report :-) You know, I can never get enough of your babblings, so please let it flow. And your comments, ladies. Words fail me - all I can do is smile and enjoy :-D

A couple of things I forgot that added to the magic - This may have been mentioned several times but it was so incredible. The interviewers appeared to all be pointing out to Colin his rather large "fan base" showing on the red carpet, and each time they did through several different "stations" he seemed to be making his way through, he would turn towards us all and wave and we made it worth his while screaming his name and laughing and waving back! Also, we had a full moon (or v.v. close on Friday night and the eclipse Sat. night with clear skies for enjoying! It seems all the stars were in alignment for a perfect weekend! (Cab driver via Maria)" mjuboobbe mwata phlmmp shibby shabba". Are you sure that isn't a refrain from a Neil Sedaka song? ;-) Hmm, or more along the lines of The Age of Hilarious (the whole weekend that is) (Tress) ....(and no engorged maps...you can ask Maria about that one! LOL!). http://www.nyctourist.com/images/map_manhattan.gif It could not be helped, you all decide, this map kept the hormones flying (only it was skin tone on the subway, and no one talks about it, NY's dirty little secret! ;-)) (Me)Maria) Exactly!! And this is what causes one to chase black vehicles around Manhatten BTW, I do actually know how to spell Manhattan, but was afraid that spelling it correctly might lead unsavories to Drool (see map) ;-)...

(Maria)It could not be helped, you all decide, this map kept the hormones flying (only it was skin tone on the subway, and no one talks about it, NY's dirty little secret! ;-)) As well as on my pocket map. Not that I had EVER noticed, of course. ;-) Loved ODB on "The View"! I thought the shirt was okay considering the tone of the show. And I finally had a chance to check out "The Today Show" on my tape. You can't ever see me clearly, but at one point I can just barely see myself walking by in the background, trying to snap a quick photo between the scrims that partially block the view along W. 49th Street (it didn't come out - not enough light). It's while they're talking about him having to learn incorrect Portugese. There were two other women out there doing the same thing at that time. When they showed the San Francisco women, I was standing behind them, but a substantial distance behind, for reasons I explained the other day.

(Maria) ...only it was skin tone on the subway, and no one talks about it, NY's dirty little secret! ;-) And all those cabs have it 'blown up' in the back seat. LOL! And it made asking for directions interesting because we didn't know what 'terms' we should be using in referring to different parts of Manhatten (keeping with Maria's spelling to keep out the unsavories!) ;-D (Rika) As well as on my pocket map. Not that I had EVER noticed, of course. ;-) Unless my memory is really failing....I believe it was you, Ms. Rika, that pointed out the possibility that the map may look like something else (and each time you took it out and unfolded it, it made me laugh because it was like looking at a centerfold)! ;-) (Maria) This may have been mentioned several times but it was so incredible. The interviewers appeared to all be pointing out to Colin his rather large "fan base" showing on the red carpet, and each time they did through several different "stations" he seemed to be making his way through, he would turn towards us all and wave and we made it worth his while screaming his name and laughing and waving back! This was great! He did this again and again! Seemed so relaxed and would laugh and wave at his fans each time an interviewer said something to him (and the noise level would rise considerably when he would turn around to us and give us that amazing smile....lots of teeth this time! Didn't get to see that too much in Toronto)....Emma T. commented on it (how happy she was for him to have so many fans in the tent).

(Tress) you know that the light is good. Am seeing arcade game plastic zealots from Toy Story... (Maria) This may have been mentioned several times but it was so incredible. The interviewers appeared to all be pointing out to Colin his rather large "fan base" showing on the red carpet, and each time .. he would turn towards us all and wave .. (Tress) This was great! He did this again and again! ...he would turn around to us and give us that amazing smile....lots of teeth this time! Can I just touch one of you? Or is the glow you still give off too bright to get near you? There ought to be an 11th commandment -- Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors' NC (near Colin) experiences, but I'd fail miserably. Re: The View. I got no Colin, no shirt to consider, only got Tara Reid, Bob Guiney and a Charleston SC road show. Please, someone tell me Indianapolis is merely behind the times and if I set the VCR for tomorrow, patience will be rewarded?

Today on "The View" they referred to having been in South Carolina the day before. Fingers crossed for you, Barb.

(BarbS) Am seeing arcade game plastic zealots from Toy Story... ROTFL!ooooooooooohhhhhh...the light is good....;-D

Just watched my TiVo'd View and I can't stop smiling! He was so utterly charming and I have never heard so much giggling out of those women before. Joy Behar had such a silly grin on her almost the entire time. I forced my DH to re-watch it with me and even HE (who is just sick to death of the man at this point) had to admit how funny he was!

Yes, I know it's blurry, but the whole experience was pretty blurry in a dizzying, euphoric sort of way. Still, they say a picture's worth a thousand words (and I've already given you thousands or words of babble), so this is my attempt to share the experience. (Tress) you know that the light is good Look how that light gleams off the dimple... mmmmm!

(Karen)OK, absolutely nothing Colin on Extra! today... Wot!?! You mean you missed the 17 frames where he was the tall one walking beside of Hugh with his back to the camera. I'm all amazement!!:-) They actually showed it twice making it a total of 34 frames (but who's counting?). They also did an Almay commercial for Luscious Lips and used footage from the film but no Colin--no matter how slowly I go through the footage.:-( Good news! Got my LoveActually soundtrack today. Better news! Colin is in 4 pictures. Best news! Jamie kissing Aurelia is the only picture under the CD! CF's head measures 2 inches from curls to chin. By way of comparison, Huge's head measures 7/8ths of an inch and is in the booklet! Seems like there at least one graphic artist somewhere who recognizes good material when she sees it! Yeah! Seriously though, Colin got the most pics at 4: On the front (like the poster). He and LL under the brass section at the wedding. He and Aurelia before the papers blow away. Jamie kissing Aurelia (the one under the CD). LL, AR and LN are next with three and everybody else just 1 or 2.

Well, you all are amazing and so are all your reports. Can't believe how close you all got for the Q&A, L, R, & D! Maria, your red carpet report was too funny. It was just like being there. (Cab driver via Maria)" mjuboobbe mwata phlmmp shibby shabba". (LisaJH) Are you sure that isn't a refrain from a Neil Sedaka song? ;-) And this had me ROLFLOL! Your cab drive is what I like to call that, "Good luck, you crazy girl" experience in NYC on the way to seeing CF on the red carpet. ;-) Thanks for allowing us to feel like we were sort of there!

Thanks so much DDNY ladies, for your brilliant reports! Maria, I was seeing the light right along with you and there's no way I'd ever want to turn away from it;-) Excellent, excellent descriptions of an experience you'll never forget. Linda, Dorine and Rika, I'll never know how you sat that close to him and maintained your composure for 40 minutes. I know I wouldn't grab him like PL did, but he'd probably think I was a complete fool because I wouldn't be able to keep a big smile off my face. Love that you found your foot doing the Couric thing, Linda. LOL! We who weren't able to make the trip are eternally grateful for your unselfishness in sharing all the juicy details. And as you come back to reality, if other little morsels of memory come to light we'll be thrilled to hear about them, too.

Hi! Loved reading your posts about your encounters with CF in NYC. Just did a search on my DirectTV guide for Colin, and it says he will be on "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" tomorrow at various times around the country. I double-checked Yahoo's TV listings and it confirms "Episode #226. Nicole Beland; Johnny Chan; Phil Hellmuth; Kevin Jones; Aaron Brooks; Colin Firth. Original Airdate: November 12, 2003." Ellie

(Lora) Thanks for allowing us to feel like we were sort of there! All the DD were not forgotten...we kept toasting you: "To absent Friends". (My blood must be 90% Chardonnay.)

Hi all! Quick blurb (much quicker than last night), but first.... (Ellie) Just did a search on my DirectTV guide for Colin, and it says he will be on "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" tomorrow at various times around the country Huh?!!! If he has his own PR person, fire him (pffft! A man, who would we be kidding)/her pronto! Fire anyone associated with this if there's a shred of truth to this. I'm sorry, but other details/impressions about the LA premiere from my point of view and the Q&A tonight may have to wait til late tomorrow night. Out since 8:30am til 10:30pm today. Boss is here again tomorrow (it seems I may actually have to do some work *all day* ;-)) and I have another fixed engagement tomorrow night. Will say this much.... Tonight, he looked......well, you know. ;-D Seems to be the same outfit from The View from what I hear, but haven't watched yet. BTW, Hen...same brown shoes from last night. Both more animated and he seemed less tired tonight. Janet Maslin from NY Times (or used to be) was the moderator. Usually can't stand her, but elicited good answers. Both more talkative tonight. One DD I unfortunately didn't get to meet until the end, asked a very good question re reviews and how negative ones affect them. Very wordy answers from both, esp Colin. Good questions all around, really. SJ kinda pissed me off during one answer where she referenced the BAFTA Q&A last night. Rather innocuous, I suppose, but makes you wonder what else they make up. :-( Or at least her. In all, had to be close to 45 mins. I could be wrong. Love the added posts re last week/weekend. Gotta run, more comments another time.

Oops, a bit long.....Will you still read it Evelyn? ;-D

Oh and Peter Webber not there in case anyone was wondering.....or not. ;-) Several good questions that would have been his to answer.

Colin's going to be on The Best Damn Sports Show Period. This I hae to see. Here's what Salon.com said about the show: Yes, fat jokes are a staple on "The Best Damn Sports Show, Period" -- as are jokes about the hotness of Anna Kournikova, the fiduciary nature of Tiger Woods' girlfriend's attraction to him, white men who can't jump and so-bad-they're-inoffensive jokes about the Washington Redskins (scalpers, boy were their faces red, etc.). But there are tender moments. Guerrero says things like, "There are a lot of misconceptions about [San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry] Bonds that people are going to want to hear about. He's awesome!" Sometimes, the boys sit around and talk about the things that matter to them -- like when Lyons weighs in on Mets' shortstop Rey Ord��ez's recent errors and relates his own psychological battles with the ball. Then former Dallas Cowboys star and scandal-magnet Michael Irvin declares, "There's nothing more fragile than an athlete's psyche." When I went to the Best Damn Sports Show site, it was unmistakeable. Colin's name was on a giant marquee flashing across this url http://www.foxsports.com/content/view?contentId=318673 along with the Poker Men and New Orleans Saints Aaron Brooks. What's he going to talk about? Rugby? Soccer, er, football? Are they going to roast him alive? Tivo is activated for this. This I gotta see.

This I gotta see, too, Terry. I thought maybe there was another Colin Firth who played for the Detroit Pistons,;-) but no, that URL does say "LA's Colin Firth." I've never watched the show, but did tune in last night for about a half hour after seeing Ellie's note (thanks, Ellie!). Actually, there was nothing offensive, just a bunch of athletes sitting around talking about the NBA. They also had segments on Tiger Woods and Karl Malone.

A big thanks to Dorine, Linda, and Rika for their reports from the GWAPE Q&As! Linda, you raised your daughter right!;-) Dorine, I'd be interested in hearing more about his response to negative reviews; that's a good question. Seems like last night's talkativeness was helped by the fact that Peter Webber wasn't there. The smaller the group, the better Colin does. Karen, thanks for the Marie Claire article and pics. That rubber duckie photo at tubbie time is a classic! LOL! Why do I get the feeling that it will be making numerous appearances at future Drool birthday bashes?;-)

(Dorine)Oops, a bit long.....Will you still read it Evelyn? ;-D LOL. Yup...if you keep it no more than half a screen;-) Thanks for breaking it up into two posts too. And , oh yes, phrases are mobetta than long sentences. evelyn's school of short posts (I keep trying!)

Thanks Dorine for your initial account from last night. Sounds like a fantastic time. I agree that PW not being there was very likely a blessing, as he would've taken more questions and this forced Colin to step up to the plate (getting into sports mode). I have an emailed account from the other DD who attended, but need to check if she wants me to post it or will do so herself. Re: Best Damn Sports Show Ever in the Galaxy Period End of Sentence It boggles the mind as to why Colin would be a guest. Let's see, they want to talk about being an obsessive football fan in FP? They want to beat on him because all their wives/SOs go boneless when they think of both Mr Darcys and they're sick of watching P&P and BJD? They're the ones making "oh not you faces" and laughing when they see him on the street? Hope he doesn't refer to them as "boys." ;-)

(Karen)It boggles the mind as to why Colin would be a guest [on Best Damn sports...]. Sure does. Maybe he's going to discuss his fighting techniques that allowed him to kick HG's a$$? Drunken bet made at the premiere party? Curtis was supposed to talk about being an obsessive football fan, but couldn't make it and Colin got the short straw and is going in his place?

Perhaps the producers got mixed up and were thinking of the "other" Colin F.??? That booking would make more sense.

(Mari) Karen, thanks for the Marie Claire article and pics. That rubber duckie photo at tubbie time is a classic! LOL! Why do I get the feeling that it will be making numerous appearances at future Drool birthday bashes?;-) LOL! Such a picture end up at birthday bashes?? Nevah! Thank you Karen! I'm still trying to get all caught up and ODB in the bath is always a pleasure to behold.....as well as tinkering on the piano (right Rika)?? It's a great article as well: the real Colin Firth cherishes living in London, and has recently �fallen in love with a new piece of Italy, too�; that he�s an insatiable bookworm, but is a terribly slow reader to the point where �I suspect I might have dyslexia�; he cooks up a �bloody good curry�; is dabbling in writing a book, but hasn�t got the self-discipline. I learn that he does, despite media speculation, like Hugh Grant, �although we�ve never socialised�. But it�s only much later, when he jumps in the bath, fully clothed in the pouring rain, leans back and closes his eyes, that I discover just how Colin Firth became a sex god. The illusion is wonderful (he must have on those arsenal boxer shorts in that tub!!)! Also...wonder if he knows that Hugh refers to him as "Bloody Colin!" LOL! Would he still like him? ;-)

And I'm still pre-coffee (sorry for the double post...but.....)....Dorine! End our suffering soon! I'm dying to know what ODB said about bad reviews and everything else!!! Glad he was more talkative last night. Best Damn Sports Show Ever???? I'm all astonishment! But will watch....even the DH doesn't watch that show....how to slip it by him? Hmmmmm..........

Found some new pics at Rex of CF... http://www.rexfeatures.co.uk/cgi-bin/r2show0?k=colin+firth&f=Newest

(Ada) Found some new pics at Rex of CF... Thanks Ada. Does that man have legs or what? Yow.

Found some new pics at Rex of CF... He was on the town with Olivia again ;-)

Thanks for the link, Ada! He's being recognized on the street now! I'm sure he's thrilled ;-) I'm having trouble linking to Drool today. I got in thru a back door but have no idea why my usual link isn't working. Saw ODB on a Canadian show called Box Office last night. Just a quick clip from the GWAPE premiere in London. The question was 'what is hot in London'. He looked like he thought the question was stupid and said that he had no idea since he'd been out of the country for weeks. SJ said the drinking laws should change since everything shuts down too early. But she loved the shopping. If he's going to be on the sports show, I'll have to go out and get some beer, I suppose :-D Thanks for all the news!!

I'm having trouble linking to Drool today. I got in thru a back door but have no idea why my usual link isn't working. Brenda, please email me with the details of how you access (what did/didn't work). I've contacted Terry and he needs the details.

Talking to Karen. Working on it . . . but puzzled.

Thanks Ada!!!! OOooohhh....we were looking for that stride and it was on the streets and we missed it! Crikey! Still, am v. v. lucky to have had the experience...best bit being the Droolers themselves! Thanks again Ada, he looks f**king fantastic (sorry, Shazzar moment)!

(Ada) Found some new pics at Rex of CF... (Barb) Thanks Ada. Does that man have legs or what? Yow. (Tress) Thanks again Ada, he looks f**king fantastic Yes Ma'am! And arms and hands too as seen in the MC link. Thank you ladies for these wonderful treats of pictures, articles and you-were-there accounts.

(Karen) I agree that PW not being there was very likely a blessing, as he would've taken more questions and this forced Colin to step up to the plate (getting into sports mode). At Monday's Q&A, the questions tended to be directed at specific people, not thrown out to the group as a whole. The thing was that PW's answers to the questions directed at him (such as "Was the decision to shoot in Luxembourg a financial one?", or Dorine's question about the ending of the film) were very... comprehensive. ;-) So, yes, if PW hadn't been there, both CF and SJ would have gotten more opportunity to speak because those questions wouldn't have been asked. But they both had quite a bit to say all the same. It wasn't like the round table in "Time."

Just did some double checking for The Wayne Brady how on 11/13/03 and now they have Alan Rickman listed (wot happened to Colin?).

(Cab driver via Maria)" mjuboobbe mwata phlmmp shibby shabba". LOL! Wot, you expected an English-speaking cabbie in NYC? Crazy girl!;-) Thanks for the Rex pics, Ada. Seems like SoHo was the place to be. Good that he's had time to get out and about in the city. Oh no, awful thought: Miramax's offices are in SoHo!;-) (Brenda)SJ said the drinking laws should change since everything shuts down too early. But she loved the shopping. A girl after my own heart. (Brenda)If he's going to be on the sports show, I'll have to go out and get some beer, I suppose :-D Just to be on the safe side, Brenda, I personally am practicing my burping and scratching.;-) Bummer about the Wayne Brady show cancellation, but that stuff happens all the time I guess. Maybe another obligation came up. AR is a poor substitute. Am hoping Colin comes back next month to promote GWAPE and we can do this all over again.:-)

Thanks for the pictures, ADA. Maybe he ditched Wayne Brady Show for this sports thing? Oh who knows. So, it was Soho, huh? Must remember that for next time;-) (Tress)we were looking for that stride and it was on the streets and we missed it! Crikey! Knew I forgot something from Monday night. I got to see "the walk" I was watching as he walked away to the elevator and, yes, I got to see it in RL.**still sighing in NJ** Dorine, can't wait to hear the details about last night. I was watching the clock and thinking he's there, now. Where did you sit?

(Evelyn)All the DD were not forgotten...we kept toasting you: "To absent Friends". Thank you. We were thinking of you too and sending good vibes. I can't believe CF is going to be on the BDSSP! Even DH will want to see that, but will not want to be refered to as "boy." LOL, Karen. Guess it's a compliment since on the Daily Show CF also refered to "fan base" as girls ;-).

BAFTA/LA has finally updated the GWAPE screening & I rsvp'd immediately. Yippee! going to see him again. Don't know if I'll be able to get any pictures as they are so strict here about them ... no recording devices, no cameras, no phones, no autographs, no scripts.

I see Brenda is bringing beer for tonight's special TV viewing, so I'll contribute these:

(Mari) Oh no, awful thought: Miramax's offices are in SoHo!;-) You may exhale now. Miramax's offices are in Tribeca...of course, he could walk from SoHo to Tribeca but I won't let myself go there. Prefer thinking he stopped in at Joan Michelin's to pick up a lovely trinket....

From Liz Smith's column in today's NY Post: HUGH GRANT was running late last week to the premiere of his new movie, "Love Actually." (He'd just sat to chat with Charlie Rose.) On the street, he spotted a police car with two lady cops inside. Hugh tapped on the window, explained his predicament, and asked for a ride. Thanks to New York's unflappable Finest, Mr. Grant arrived on time to dazzle and quip on the red carpet. Hugh arranged for the officers to have their own screening of the film and sent them each a bouquet the next morning. ************ In my version of the story he taps on the window, and the cops ask him what it's like working with Colin Firth.;-) Tribeca, righto, Boss. *wiping brow in relief*

From Roger Friedman, Fox News: I liked Richard Curtis' "Love Actually" a lot. It's like eating a lot of chocolate and washing it down with maple syrup, but boy, the buzz is terrific. Someone said last night that after the premiere they were so high they were being nice to people they didn't like! Curtis, by the way, spooked Joel and Ethan Coen at the premiere when he told them a friend of his in England liked their movies so much he named his kid "Joel Ethan." At least it wasn't "Barton Fink!"

(Mari) In my version of the story he taps on the window, and the cops ask him what it's like working with Colin Firth.;-) Pffft! Reaching for Windex. From Roger Friedman...It's like eating a lot of chocolate and washing it down with maple syrup...Someone said last night that after the premiere they were so high they were being nice to people they didn't like! LOL! "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect har-mon-y..." Come on everybody, join in.

(Mari) In my version of the story he taps on the window, and the cops ask him what it's like working with Colin Firth.;-) ROTFLMAO! Bloody Colin! (Karen) LOL! "I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect har-mon-y..." Come on everybody, join in. Ohhhhh.....Mmmmm...nope! Didn't work! For a second I thought that would replace the other song I have bouncing around in my head "....I feel it in my fingers....I feel it in my toes" ;-D

I want to see the looks on boyfriends, husbands, significant others faces tonights when there is a mass turning of the dial and flipping of the remote to The Best Damn Sports Show Period!, especially those that have chided said so's in the past "You don't watch that garbage do you?"

(Ada) Found some new pics at Rex of CF... (Brenda)He's being recognized on the street now! I'm sure he's thrilled ;-) (Tress)OOooohhh....we were looking for that stride and it was on the streets and we missed it! Crikey! Well, I will continue to delude myself that had he walked by, we would have noticed him, and no one would have fallen down. *Sigh* I can imagine myself falling down on the cobbles; actually, I'm suprised I didn't collapse after he left and then I was supported by dear Bee and dear little bee. ;-) And where else but with other Drooleurs would the reponse be, "Good God! What is the matter? Is there nothing you can take for your present relief? A glass of wine?" (Tress)Ohhhhh.....Mmmmm...nope! Didn't work! For a second I thought that would replace the other song I have bouncing around in my head "....I feel it in my fingers....I feel it in my toes" ;-D That song is frighteningly persistent for "rubbish." I was raking the roof last night and I really had to worry that I was going to laught too hard and fall off. Then again, I suppose I'd prefer the song to naughty Manhatten when I'm balancing precariously two stories up.

(Karen) Miramax's offices are in Tribeca Beat me to it. :-) (Linda) So, it was Soho, huh? Must remember that for next time;-) *cough*, *ahem*......who suggested SOHO might be a destination at one point? ;-) Though figured on wrong time of *day*. I have an emailed account from the other DD who attended, but need to check if she wants me to post it or will do so herself. So glad you decided to do that, DD! Awesome to meet you and DH. Too bad was at the end. Want to see yours before I post more to avoid too much redundancy about anything. Thanks, Karen. (Mari) When I went to the Best Damn Sports Show site, it was unmistakeable. Colin's name was on a giant marquee flashing across this url I am all astonishment at how much I don't get this. :-( Will try to keep open mind......now where did that crowbar get to. ;-) (Kate) Maybe he's going to discuss his fighting techniques that allowed him to kick HG's a$$? Me thinks he's loving saying that he kicked HG's a$$. Said it yet again last night. Too cute. (Evelyn) And , oh yes, phrases are mobetta than long sentences. Friends want to know why emails arrive in clipped sentences at times. ;-) Not going to fixed engagement tonight as planned, rescheduled. Too worn out....and boss here again **tomorrow** for half day. Saving the rest of my strength for the movie and Q&A with a "moody" Aussie actor tomorrow. Will post some more stuff later.

(Linda) So, it was Soho, huh? Must remember that for next time;-) (me) *cough*, *ahem*......who suggested SOHO might be a destination at one point? ;-) Though figured on wrong time of *day*. Upon quick reflection after posting, in all fairness to Linda, she may not have been there at the time to hear.

TV ALERT Sorry if this was posted, I'm still trying to catch up. On E! Behind the Scene Love Actually Premieres: Nov. 13, 5:30 p.m. Encores: Nov. 14, 7:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m.; Nov. 16, 3 a.m., 7:30 a.m.; Nov. 17, 3:30 a.m. (Dorine(Upon quick reflection after posting, in all fairness to Linda, she may not have been there at the time to hear. Thank you for the reflection. If you had mentioned it (while I was there), I would have searched Soho as thoroughly as I searched the Upper East Side or was it West Side?

If you had mentioned it (while I was there), I would have searched Soho as thoroughly as I searched the Upper East Side or was it West Side? Who has the energy for that after all that Chardonnay? ;-) We might be teetering on an unsafe precipice. Thanks for the info on E! Behind the Scenes.

Well the show is nearly half over and no mention of Colin... why do I continue to watch when he's not going to show? (Maria, will the exciting stuff happen in the last five minutes this time?)

Hi, my name is Barb and I'm a CF addict. I'm even watching Tom Arnold waiting for a speculative CF appearance. This is probably the mother of all bad jokes.

(BarbS) Hi, my name is Barb and I'm a CF addict. I'm even watching Tom Arnold waiting for a speculative CF appearance. This is probably the mother of all bad jokes. ROTFL! East coasters are suffering so west coasters don't have to! ;-) (at least I know that I don't have to watch the first hour and a half!)! You have my deepest sympathy Barb...I understand the affliction.

I got all excited thinking we get this poxy sports show, here. However, I just realized that it is an old rerun from July 2001??? Hope the rest of you get the right one.;-(

(BarbS) Hi, my name is Barb and I'm a CF addict. I'm even watching Tom Arnold waiting for a speculative CF appearance. You are not alone. I too am suffering through this...Had I a hari kari set, I would be in kneeling position, readying the blade...It is that bad...

(Maria) Had I a hari kari set Use Ginsu's. A show like that deserves the very best. ;-)

(BarbS) Hi, my name is Barb and I'm a CF addict. I'm even watching Tom Arnold waiting for a speculative CF appearance. (Maria)You are not alone. I too am suffering through this... I'm not sure if I should be glad that a football game preempted the Darn Sports Show, yet I'm unhappy that I can't watch it. This is very sad. If this doesn't meet DSM-IV criteria for something... ;-)

Well, I survived an hour of TBDSSE to no avail. I don't even know if what I saw was live or taped, but he wasn't even mentioned and IT was awful! What a Drooleur won't sacrifice for ODB;-)

(Shoshana)I'm not sure if I should be glad that a football game preempted the Darn Sports Show Be glad, be very glad. I can't imagine how bizarre it would have been had he been on... Worst two hours spent watching dreck ever. Period!

Only the first hour gone here, but I'm packing it in...well, to be honest, the VCR will continue to go but I'm not going with. I'm pretty sure I'm not getting *old* taped show, jokes about Gov Gray Davis and Christian Slater are pretty topical. Gotta go, there's a Bud downstairs with my name on it.

Well, I can't believe I watched the WHOLE thing. Gahh!! No Colin. The only thing that made it remotely bearable was the pint of Guinness(I figured I deserved it if I was going to watch that cr@p). Ahhh, the sacrifices we drooleurs (?) are willing to make for ODB.

I've had it on, but in another room doing something not necessarily worthwhile, but more fun. What dreck. I like some sports shows, but this....:-(

Pics from the press conference for GWAPE (I guess from tonight maybe?) Here's the link http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=SRH&logsrch=1&sfld=

oog..try this one instead..(sorry) http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=gls====42198

Thanks Ada! I guess it's now not a totally wasted evening. And was that "my" brown t-shirt? ;-)

Watchin' the Best Damn Sports Show period. No Colin yet. They're talking about Roger Clemens returning to Texas. Good idea. And the Oklahoma win over Texas A&M 77-0. Bob Stoops ain't gonna 'pologize. The week before it was our Horns. Yeah, Stoops is right, they beat us fair and square. Best rushing back in the nation? They're way off the mark here because they didn't even list Cedric Benson, Texas RB. I just realized this is a two hour show! Why was I thinking it was half and hour.

Thanks, Ada! He certainly seems no worse for wear with his "late" night and early flight were were told they were taking. The # of my favorite ends end in 71. No wait, 83. Well maybe 63. But then there's 84. Really, 71 is *the* favorite but only by one of those wonderful hairs on his head. It really looks great today. There's no really bad one there, a few just only ok.

Dammit!! *I didn't ask the theater question!* Could have *easily* after the Q&A. Bugger!

(Ada) Pics from the press conference for GWAPE (I guess from tonight maybe?) Well, sometime today. So he did make it out to the West Coast! But why has he canceled all his *primo* TV appearances? Times must have overlapped, too tight, couldn't find anything appropriate to wear... Love the pics on the second page, with his hands all over his face and some of the faces he's pulling. ;-) I'll get the big ones up pronto.

or should I say prontissimo? ;-)

http://www.firth.com/gwape_lapconf.html

For those of us that will not be pierced by Johannes until Jan (well, actually for all of us!) And dammit, I'll be flying that day! SUNDAY DECEMBER 28, 2003 Anatomy Of A Scene: Girl with a Pearl Earring 7:00 PM http://www.sundancechannel.com/schedule/?schedDate=12/28/2003+06:00:00

Ooh! And thanks for those GWAPE LA pics Ada and Karen! They are beautiful! The hands, the hair, the thoughtful far away looks...YUM!

Sorry, a link just led me back to Sundance again..It will play also on Dec 25, 8pm, and Dec 31 3:30pm...I can't get the site to work properly from home to copy the shows description...

A guess, but I don't think they've finished setting up the show description for it yet. Am now speechless...

I've been offline for a few days due to horrible (and obscene) virus taking over my PC. But what a wealth of stuff awaited me! I'm so delighted for all of you who got to see him in the flesh. And the icing on top of this delicious cake? - The pics from the GWAPE press conference - it's criminal for a guy to look this good!(I think HGis getting worried!) Thanks, ladies, for all your input. It has made my day (week, month, year!)

Omigod, those GWAPE press conference pics are gorgeous! Thanks, Ada and Karen. His hair looks fab. Didn't he once say his fave haircutter was in LA? Maybe he ditched the chat shows for a grooming session.;-) Thanks also to Linda for the E! Behind the Scenes info and Maria for the GWAPE show on Sundance. Excellent finds, ladies! (Janet)I think HG is getting worried!) Bloody Colin.;-) Did anyone catch Huge on the Today Show just now? I tuned in late but they must have been talking about Colin because the first thing I heard Hugh say to Katie was, "he hates me." LOL! Then later he talked about TEOR and how Renee had plumped up but unfortunately he and Colin did as well. HG's segment is about an hour and 20 minutes into the show; maybe the later time zone people can fill us in. (After all, we took the hit for you yesterday in suffering through the Sports show debacle.;-)

Just saw BBC America again this am Linda and Tress all over the screen again;-)) Also nice fleeting pic of Livia as Colin gets a nano-second interview.

Thanks for the GWAPE press conference pics. I laughed when I saw them because in TIOBE DVD there is a scene with a hair clip to 'control' a curl, but in these pics the curl is back. I love the hair.

Wonderful pics Ada and Karen, thanks! Great way to start the day after last night's sports thing. I'll take my testosterone served up CF-style rather than the other any day of the week! (BTW, great choice Dorine!)

hummmmmmmmmmmm

Hummmmmmmm indeed :-) Thank you all for the reports, articles and pictures. These are wonderful times to be a drooler and to have this place :-)

(Mari) "Did anyone catch Huge on the Today Show just now? I tuned in late but they must have been talking about Colin because the first thing I heard Hugh say to Katie was, "he hates me." No, actually, Hugh was referring to Richard Curtis there. He was saying that for 4 Funerals, Richard made him audition several times which pissed Hugh off because he thought he was above auditioning by then. But now he's been in several RC films -- so Katie said "yeah, he must really hate you." The only remark about Colin was that Hugh thought both he and Colin had "plumped up a bit" since last BJ movie. Not the best interview today -- Katie obviously isn't in sync with HG as she is with CF.

Bee, you did pick out the absolute best pic IMO. The angle of his head is perfect, the hand behind the head, no dorky grin, the background color compliments his perfectly...and no glasses. ;-) However, I do love the ones with his hands on his face too and can see lots of uses for them in the future. Thanks, ladies for the heads up on programs. Just in case...the Wayne Brady Show starts here in about an hour.

Bits I remember from HG on Today - Katie asked if he had ever considered running for public office and he said he was far too selfish for that and would likely misuse the power Katie was referring to Rene having to gain the weight for BJD and asked if he wouldn't like to gain 20-30 pounds for a role and he said he was far too vain for that Katie mentioned something about him always playing the stuttering bumbling role, and she understood because she is always referred to as "perky" She said she is definitely not always perky and he replied, "yes, I had heard that about you", or something like that, was cute He also talked about how RC was "Head Boy" and the beginning of LA where he talks about Love being all around but that he tended to think the world was really more full of hatred and greed... He seems to hold no skeleton back in an interview, kind of like Bill Nighy's character in LA actually

(Karen)Bee, you did pick out the absolute best pic IMO. The angle of his head is perfect, the hand behind the head, no dorky grin, the background color compliments his perfectly...and no glasses. ;-) I do love that one. I was struck by the similarity to the Vermeer which is a fave of mine as well. But what a *bunch* of lovely shots! They will be my eye candy breaks today. Thanks for the rapid conversion Karen. Yum!

(Maria) Katie asked if he had ever considered running for public office and he said he was far too selfish for that and would likely misuse the power Ah yes, but the wittiest part is that he said Caligula would be his role model. ;-) She said she is definitely not always perky and he replied, "yes, I had heard that about you", or something like that, was cute But it also got a big laugh from the crew.

(Me) Katie asked if he had ever considered running for public office and he said he was far too selfish for that and would likely misuse the power (Karen)Ah yes, but the wittiest part is that he said Caligula would be his role model. ;-) Dang! I always forget the punchlines! ;-)) And Karen, bless you for the profile pic! I gasp every time I enter Spring! (polite ladylike wolf whistle!)

(Maria) And Karen, bless you for the profile pic! Felt I had to do it, as I was starting to get hate mail about the Halloween one still be up. ;-)

Picked up a bunch of magazines in NY, including the December Empire, which had the black and white behind-the-scenes pics from LA. The "Git" pic has been added here: http://www.firth.com/love_gal_loc1.html and you can click for an enlarged view.

Thank you Ada and Karen for those stunning photos! We could practically get fingerprints from them, they're so clear :-) And I'm forever grateful to the unfortunates who sat thru the sports show yesterday. Very much appreciated. Think of the pain if he had been on and we'd missed it. I'm trying to think of a show that would've been worse to watch but it's hard to imagine one. Do they still make The Man Show?

No sign of Firth on Wayne Brady or TBDSSP. Anyone else observe this?

(Maria) And Karen, bless you for the profile pic! I gasp every time I enter Spring! (polite ladylike wolf whistle!) I'll second that....thank you!

Double posting but it cannot be helped....how am I to survive this???? The hands Louisa! And they are everywhere!!!!!!!!!!

(Karen)The "Git" pic has been added here: Oh my! I love the *Git* pic:-))) He is stunning in B&W. I also love the candid B&W from TIOBE, also profile:

So, it's official? No CF on TBDSSP? I can re-use the tape without regret (or looking at it). I'm thinking it was some sort of joke, to see if there would be a spike in the ratings ;-)

It was a plot to get drooleurs to watch TBDSSP and Wayne Brady.

Karen, Beedee - thank you! Lovely pictures! (Meredith)So, it's official? No CF on TBDSSP? ... I'm thinking it was some sort of joke, to see if there would be a spike in the ratings ;-) Clever thought indeed. I wonder if there was some random Fox executive at a meeting pondering how to work on developing the female viewer demographics. ;-)

Just finishing my lunch at my desk at work and listening to Terry Gross, as I am want to do and heard..*Next on Fresh Air, the actor Colin firth..yada BJD..yada Darcy..now appearing in Love Actually*! The next program will be tomorrow on Friday which is *vintage* Terry day and they replay old interviews. It made my heart jump anyway and I will be listening again!

Confirmed. No appearance on TBDSSP or Wayne Brady, but he was in LA yesterday, as evidenced by the press conference. He can't stay too long since he has the London premiere in three days. But he could be taping up a storm today for any show that uses pretaped segments or is taped a day in advance, like Wayne Brady (not Craig Kilborn, but could be on tonight). *fingers still crossed for more* (Tress) Double posting but it cannot be helped.... Good thing those fingers were not extended. Eowww! ;-) **************************** I don't want to delay the other "Eene's" account from the Burns Center, so here is Pauline's: Left Philly around 1 PM; arrived Pleasantville 4:30. Lesson learned: Arrive early for best of everything. Ticket agent gave good advice on when to come back for best seating. Early fans are usually there for CF. Met nice people who were full of questions and I became the Oracle of Pleasantville. After some re-arrangement became 2nd in line. So far so good. Layout of Center was v. nice. At 6:15 the doors opened and leisurely took our seats. Very sophisticated film buff type of crowd, also v. wealthy and v. warm and friendly. Lady next to me gave expert opinion on where to sit (aisle seat 2nd row left side next to her). She was a member and saw and spoke to George Clooney last year. Assured me that CF & SJ would sign. She said the local crowd would not be interested in getting autographs etc. (Too world weary?) Looked through audience for Hillary and Bill, my NBF [Ed note: New Best Friend] thought they might appear. Announcer introduced movie and how thrilled he was that SJ was there and "Oh, we might also have heard of CF who was making a name for himself." To his credit he mentioned that we all might want to catch AMITC--a real gem. We watched GWAPE and there was applause at the end. Janet Maslan stepped out and introduced CF and SJ (no PW). Heart stopping moment to realize in same room, same air, same outfit as on The View (who dresses him?). Yadda, yadda yadda. Must compose self to ask Q. Mic comes to me and more yadda from JM. Me: Congratulations to you both on a wonderful film. My question is general in nature. When you film something you think is brilliant and the critics call it rubbish and trash you and the film, what do you as an actor do to work through this type of rejection? How do you exorcise the bad reviews? Guess who answers? JM. She shut me down with a her response. I still had the mic and I clarified that the question was general, the problem is widespread. Me: "For example: as an ordinary person when I have a performance review, its between me and my boss. I can shred it or file it and no one will ever know unless I tell them. Colin and Scarlett are artists and by nature much more sensitive to criticism. Look, we just saw a mesmerizing film." Colin was really engaged at this point and said to her: "I know what she's talking about and its a real problem." Scarlett took over and railed about her bad review when she was compared to the "Hansens" in The Horse Whisperer. Colin then responded and made eye contact with me. He spoke eloquently, gave examples, told an hilarious anecdote, mugged, covered his face while peeking out between his fingers. And all this time looking me straight in the eye. The people around us were commenting on how funny and warm he was. I was having a "near death experience." After Q&A the CF fans went to the stage and he signed everything for everyone. Learning: Take the quality stuff: DVD, books, SWTA and GWAPE. As soon as he saw my SWTA, he immediately said to the handler, "I will stay and sign. No one has to leave." He took my copy of SWTA and showed SJ the weird plastic Colin on the cover [Ed note: American version] and she laughed. He said "This is my favorite picture." After signing for me I also said "Sorry to have brought up a negative subject" and he said "It needs to be discussed. It's a real problem." Went up on stage to get a picture taken with him and that's when Dorine gave her name to him. I leaned over to introduce myself to her, saw my DH snapping pics, and when I turned around he was gone. C'est la vie. Chatted with Dorine; left at 10 PM arrived home at 1 PM. My DH took me on a 12 hour mini-break! When I think back it was a menage a trois.

Did anyone see this yet? Reuters on the red carpet! They do alot of Hugh, they captured the ODB/Hugh hug and there is an ODB interview for at least a minute which I can't listen to with sound yet here at work! What is he saying?? Help!! http://reuters.feedroom.com/?rf=bm Search using Colin's name...

It feels like Pleasantville is slowly changing from black & white to full color. I've another attendee in the wings and am twisting her arm. ;-) She asked a question too!

Thank you Karen and Pauline! Pleasantville is indeed becoming colorized (and in a very good way, NOT in an "It's a Wonderful Life" way!!)! Capital! Capital! He took my copy of SWTA and showed SJ the weird plastic Colin on the cover [Ed note: American version] and she laughed. He said "This is my favorite picture." ROTFL...sounds like he was really 'on' Tuesday night! I'm so glad for those who attended...has been so much fun reading all of your accounts! Thank you all so much!!!

Thank you Karen, Pauline, and Maria. I can't believe that everything just goes on and on. These are the times to hold on to...or something like that. The GWAPE pictures are wonderful. Wow, wireimage finally came through this time!! He must be exhausted but he looks ab-so-lutely wonderful. I think this trip has been good for him, me too! Maria, the Reuters interview was great, thank you. Loved how he wouldn't answer the question about meeting his wife..." that's not for you, not while these things are pointing at me" Sounds like Colin and crew were a bit more "on" in Pleasantville than the night before. Loved hearing all accounts. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Wow, thanks Karen, Beedee, Ada et al for the beautiful pictures from GWAPE gathering. Thanks for your account of your Q&A, Pauline via Karen. What a one-on-one experience! That's what I'd call it :-). Good question, it was like you and CF being in a parallel universe where just the two of you understood :-D. (Maria)Reuters on the red carpet! They do alot of Hugh, they captured the ODB/Hugh hug What a great find, as usual! Just like being there for those of us that weren't! Was that our "fan base" in the background during the interviews? Definitely in an up close and personal location! Fabulous!

( Maria )What is he saying?? Help!! The interviewer introduced herself while Colin said *good, yes, how are you?..I remember...Toronto, that's right*. Interviewer asks if there is love actually around.Colin' reply was *Well, of course. I mean you love pizza.I love it when my soccer team wins, and you love your children,and it's a word that's hard to escape-it applies to almost anything,really,but I'm no expert.* Interviewer wants to know how he met his wife-is that a romantic story? Colin replies*Ah, yes, but that's not for you while these things are pointing @ me(he pointed up at what I must assume are the microphones and cameras)* Interviewer asks won't you tell us the story? Colin says *Ah, no,I, no.* Interviewer asked about the movie being an ensemble piece. Colin said *That's one of the best things,we all felt we had this to ourselves a little bit, you know* Then they cut cut to ET.

(Karen) Bee, you did pick out the absolute best pic IMO. The *only* reason the one I posted edged out Bee's for me, is I love the little hint of what looks like amusement in eyes and mouth. It was a hard one to call. ;-) (Tress) The hands Louisa! And they are everywhere!!!!!!!!!! Oh, baby!! Also love the pic Spring entrance pic. And that B/W TIOBE pic one of my all time faves. I don't want to delay the other "Eene's" account from the Burns Center, Yes, sorry, mine will most likely be delayed til tomorrow. Just got in and going out again momentarily.

WOW! The pictures are fantastic. Loved the report of last evening's Q&A. Can only imagine how Pauline felt during eye contact.

Cute video though unfortunately dial-up quality streaming with my cable modem. :-( (Lora) Was that our "fan base" in the background during the interviews? You mean Colin's "peeps" who were seen and heard in the background. ;-D A whole gaggle of us! Or would that be herd, or flock, or ....?

(Mari) Did anyone catch Huge on the Today Show just now? Interesting - he was originally supposed to be on the show on Tuesday and I wondered what happened. Huge was also on The Early Show on CBS today - busy morning for him. When asked about TEOR, he did his standard "Colin is too old for the role" joke. They showed two stills from TEOR - one of Mark and Daniel fighting, and one of Mark with Bridget. Thanks, all, for the pictures and reports! That latest set of Wireimage pictures is... well, I don't need to say it.

What is SWTA?

Speaking With the Angel. It's an anthology of short stories edited by Nick Hornby. Colin wrote one of them.

(Karen) Bee, you did pick out the absolute best pic IMO. (Dorine)The *only* reason the one I posted edged out Bee's for me, is I love the little hint of what looks like amusement in eyes and mouth. It was a hard one to call. ;-) There's one there for every kind of mood, I think. I plan on having revolving favorites.;-))

(Eeene1) The *only* reason the one I posted edged out Bee's for me Hon, you don't have to defend your choice. Tomayto/tomahto. Besides, art is so subjective. (Katty) What is SWTA? Speaking with the Angel, the anthology Nick Hornby compiled to benefit autistic children that contains Colin's short story, The Department of Nothing.

Any other questions, Katty? ;-))))))) Anyway, there's been a mushrooming of pics from the GWAPE press conference. If you'd like to check it out, here they are: http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=SRH&str=colin+firth&styp=&sfld=C&PageNum=1&lg=Y I'll get the larger ones up in the "flashes of flashes" (or whatever that was).

(Dorine) You mean Colin's "peeps" who were seen and heard in the background. ;-D LOL...his 'peeps' were representin'! I can't view the video at work to see which Droolers are peering over ODB's shoulder...but if it is Reuters I won't be visible...and I'm guessing that if Maria is, she looks a bit like Camille ;-D Poxy work computer keeps zapping it cuz it thinks it's a pop-up! How can it not tell the difference between ODB and porn!!???

Okay, have added the last little flourish of cinnamon... Two new ones are at the bottom of this page: http://www.firth.com/gwape_lapconf1.html and the rest are here: http://www.firth.com/gwape_lapconf2.html

This is just so wrong...I cannot function...there should be some sort of rule about putting this stuff up without some sort of warning (I know, I know...show some self restraint and don't look...but how can I not??)!! LEGS!!!!! And this one is so funny that it's adorable (with added bonus of hand): THANK YOU Karen!!!!

Good God!! Honestly I just don't know if I have ever seen a group of pictures of him that have all been so flipping beautiful, or if this is just a continuation of the joyous feelings of the past week making every tidbit and post seem absof***inglutely FABulous, but I am mush here. Thanks so much Karen for the pics and for Pauline's account, Drool lately is like a magic hat, I close out of it to go back to work and prest-o change-o! Go back in and a whole new world of wonders awaits!

Have we talked about the colors of these pics yet (as I'm in full obsession mode and cannot stop looking at them)? The colors he is wearing, combined with the background? Unbelievable...someone should walk behind him and hold a fabric swatch that exact color over his head at all times (not that he doesn't look absolutely gorgeous at every given moment, but that combo has me melting...in a new way, as I usually melt in other ways every day...). I'll volunteer to hold perfect color over his head for the first shift...anyone else?? ;-)

I haven't got J registered yet, but here is her account: (Tress: pay attention! And Evelyn, another DH award) ;-))) Colin appeared for a Q&A after a showing of GWAPE at the Burns Film Center. I had never heard of this place even though I live about a half hour away and I checked out their website and called them and they said that it was sold out but that I could come and be on a stand-by list and I did and I actually got in! They showed GWAPE and after it was over I ran out to go to the restroom before the Q&A started and I opened the door to the lobby and HE was standing there smiling and posing for pictures and signing autographs for the theater staff! And I think I went into shock. It seemed so unreal like it couldn't possibly be him right there and I didn't want to stare and gawk and act all uncool, so I just went past him and went to the restroom and when I came back he was gone and I went running into the theater where my husband was and he and Scarlet Johansson were just walking out on the stage and I had a seat in the second row. And he was lovely and charming and funny. He had on the same clothes he had on on the View earlier in the day. I asked him a question too! People were asking technical questions about the lighting and that sort of thing (that the director could've better answered) and Scarlet Johansson was asked a lot (about her other movie Lost in Translation) and I wanted to get the focus back on Colin. The guy going around with the microphone was right next to me, and I asked for it. And I was so afraid of not being able to speak--to get the words out--I've never spoken into a microphone before. But I took deep breaths and did it. I asked something like" You've done a lot of great things that are maybe lesser known like the Advocate and Apartment Zero, what are some of your favorite roles from the past?" and he answered and brought up how A Month in the Country" was a favorite and how it was similar to GWAPE in that the love is unconsummated and he looked right at me, while he was answering, but I don't even remember all that he said because it was so surreal and even when it was happening I didn't believe it was happening. I was in the 2nd row off to the right side. Many people were taking pictures during the Q&A and since I had sent my husband out to get a disposable camera earlier I took some too. Afterward, people went up and he signed autographs and I got one. He smiled and made eye contact when he handed me back my paper and he is just lovely and incredible and his smile is so radiant and he's sweet and kind and just so nice! I will regret forever walking right past him in the theater lobby! I will never have this opportunity again. I just should have said something like "you are a great actor and there are people all over who really appreciate it" or something and I didn't. But I did get to see him up on the stage and to get his autograph. He is really a lovely person.

("J") ...after it was over I ran out to go to the restroom before the Q&A started and I opened the door to the lobby and HE was standing there smiling and posing for pictures and signing autographs for the theater staff! ROTFL! Seems if you loiter by the loo, you are bound to spot ODB! He shows up near toilets an awful lot! Think I'll go hang out by the door down the hall...hmmmm....maybe if I wait long enough..... ;-D Thanks Karen and "J"! Too many goodies today! Great stories and pics everyone! Thanks so much!!!

Hi Check out the cute picture of the Firths in the new issue of US Weekly. Will come back with more shows and dates and news after our junket next week. Colin's schedule is a bit crazed at the moment so there is still lots of juggling going on. Take care!

To Everyone: Again, I've been out of internet reach for a couple of days, and ALWAYS happy to return to this great group. The information and photos are just stupendous!! Next time, any of you are going anywhere, count me in!! Will be sure to save us all spots on the way to the loos.... I did get a chance( via TiVo) to see some of his appearances...loved him on The View, but didn't love the shirt, at all. If he's out in LA, he's sure to see Will. Was a little disappointed that he didn't mention Will on The View, just Luca and Mateo, when Viera commented that he had another son. Gotta check out those press conference photos again. They are awesome.... Is the Craig Kilbourn visit off?

(Tress) Have we talked about the colors of these pics yet *waving hand wildly* and ignoring that "we" as am sure there must be a correlation between constant beautiful picture gazing and loss of finger dexterity whilst typing. ;-) Hola: More shows?!! More dates?!!! Oooh, fantastic. VCR is getting dusted and oiled.

Who caught any of his appearances on all these talk shows? I caught the Daily Show interview with my hubby . .Colin looked . .(**sigh**) just wonderful . .poor thing fell outside his hotel before getting there to the show. . . wish I had been there to help him up and ask him where it hurt! I didn't tape it . .sorry!!!!! . .I'm going to try to tape the A&E Breakfast with the Arts interview. Did anyone catch him on any of his other appearances?? . .I was at work and had no access to TV!

(Maria) is (this) just a continuation of the joyous feelings of the past week...? If you mean NYC feelings, I suppose I would have to *feel* your feelings to appreciate the depth of them but I feel pretty doggone good and I wasn't even there...(LOLing here) but I'd say you all are getting one hell of an afterglow! prest-o change-o! Karen will have to insert ta-da at the top of the next bunch! (Tress)colors (general perfection, etc) I was thinking the same thing... the hair, the clothes, the color. I was just noticing, the background seems especially complimentary to what was (I believe) called his Italy tan. (Karen channeling J) I ran out to go to the restroom before the Q&A started and I opened the door to the lobby and HE was standing there... (Lady of the Loo) ROTFL! Seems if you loiter by the loo, you are bound to spot ODB! Thought of you immediately! (Hola Lola) more shows and dates Be still my heart. Are the planets in alignment or something?

(Karen) *waving hand wildly* and ignoring that "we" as am sure there must be a correlation between constant beautiful picture gazing and loss of finger dexterity whilst typing. ;-) Apologies all around! My brain is in melt down and I'm not functioning properly....too little sleep, too much work, and all that beauty before me...can't be expected (though I try) to make any sense or type properly ;-) So I take it you are not opposed to swatch duty? ;-)

Thanks for the reports Pauline and "J"! Thanks for the pictures Karen! Thanks for the Reuters clip Maria! So much fun!!! (Lora)Was that our "fan base" in the background during the interviews? (Dorine)You mean Colin's "peeps" who were seen and heard in the background. ;-D (Tress)LOL...his 'peeps' were representin'! I can't view the video at work to see which Droolers are peering over ODB's shoulder... I just had to look at that Reuters clip again and again. ;-) I definitely can identify some Drooleurs! How surreal!

(Maria) And Karen, bless you for the profile pic! You mean the one on the Drool page? I don't bless her;-)...pic is not flattering IMO. There are better ones in that group...like the last two on your page. J. and Pauline *clap, clap* for Tuesday night reports. A week ago tonight...

(Tress) So I take it you are not opposed to swatch duty? ;-) Not opposed to it, though would be incredibly impractical, as I'd need to carry a stepladder around with me all the time. ;-) Actually, I believe I mentioned the background color early this a.m. when Bee posted that one pic. Since I always like to cross something off my mental "to-do" list, here's the first of the transcribed interviews: http://www.firth.com/int/03dailyshow.html Ada has done the Today Show and is working on The View. If there are any other talented transcribers out there, you're always needed. I hate doing transcriptions. Hate them, hate them, hate them. Am I being too subtle? ;-)

Need for clarification: Will tomorrow's Fresh Air interview be a repeat or a new one?

(Evelyn)A week ago tonight... I've been thinking about that all day. (Karen)Need for clarification: Will tomorrow's Fresh Air interview be a repeat or a new one? I think it's a repeat. I believe they are doing some type of best of TG's interviews. I searched the NPR website but it's only current through today. But I did come across this review of LA. Scroll down it's at the bottom of the page. http://freshair.npr.org/day_fa.jhtml?display=day&todayDate=11/07/2003

Oops, thank you for all the lovely pictures and lightning speed posting, boss. Hola, we'll anxiously await more TV news. Thank you. "J" great job at the Q&A!!

Hey gang...The E! Behind the Scenes of LA is worth a look.(Thanks Linda for the alert) Lots of Colin with glasses. Looks like the LA junket from LA. They show that glorious scene:"My favorite time of day....my saddest part of the day". Which has to be the LA counter-part to "I like you just as you are..." Richard Curtis did say he picked Portuguese because there is a Portuguese community in Marseilles. Big accolades for Colin: "sweet, bottomless, kind". "He let us take pictures of him kissing every woman on the crew. We thought we'd have tee shirts made 'I kissed Colin Firth.' He's lovely." Repeats tomorrow AM , Sunday .

Re: NPR (Linda)I think it's a repeat. I believe they are doing some type of best of TG's interviews. It's almost surely the repeat. Fridays are always Terry's repeats.

(***Sigh****) Oh those GWAPE conference pics are just yummy!!!!! . .I found my new screensaver at work!!! Thanks so much for posting them . .I LOVE your site!

Oh my goodness..., sigh! Gorgeous, gorgeous pictures! Thank you so much! Tress, I'm with you, the ones with the legs are incredible. Love the closeups too, but those legs... :-) Beedee, the Colin/Vermeer pics are to die for. What a great pair! And thank you lucky girls for those exciting "on the scene" reports, thanks to you I almost feel I was there too. I'm thrilled for all of you for your wonderful experiences, and grateful for thinking of the rest of us while you were having the time of your lives. Are there any pictures taken of you guys at the premiere/Q&A session we could look at? Or that kind of thing is not done here? I would love to see your lovely - and deliriously happy - faces. A Drooler Group Shot maybe? And has anyone met Hola

OOops, hit enter accidentally. Sorry! Anybody met Hola Lola at the premiere? Karen, thanks for transcribing the show, I know it's a lot of work. I've done it once and wowed never to do it again. It takes forever, especially when one can only type with two index fingers. :-)

Alas . .pardon my posts . .you are all on the ball . .I'm still trying valiantly to catch up!!!! . .I certainly came to the right place when wanting up to date info on Colin!

(Barb)but I feel pretty doggone good and I wasn't even there Actually, I'm feeling that I need a cigarette...and I don't smoke;-)! Thanks to Pauline and "J" and everyone I haven't thanked before this, for all the reports, articles and pics. I can't tell you how much fun it's been to come here or how much I appreciate all the hard work you've all done. Now, before I get too goopy, I'm off to search for more new pics;-)!

*Grin* I'm all aflutter! Went to the movies with the DBF (I suggested LA but he thought it might not be good for my mental health... LOL). Saw a v. bizarre movie (Bubba Ho-Tep) at one of the artsy theaters in town. Really strange movie. Anyway, there was the trailer for GWAPE!!! It was lovely!! DBF suggested that maybe that movie ("with your guy, I forget his name") might be OK to see twice. He was oddly ammused when I informed him I had already seen it once (and plan to see it many more times!) Harumph! Guffaw! Dear Evelyn, I'm really trying to write short posts. Really. ;-)

(Linda)I searched the NPR website but it's only current through today. Just checked again (after midnight) and now he's listed for Friday's program. Here's what it says: Actor Colin Firth. He starred as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, and in Bridget Jones' Diary he played a part that was an homage to his portrayal of Mr. Darcy. Now he�s co-starring in the film Love Actually. Also, according to the site, Richard Curtis was on the show last Saturday.

The press conference from the Dorchester in London interviews are finally appearing in a painfully slow manner...here is one of HG.. With Grant back at work, 'Love' is in the air November 14, 2003 By ANGELA DAWSON Advertisement LONDON -- Hugh Grant, the British actor who became a star with the romantic comedy ''Four Weddings and a Funeral,'' collaborates for the fourth time with ''FWAAF'' screenwriter Richard Curtis, who makes his directorial debut in the ensemble comedy ''Love Actually'' -- billed as ''the ultimate romantic comedy.'' In it, Grant, 43, plays a newly elected British prime minister who inadvertently gets caught in Cupid's cross hairs. The hunky actor recently addressed the press at London's historic Dorchester Hotel to talk about life, love, acting and his new movie, actually. Q. You and Richard have been working together for so long. Can you talk about your collaboration and what makes it work? A. Well, first of all, I should tell you that Richard wanted Alan Rickman to play the part in ''Four Weddings and a Funeral.'' And I fought very hard for that. [Laughs] ... I had a desultory, Euro-pudding career going and was saved entirely by the fact that he wrote ''Four Weddings and a Funeral.'' And I would still be doing four-part French miniseries if it wasn't for Dickie and [producer] Duncan [Kenworthy] coming along with that film. Q. How have you changed since ''Four Weddings and a Funeral''? A. I'm just a little bolder now. As I was saying, in my Euro-pudding phase, one was just so lucky to get a job at all. You didn't quarrel with what came along at all. You just said, ''Script? Money? I'll do that.'' And then the more you do films, the more interfering you become. For instance, on this film, I did go to Richard and say, ''It's all a very hilarious script and all, but ... '' I have really enjoyed in the last few films being not so nice. I have found that girls at parties fancy me more. [They say] ''Could you not make him too nice?'' And Richard did accept that. Q. This is a real ensemble movie. How did you like sharing the screen with so many other actors? A. I am going through a phase in my life where I am not really keen to act at all, especially not in lead parts. I just find it too stressful. I would rather sit home and watch the telly or play golf. So, in a way, it's ideal. There is no grand idea of sharing or diluting myself. Q. So you hoped [co-star] Colin [Firth] would be bad? A. I always hoped Colin would be bad -- and ugly. And, indeed, I think he is. Q. In regard to women, there are so many different kinds of women who are idealized. What do you think? A. I think there is a lesson in this film. Richard really believes that people can fall in love [and] do fall in love. Oddly enough, people like me find it quite hard. It just helps to be reminded of that sometimes. When you are in France or Italy, where romance is very high on everyone's daily agenda, much higher than television or golf or going to get sordid in the pub or eating a lot of curry or being nice to your dog, gardening it somehow makes every woman you meet in life more potentially of romantic interest, sexier. It just raises the kind of romantic and sexual atmosphere. And if this film does that a bit in our drab sort of Protestant-British culture, then fantastic. And then maybe that will apply to America as well. I do feel that the Catholic countries have a better time in that way. But that is a whole other thing. Q. Why are you not keen to act? A. I don't know. I just got tired. I think that is really all it was. I keep thinking every day I am going to wake up and go, ''Oh, yes, let's go and make a film.'' But I don't particularly feel that way. ... I think you just go a bit mad after a bit. You want a bit of privacy. Or I did, anyway. Q. You are tired of being a celebrity? A. Well, I wouldn't go that far. [Laughs] But you do. There is a part of you that wants to switch that off, and that desire to want to switch that off becomes more and more kind of urgent. Q. Did you work with a choreographer for your dance scene in the movie? A. No, that was all me and as a result of this film, I will never ever dance again as long as I live. Generally speaking, [making movies] might protect yourself from seeing what you really do, and in this one, there was more of it [shot] than there is [in the final cut]. I never looked at the playback on the monitor. I was hearing good laughs and smiling faces around the monitor, and then, in the end, I thought, Well, I'll go have a look. I saw this slightly overweight, unhappy-looking middle-aged man dancing completely out of time, and I will never ever dance again for as long as I live. Q. Do you think that your character was suave and the film was schmaltzy? A. I don't think that ''schmaltzy'' is the right word. I think the right word is ''warm,'' and it's incredibly brave from that point of view because it can be argued that it's not fashionable to make positive statements in any art form and particularly in cinema. As Richard often says, why is that when it's about a man who gets out of prison and goes and murders all these children, everyone calls that a grisly reality? Whereas here, I think that anyone can sympathize, and the reality is that people are going to love their wives and families and fall in love with people instead of chopping them up. So, in a way, you can call this searingly realistic, and I think that it probably is. The challenge was that there are nine stories. So, you're inevitably going to have an accumulation of sentiments, which you don't get in a film where one guy is going to go to one person and ask one girl to marry him. We had to do that nine times.

(Shoshana)Dear Evelyn, I'm really trying to write short posts. Really. ;-) The only way I know how, these days. Thank you all !! :-)

And this is related to the last post...and still looking for the main course, of course... over story: Love for sale 09 November 2003 A day in the company of the lovely, celebrated cast of Richard Curtis's new romantic comedy Love Actually helps Jo McCarroll discover her inner cynic. For several years I have accepted money to spend short periods of time with strangers in hotel rooms. I don't feel I need to justify that; it's how I make my living. Perhaps this career choice has made me somewhat cynical about people but I don't think what we are doing demeans them or me. I like to think I'm providing a valuable social service, a brief distraction for you people who would otherwise have to face up to the stupefying monotony of your lives. Celebrities don't interview themselves you know. Of course in the weird reality that is the film publicity junket, celebrities don't do anything themselves. Scores of blonde Stepford publicists anticipate their every desire, bringing them food and bottled water, ushering them deferentially from room to room and interrupting them if they absentmindedly start to tell you about that time they got arrested for having sex with a hooker in the back of a car. Because of course the publicists' real job is to get Hugh Grant et al to talk less about the sex in the car stuff and more about "the film". Which in the case of this particular junket is Love Actually, written and directed by New Zealand-born light entertainment heavyweight Richard Curtis. It's more difficult than you'd imagine because the naughty journalists do these film junkets all the time and it makes us rather cynical of yet another actor saying why yet another film is the greatest film he has ever been involved in, no really. We hardly ever want to talk about the film - we always try to bring the conversation around to, let's say, the actors' rumoured affair with a co-star or battle with eating disorders/alcohol/weight/ prescription medication. And while you may think that's because we are only one step up from vultures feeding on the carrion of human misery, really it is mainly because it's quite boring going on and on about a film, especially since no one reading your piece will have had a chance to see it yet. For instance Grant tells us he dreaded filming the dance scene in Love Actually. "I thought it was funny on paper but unactable because those things are so spontaneous," he says. "It's like blushing, you can't act blushing." And then he says that he can't do physical comedy and Richard Curtis demurs and says he can, and Grant demurs back (but completely fails to act blushing) and then we have a long (but meaningless if you haven't seen it) conversation about why the scene worked. The film distributors know the journalists don't want to write about the film. So the distributors of Love Actually have taken precautions. The media present in a London hotel have been warned they'll be blacklisted from future interview opportunities if they write up the ensemble interviews as the individual profile of just one celeb ? Hugh Grant or Emma Thompson, say. All media have to interview all 11 cast members as well as the writer/director and the producer; we're not allowed to cherrypick the "proper" famous ones and dismiss, say, just-known-from-telly types like Andrew Lincoln. This way, the distributors believe, the international media ? in my group there's an Irish girl, an Argentinian, a French guy, an Israeli, a Swede, a Belgian, and a Dane, this is the United Nations Light Entertainment division ? will be compelled to write ensemble interviews about a diverse group of people who have nothing in common apart from the fact that they have all appeared in the same film. And so that will keep every ne nicely to the topic of Love Actually and how much everyone involved enjoyed making it. And by everyone I mean Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Rowan Atkinson, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley, and let's not forget Andrew Lincoln. There is such a constellation of stars that I understand the distributors' reluctance to allow media to focus on just one. "Mind you, now that I've seen it and it's testing so well," Grant says, in a very rare moment of Love Actually film junket irony. "I have taken a much higher role in its publicity." But this promiscuous boy-meets-girl romantic comedy follows no less than 22 characters in at least 10 different love stories. You have the prime minister (Grant) falling for the unspoiled charms of his Downing Street tea lady (McCutcheon); you have a heartbroken writer (Firth) who falls for his non-English speaking cleaner; you have a schoolboy in love with the most beautiful girl in his class; and so on. The film doesn't confine itself to just romantic love: there's also a widowed stepfather (Neeson) trying to connect with his forlorn 11-year-old; the love of a girl (Linney) for her mentally disturbed brother; and a has-been rock star (Nighy) who's released a blazingly cynical rehash of Love Is All Around as Christmas Is All Around ("You know as well as I do that the record's crap," the character says in a radio interview "but wouldn't it be great if Number One this Christmas wasn't some smug teenager but an old ex-heroin addict searching for a comeback at any price?") and his reluctantly admitted love for his long-suffering manager. Love Actually is written and directed by Curtis, who wrote Four Weddings and a Funeral, which was the most successful British film in history until he wrote Notting Hill, which held the title until the release of Bridget Jones's Diary, the screenplay of which was co-written by Curtis. He also wrote or co-wrote Not the Nine O'clock News, Blackadder, Mr Bean and The Vicar of Dibley. Love Actually will almost certainly become the most successful British film ever, at least until Richard Curtis does another one. It's sweet and very funny and - how to put this? - if you liked Four Weddings/Notting Hill you are probably going to like Love Actually. It's familiar ground. Very, very familiar ground. And no wonder - it's the same production team as Four Weddings, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones, a similar cast (Grant's been in all the aforementioned films - he admits he had to be talked into playing another floppy-haired nice guy since "girls prefer me at parties" now he's started playing edgier roles) and some pretty bloody similar plot devices (there's a subtitled love scene near the end which is eerily reminiscent of the sign language scene at the end of Four Weddings, and I could go on). It is unashamedly and successfully feelgood. "Our films have absolutely no relation to reality," Grant says. "Do they Richard? You've never concerned yourself with that." In fact, Curtis describes the film as "scorchingly real" but then he also considers The Sound of Music to be "quite a realistic piece of work" (in that it shows that good people hated the Nazis and people fall in love and love their children). "But there isn't any cynicism in it," Curtis says. "I'm very optimistic about the world . . . It's meant to make you feel that if you see love anywhere you should go for it." Having seen the film, I did think it was sweet and enjoyable. It was only after these endless interviews with every single member of the cast or crew in which they all bulldoggedly insisted that love is the answer, kumbaya my lord, that I started to tip over the edge of sweetness into diabetic coma. To sum up, the stars all loved this film. It will undoubtedly make some of them an enormous amount of money but that is not why they love it; they love it because love really is the most important thing in the world and without real human connections (like those skirted over so glossily in Love Actually) life is pretty much meaningless. A jaded and cynical hack who's spent a bit too much time in hotel rooms might say that this interview process seems designed to absolutely minimise any chance of any real human connection, and that since the purpose of them is to sell tickets to a film (which you really should go and see and Hugh Grant says so) that might undermine the purity and integrity of this message. But I shouldn't think like that. That's cynical and cynical is bad. "There's enough of cynicism to go around," Thompson says, and I believe her absolutely, but then she has won a couple of Academy Awards. "We don't need any more of that in our diet. Cynicism is like salt." Love is so often "packaged and sold" by film and television, says Thompson, with no awareness whatsoever of any possible irony, "in so many deeply manipulative and cynical ways". Young people, says Thompson, getting really quite impassioned, don't want to grow up and walk out into a world "where there's nothing but f�-ing war and people making money". "Young people are deeply idealistic and what they want is to be told that there is a world out there which is not cynical," she says. "And that is your job as well. It's (the) artists' job and it's (the) journalists' job to remind ourselves and remind our children that the world also contains other things." Like this film, which is not just another repacking and selling of love to the masses, not even a teeny tiny bit. Love Actually is like a newborn lamb, touched by the freshness of spring, and if the likes of me can't see that then really I should just pack up my mint sauce and go. So let me say that Love Actually is lovely. Seeing this film and meeting its lovely, lovely cast has made me a better, deeper person. My heart overflows with genuine love for this film and everyone involved in it. Especially the distributors. Really.

I had a desultory, Euro-pudding career going Yup, looks like Hugh's got a new phrase of the week;-)! Maria, thanks for the articles. I quite liked the second one..makes me want to rush out and go see the movie;-).

"we're not allowed to cherrypick the "proper" famous ones and dismiss, say, just-known-from-telly types like Andrew Lincoln" Pretty dishy, IMO.(I'd rather "cherry pick" him than AR.) (Emma) "And that is your job as well. It's (the) artists' job and it's (the) journalists' job to remind ourselves and remind our children that the world also contains other things." Oh my. But would they do it for nothing...I-don't-think-so. Hey, it's an entertaining movie, we're not talking Titanic, here.

"blonde Stepford publicists anticipate their every desire, bringing them food and bottled water" Hey, I'm blonde -- I think I've finally found my true calling!! "So let me say that Love Actually is lovely. Seeing this film and meeting its lovely, lovely cast has made me a better, deeper person. My heart overflows with genuine love for this film and everyone involved in it. Especially the distributors. Really." MEEOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!

I just called WHYY in Philadelphia, the woman I spoke to could not confirm if the Fresh Air interview is a repeat or new. She did, however, seem to think it could be new because of the mention of Colin Firth starring in LA for the promo. This program airs in the PA, DE, and NJ areas at 3PM today and again at 7PM tonight. I will be ready with radio and cassette for recording just in cases;-) Lots of Colin in the E! Behind the Scenes. LA is also one of the selections for E!'s Coming Attractions. I happened to catch the very end of it while I taped Behind the Scenes. Will go back and set up VCR for this, Just another busy day here in Colinworld.

(Hugh) I have really enjoyed in the last few films being not so nice. I have found that girls at parties fancy me more. LOL...I know I do...Enjoyed him best in BJD and About a Boy. (Hugh) You just said, ''Script? Money? I'll do that.'' ODB and Hugh have some things in common! (Hugh) I always hoped Colin would be bad -- and ugly. And, indeed, I think he is. ROTFL....Hugh's alright. He's got a bit of a bite to him and I can appreciate that. I think the torch is being passed. At least that is what I saw in NYC. I don't know if it was a surprise to them or not, but I was pretty amazed at how little of a response Hugh got....and how huge the response for Colin was....nice. (Jo McCarroll) For several years I have accepted money to spend short periods of time with strangers in hotel rooms. I don't feel I need to justify that; it's how I make my living. Perhaps this career choice has made me somewhat cynical about people but I don't think what we are doing demeans them or me. I like to think I'm providing a valuable social service, a brief distraction for you people who would otherwise have to face up to the stupefying monotony of your lives. Hmmmm.......thank Gawd she is on this planet to save me from myself. Wow. A piece all about her, but wrapped up in Love Actually. Nicely done. I feel so badly for her....poor thing. Her job sucks and she must suffer through her day to make me happy. Maybe she'd like my job? She can be a technical writer and see if that cures her of cynicism. ;-) Thanks Maria! Must dash....Behind the Scenes is on right now!

Karen, Do you still need help transcribing??? Would love to pitch in and be useful member of Drool Conference!!!!!!

(karen) However, I (...) can see lots of uses for them in the future. and so do i... lots and lots of new animatronicolins ahead ! thank you, thank you, thank you !

Just saw Behind the Scenes....if you can catch it, it is pretty good. Must say (again), love the specs. Thank you Karen for the transcribing! Just had a moment to read it and it made me laugh....wish I could have been there to help him dust off his bum after his spillage on the cobbles! ;-)

A dear friend let me know there's a lovely photo in the new In Touch mag. Especially if you like a profile and his left ear! Signing autographs at the LA premiere. If one of you is the fan shown then you're very lucky! (shoulder length, straight blonde hair with white top and dark coa The caption reads: Sign Here, Sir Gorgeous Colin Firth was happy to meet his fans, but their screaming made him blush. "I'm enjoying it," he said, "but no one warned me!" Also, has this RC interview been mentioned? http://www.npr.org/movies/index.html

Fresh Air comes on at 11 am (minutes from now) here. You can listen to it at my station's site: http://www.wbez.org/ So we shall soon know if it is new or a repeat.

It's a repeat of the 2001 interview, with some updating info in the lead-in.

(BrendaL) A dear friend let me know there's a lovely photo in the new In Touch mag. Especially if you like a profile and his left ear! Signing autographs at the LA premiere. If one of you is the fan shown then you're very lucky! That is one of our party...and you can see my french manicure (far left) and hair. KathyF's book is obscuring my startled face (thank you Kathy!) and ODB is signing my mini-poster with my "Pen of Love"! ;-)

Gorgeous Colin Firth was happy to meet his fans, but their screaming made him blush. "I'm enjoying it," he said, "but no one warned me!" That's cute. Glad we could be in there for him. Linda you were right about thinking the rain lucky. Even if you said it just to help us find some positivity beforehand when things weren't looking good. ;-)

(Dorine) That's cute. Glad we could be in there for him. So am I! He seemed pleased? Embarrassed? To have such a fuss made over him! His 'fan base' was certainly lucky to be in the press tent (all dry, warm, fuzzy and so 'close to the light')! ;-)

Where do I even begin to catch up here after only one day?! Gorgeous Colin Firth was happy to meet his fans, but their screaming made him blush. "I'm enjoying it," he said, "but no one warned me!" Sweet. Thanks, Brenda, am off to the newsstand! But . . . wot screaming?;-);-) Lola, there's going to be more?? "Saints preserve us.";-) In the dog days of August if I start complaining of dearth of Firth, somebody smack me.;-) Pauline and "J", I enjoyed your Q&A reports so much! Would love to hear more about how Colin responded to the excellent question about reviews. I think it's funny that Janet Maslin tried to shut it down (no wonder the NY Times "retired" her) but you held fast onto that mic! Was probably one of the more interesting questions they got and it sounds like Colin and Scarlett really warmed to it.

BeeDee, I loved your juxtaposed pics of Vermeer and Colin. "AFG through the centuries!" ;-) Karen, thanks so much for the Daily Show transcipt. That was a terrific interview, these two guys really seem to click. LOL at Jon's observation that in NY, the bomb would probably be stolen.;-) Here's the bit from the new Us magazine that Lola mentioned, with the pic of Colin and Livia at the premiere: Colin Firth's Amore In the new romantic comedy Love Actually, Colin Firth falls for a woman whose language he doesn't speak. Turns out, Firth, 43, had the same experience in real life! His wife, filmmaker Livia Giuggioli, 33, is Italian. "I learned her language, went after her, and married her as well!" Firth told Us at the film's New York City premiere. The couple, who met on the set of the British miniseries Nostromo in 1996, have two sons. "I'm still working on my Italian," Firth confessed. "It isn't as good as my Portuguese in the film."

(Mari) To have such a fuss made over him! And not Hugh!! ;-D

(Dorine)Linda you were right about thinking the rain lucky. Even if you said it just to help us find some positivity beforehand when things weren't looking good Things were always looking good...we just didn't know it at the time;-) My Grandmother always said that rain was a lucky sign. I believe it now!!! (Karen)It's a repeat of the 2001 interview, with some updating info in the lead-in. Drat! When I called the station this morning, one of the menu choices for Terry Gross was suggestions for future guests. I think I need to make a suggestion. This is TG's perfect type of thing. However, Colin's TIOBE interview from All Things Considered program was good, too. (Tress)So am I! He seemed pleased? Embarrassed? To have such a fuss made over him! His 'fan base' was certainly lucky to be in the press tent (all dry, warm, fuzzy and so 'close to the light')! ;-) Ditto. I thought it was neat that all the fuss was being made in front of his peers. ...Always willing to help with the transcription duties, boss. I was all set to spend the evening with transcribing the NPR interview. Oh well, maybe soon we'll have a new one.

(Linda) Ditto. I thought it was neat that all the fuss was being made in front of his peers. Yes! Emma T. was so happy for him (And Hugh! LOL! "Thanks for coming out to see me!" Said with great sarcasm after Mari's question about what it was like to work with Colin)! And the press kept pointing it out (like they needed to...I really don't think the tent was loud enough!) and ODB was so nice as to keep turning and waving to placate us until he could make it over to sign/chat...

(Tress)I really don't think the tent was loud enough!) and ODB was so nice as to keep turning and waving to placate us until he could make it over to sign/chat Yes, and I loved when he put up both hands, after speaking with BBC America Tom Brook, and said "Enough" (to the rest of the press down the line) and immediately turned and walked over to our side of the red carpet. Bravissimo! (Tress)And Hugh! LOL! "Thanks for coming out to see me!" Said with great sarcasm What a good sport he was. I rather enjoyed his time with our group.

Sorry, Evelyn, but this is going to be long. Take a nap if you must. ;-) (Ildi) Are there any pictures taken of you guys at the premiere/Q&A session we could look at? Or that kind of thing is not done here? I would love to see your lovely - and deliriously happy - faces. A Drooler Group Shot maybe? That type of thing would never be posted publicly here at Drool. Many people just don't want their faces all over the internet. Ask that Hilton chick! ;-) If pictures are posted, the urls are sent out via email and are for private viewing only...and are not for sharing. Thanks, Maria, for the very eye-opening article from the film critic. Wow!! That's one woman who should hang it up. (Jo McCarroll) I like to think I'm providing a valuable social service, a brief distraction for you people who would otherwise have to face up to the stupefying monotony of your lives. Jaw dropping to floor! (JMcC)And while you may think that's because we are only one step up from vultures feeding on the carrion of human misery Now, I definitely do. (JMcC) The media present in a London hotel have been warned they'll be blacklisted from future interview opportunities if they write up the ensemble interviews as the individual profile of just one celeb--Hugh Grant or Emma Thompson, say....There is such a constellation of stars that I understand the distributors' reluctance to allow media to focus on just one. So, she's solved that problem by writing about Hugh (mainly) with a little Emma tossed in toward the end and a lot of herself. (Mari) But . . . wot screaming?;-);-) How soon we forget. "Col.....in!!! Col......in!!" (Tress)And Hugh! LOL! "Thanks for coming out to see me!" Said with great sarcasm (Linda) What a good sport he was. I rather enjoyed his time with our group. Ditto. He was great and I liked how startled he was Mari's question. (Kimberley) Do you still need help transcribing? Would love to pitch in and be useful member of Drool Conference! Bless you, my child. :) We're sort of caught up right now with the three TV appearance transcriptions, but hopefully there will be more...either from LA and/or GWAPE. *********Drool/firth.com is always looking for people to pitch in********** (1) People in all countries with scanners, who know how to use them or who *know* people who know how to use them; this would include children who can be bribed to keep their mouths shut and not tell daddy what mom is up to. (2) People in all countries who subscribe to magazines or who like to visit newsstands daily or every couple of days to read quality publications. Bags to cover one's head can be supplied for flipping through lesser-quality publications. (3) People in all countries with VCRs, who know how to hit the record button. (4) People in select countries with cameras, who know how to take pictures, get them developed (if necessary) and scanned (see #1 above) or digitally transmitted. People with other, specialized skills (like Sophie's animatronics and dewatermarking expertise) are always appreciated and should be listed on your C.V.

(Linda)What a good sport he was. I rather enjoyed his time with our group. He has come up many notches in my book since last week! Good sport indeed.

(Lindak)...and immediately turned and walked over to our side of the red carpet. Bravissimo! That purposeful stride in our direction (I do so love watching him 'in the wild' and in 3-D...he's so unpredictable...)! I think it only took him one giant step to be there...**big sigh** I, too, loved the little gesture he gave to the press to hold up for a moment, so that he could come over to 'our side' ("Come to the dark side Colin....cut your fans a break....walk away from the light"). ;-) Hugh was a very good sport. I found him charming (those twenty seconds he spent in front of us)!

Argh!! Have to go to a meeting and want so much to stay and play instead of fend off my narcolepsy( I self diagnose quite a bit evidently ;-)) Anyway, hope this isn't a repeat, I havn't been able to listen with sound... LA Featurette - http://ktla.trb.com/entertainment/movies/stv-movies-review-mmx-loveactually,0,1909240.story?coll=ktla-entnews-2

Looks like the beginning of publicity for LA in the UK. On Sky, a 20-minute preview of Richard Curtis's new romantic comedy starring Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman. Bonus: Love Actually - Nov 18 13:40 on Sky Movies 1 Bonus: Love Actually - Nov 18 19:40 on Sky Movies 1 Bonus: Love Actually - Nov 20 08:45 on Sky Movies 1 Bonus: Love Actually - Nov 20 15:20 on Sky Movies 1

Here is Tom Brook's report from the NY Red Carpet: http://www.bbcworld.com/content/template_talkingmovies.asp?pageid=665&co_pageid=2 There's a link to watch his report, but I keep getting an error message and it closes down. :-(

Sorry, Evelyn, but this is going to be long. Take a nap if you must. ;-) Actually , I found most of what you said rather interesting;) Gorgeous Colin Firth was happy to meet his fans, but their screaming made him blush. "I'm enjoying it," he said, "but no one warned me!" He was shocked. Doesn't anyone have a pic of him when he turned around to the chant: "Col-in, Col-in". Hugh Grant didn't get down to me ...but Shoshanna and I have a gorgeous pic of Greg Wise.He posed.... twice ;-) Poor guy was thrilled to be asked. He was tired of being Mr. Emma Thompson

(Evelyn) Doesn't anyone have a pic of him when he turned around to the chant: "Col-in, Col-in". Was that when he was at the ET podium? I have a pic of that (but you'll die when you see his hair! The 'light' behind him made it look all goofy). I promise to get those off to Karen this weekend.

(Evelyn) He was tired of being Mr. Emma Thompson Especially when the photogs screamed at him to, "Get the F%$# out of the way!" :-( Evelyn, you might as well log off....I've got *a lot* to say about goings on in the past week. Now is it anything of substance? Well, you know I like to hear myself post. ;-)

OHHH, waited for this for a looooooong time: From Entertainment Weekly's Shaw Report In: Colin Firth Five Minutes Ago: Colin Farrell Out: Colin Cowie ...but EW gives LA a B-

WOW! Spend the day getting major car repairs to return to plethora of news,reviews, photographs and lovely links! (Plethora is the wrong word as can never be oversupply of CF items). Thanks you everyone for all of the wonderful goodies. I agree with whoever suggested hearing more about the response ODB gave ,specifically, when answering the inquiry about negative reviews(at the Q&A). How do they resolve that kind of rejection which, even though they are professionals doing a job, is so personally and publically directed at the actor in question ?

From Entertainment Weekly's Shaw Report In: Colin Firth Five Minutes Ago: Colin Farrell Out: Colin Cowie Hoorah!! Hadn't looked at mine yet. Curious which reviewer did LA. OG isn't as hard and just out of whack on reviews like LS. A B- can be decent for one of them and not very good with the other. (Bonnie) I agree with whoever suggested hearing more about the response ODB gave ,specifically, when answering the inquiry about negative reviews(at the Q&A). I can add a little more, I think. Have to read over the others again. He gave a rather long answer. He was in a very chatty mood that night.

Anyone belong to this? http://www.kameraone.com/index.jsp Looks like they have a seven 1/2 minute video from the premiere...

In: Colin Firth Five Minutes Ago: Colin Farrell Out: Colin Cowie It's about @#$%ing time, inspired by Mr Five Minutes Ago. ;-0 (Maria) Looks like they have a seven 1/2 minute video from the premiere... There seem to be two (of marginally different lengths) if you search on LA. The company is in Stockholm though.

(Ada)Actually, I'm feeling that I need a cigarette...and I don't smoke;-)! I think Colin feels the same way! ;-) (sorry couldn't resist - everytime I see this picture I think the caption should be, "Has anyone seen my ciggie?" Must be remnant posture from the old days ;-D) Thanks again for all the articles, pictures, recap of Q&A's, and reviews! (Linda)OHHH, waited for this for a looooooong time: It's great! Our CF is "in" and that other CF is finito!

darn, closing

Trying again... (Ada)Actually, I'm feeling that I need a cigarette...and I don't smoke;-)! I think Colin feels the same way! ;-)

(Lynda)...but EW gives LA a B- LOL. So do I, but it's still am entertaining film. Colin's segment saves it, IMO. Is this where I go into my mantra: "Not all films have to be Oscar contenders." Jeeeze. Spill, Dorine, we haven't heard much outta you....Don't hold back...take it away..... Hey Boss....Bee just sent me a terrific pic of Colin's wave. No one else is in the pic...hair looks good, Tress...would it harm to post it here? No commercial photog took that one. Personifies the magic.

Hi Ev, that was Little Bee's pick and it does have id factors. Please wait till she sends it herself.:-)))

(Evelyn)Spill, Dorine, we haven't heard much outta you....Don't hold back...take it away..... Have been thinking the same thing ;-) Dorine, here's something to get you going...you've been found out ;-). "Is that you, Dorine, in the Q & A audience yet again? It ab-so-lute-ly is!"

Here's a short one, Evelyn. ;-) (Lora) "Is that you, Dorine, in the Q & A audience yet again? It ab-so-lute-ly is!" ROTFL!! Ironically, that may be too close to the truth. Not sure if that's ok. Oh well, at least I wasn't wearing red.....or pink! ;-) Love his hands in that pic, too. I don't think there's one of those pics I dislike. They all have something.

Fresh Aire is a repeat. It is from 2001. You can hear it here: http://freshair.npr.org/day_fa.jhtml;jsessionid=HOY1DSDIIKKPRLA5AINSFFQ?todayDate=current

OK, just a few thoughts 'bout premiere night, Thursday, November 6, 2003. ;-) And weekend in general..... Some people have asked me how this compared to TIOBE. This was sooooooooo much bigger than TIOBE, as well as it should be expected, considering the talent and studio involved in this project. After we got inside, I have to say I was much more nervous about the prospect of getting relatively close to him, as it was guaranteed this time that at one point, he would be no further than 6 or 7 feet away...and I wouldn't have to stand on a "potted palm," or be soaking wet. ;-) It was a complete fluke last time to get so close last time. No time to think about it. Plus, I�d only had time for one drink, as we had a crappy waiter and I waited too long to get a drink from the bar. :-( I have taken myself by surprise at the thought that I was extremely nervous each night once I got next to him to talk to him. I felt like a freakin' idiot and probably looked and sounded like one, too, LOL! Partially because of the aforementioned lack of alcohol, but maybe more so that this wasn�t a social situation like it was at the party. The events of the past week have an inherent intangible (as well as tangible one at the premiere) "barrier" set up separating fan and star. It�s a certain type of "relationship." That�s not to say that I don�t believe he/they don�t put on their pants one leg at a time like the rest of us either. But I doubt I�d be quiet so bad in a more "normal" situation, with less people demanding his attention all at once. As I think Maria or Rika said, we were standing at the "elbow" of the red carpet and could see the backs of people as they walked through and posed in the gauntlet of photogs. After he and Livia got to the end, to the ones facing the entrance, I think she must have walked on or backed off, because of course, I saw no one but him talking and posing for the last of the photogs before he would turn to walk up to the ET podium. Since virtually no one else had really seemed to pay much attention to us (incl AR, unfortunately for the nice girls next to us who came to see him), I didn�t figure he�d stop and they�d just whisk him up on that podium. Just as the photogs quieted down since they�d gotten all of Colin�s pics and no one was imminently behind him, I yelled "Colin!" And I think some of you might know now I have a big mouth. Comes in handy once in a while. (I don�t honestly know if anyone else was yelling, but me, either.) He didn�t seem to hear the scream until the third time, at which point he tu ned around. I held up the cover of one of his older movies that had the pen hooked to it all ready to go and gave a kind of smiling, pleading face and mouthing "Please." Probably the visual equivalent to Tress� whine in Toronto, LOL. We�d make a good team in persuading stars to come over. ;-) Then he walked over and as Maria said, that "light" just blinded my senses as soon as he smiled. He was a foot and a half or so from my face. (Strangely, I felt no urge to kiss him....hmmm). I tested my pen previously to make sure it worked, but lo and behold, he started to write and nothing came out! Bugger! Bugger!!! Can you say "panic?," because I know he doesn�t have much time and has other press to do, and I was just *so* grateful he came over at all. *I* didn�t want to be the git of the group. ;-) I thought I said to *myself*, *in my head*, "OMG, the pen doesn�t work!," but it seems Maria heard me say it out loud (talk about a lack of self-awareness at that moment, LOL!). The pen started to work, and as he signed I pointed on it and told him, �you completely blew me away in this.� He gave me a very appreciative smile, said �Thank you, very much,� and started to back away until a book from someone came from the side of my head like a magician pulling a coin out of my ear...or so it seemed. Then off he went to the podium. It was funny a couple of days later, we were talking about it and Maria asks, "What did he say to you?" I was like, �He spoke to me?" GAH!! Other than his thanks, didn�t hear a thing if he said it. The things he could've said that I might have missed, such as, "Do you and your friends want to come to the party as my guests?" or....a variety of things in my imagination. Yeah, I know....keep dreamin'! ;-D Just want to say I had such a blast with everyone this weekend!!! Got to go to several places I�ve wanted to go, but for some reason never did. I�m glad to have met, online and in person, such *ab-so-lute-ly* wonderful people and call them my friends, now, and I�m sure for a long time to come. :-D For that, I thank *you*, Colin.

Evelyn, forgot to warn ya. ;-D Read it over 4 times and still typos, *sigh*. Working on Burns Center Q&A stuff now. This took me a while. Am trying to get the other done before BAFTA-LA stuff starts rolling in.

Well done, Dorine. Reading your account makes realize that, yes, we were really there (it wasn't a dream or imagined, and what magic we lived. (Dorine)I�m glad to have met, online and in person, such *ab-so-lute-ly* wonderful people and call them my friends, now, and I�m sure for a long time to come. :-D Absolutely!

(Dorine) For that, I thank *you*, Colin. Well said Dorine!! ODB is one special guy, but his 'peeps' made the "journey" complete! It was a joy to meet each and every Drooler...f**king fantastic....actually! ;-)

(Kimberley) Do you still need help transcribing? Would love to pitch in and be useful member of Drool Conference! Bless you, my child. :) We're sort of caught up right now with the three TV appearance transcriptions, but hopefully there will be more...either from LA and/or GWAPE. Karen - No prob . .just say when. I do also have a scanner . .and would be more than happy to help in anyway. BTW - would you want any of these? I can scan or type up and email you these . .or post here, if you like Black and White Love Actually ad from NY Newsday (11/14/03) - has critics quotes on how they love the film. .on the borders are pics of the stars (ODB included of course!) - just like on the movie poster. From November 2003 Premiere Magazine: (For the Bridget Jones topic)Interview w/ Renee Zellwegger (honored as one of the important Women in Hollywood From November 2003 Premiere Magazine: Little "On Location" blurb about Trauma . .nothing big, but I can scan it for you if you want.

Preliminary thoughts.... Needed to go back a bit, as I missed these posts before and they relate to the Q&A. Missed The View due to my own incompetence and lack of sleep. VCR was set and ready to go, but was watching the next channel up when, silly me!, I fell asleep. Totally forgot about it in the morning as I woke up with 15 mins to be out of the house to meet boss. :-( If I didn�t remember to brush my hair before I went out (which was mercifully flat and not like a windblown Bridget), I wasn�t going to remember to recheck the VCR/TV. (Kate) Just saw Colin on the View. Who dressed him this AM? That shirt is hideious!!!! (Karen) I didn't think the shirt looked bad at all. Nice to see him wearing something different for a change (Hen) I thought he looked fantastic, flowered shirt and all. (Kate) Who dressed him this AM? (Evelyn) Some hispanic bell-boy. [LOL!!] But agree, it was a change from the black tee-shirt. I can�t comment how it looked on TV, but up close, he looked pretty hot. I think it was the whole relaxed attitude he had, to go along with the untucked and open collar look I am always *very* fond of. Liked the different look of the shirt, too. I thought it made him look/seem younger, actually. ;-) Maybe he�s looking that way from hanging out around little Miss Almost-Self-Professed older man magnet. Though he always looks younger anyway. I�m sorry Shoshana I missed your posted questions. Went out at 8:30 am and back in at 10:45 pm. Couldn�t check last minute posts. :-( Must point out, he said "erotic" *twice*. One thing to imagine him saying it, another to hear it from the horse�s mouth. Mmmm. The notes could be all over the place. A lot was said and I know I didn�t get it or will remember it all. But it helps to have J�s and Pauline�s accounts. Thanks!

Premiere Mag Dec. doesn't have a single pic of the Toronto FF party. Can't believe it considering they sponsored the aft party. Only the often seen one of SJ with black dress and pearls. They review LA , give it two **. I won't bother typing it all up. You know all the negative stuff. Some new stuff: "As for me, there were times watching this movie when I felt I was being force-fed 30 pounds of creme brulee. Which isn't to say I choked on every minute:I chortled heartily at the thread about the comeback of the washed-up rock star (Bill Nighy), ....was touched by the tale of Colin Firth's not -lost in translation discovery of new love [ed note:"Take that Ebert!] ...." Also a featured interview with RC "In the Name of Love" on the set of LA when all the stars join in...somewhat like TIME write-up. "This afternoon's topic of conversation on the LA set is who should play the Clintonesque (read: lecherous) US President in a handful of scenes...Various suggestions--including Tom Selleck, David Hasselhoff, and Tony Curtis---are being bandied about by producer Duncan Kenworthy [ ed note:he was at the premiere],script editor Emma Freud,[ed note: Mrs RC?] and actor Colin Firth. 'Too ancient?' says Firth of Curtis. 'Too camp? What about Bill Clinton? He can't have much to do'". ~~~~~ I read someplace that they originally wanted John Travolta, but agent declined. I thought Billy Bob was alright. But that gold satin tie, and the purple one...ug. ~~~~~~~~~~ Anothe Firth quote: "When people made phone calls on Sept 11, they were all love messages says Firth, who plays a novelist.....We haven't got any record of anybody who left a messge of resentment or of practical advice, 'The gold is in the dot dot dot' or 'I never could stand you'. It seems everybody loved somebody" See? Long postings are catching;-q

Well then, brace yourself, there will be several. ;-P The Jacob Burns Center is a very nice place in a very quaint little town, what I could see of it in the dark. Seem to have very interesting programs there. Might join. I thought the announcer said he was the Program Director of the Center, but I didn�t hear what he said at first. He intro�d Janet Maslin [ugh! � had her for a couple of other Q&A�s, not enamored of her], she spoke of upcoming program with Jeff Bridges [he sounds interesting and amusing], then left so we could watch the movie. My first bathroom break, if needed, is the beginning. Went out to the lobby and struck up a conversation with the Prog Dir, noting that I agreed AMITC was indeed a gem, one of my favorites, and very difficult to get but that as of a year ago, I got it in a Blockbuster which surprised him. Told him I�d seen GWAPE already and he presumed I was there for YKW. I brought up Apt Zero which he didn�t know, but another guy standing there, who possibly worked there, chimed in, and we started talking about that for a few secs til I went off to the loo. [Wasn�t missing anything earth shattering in the first 10 mins anyway, at least not the 3rd time]. On my way back, they were still gabbin , so I threw out Tumbledown as an example of one of his better things, too, which of course I knew he wouldn�t have heard of. I�m not putting these in any particular order that they were addressed. And quotes are close, but not necessarily exact. They talked about the painting...if the long shot [ of it that starts in close on the light on the pearl earring] was the real thing or a digital reproduction or print. This came up at BAFTA , too. They said it was a high resolution print. It was very detailed, down to the cracks. What was rather jaw-dropping to me, was JM asked if the real painting was cracked like it is in that close-up. Pffft! It�s 400 years old! Thinkin� maybe there might be a few. I mean, could it have been a dumber question? From the *moderator,* no less. Another less than brilliant thing JM said was to note how different they here....rather gregarious vs. they way they were in the movie....brooding or rather humble. She started a question, then stopped herself and said, "Well, you are actors, aren�t you." Well, DUUUH!! Bet she was stunned by how gorgeous Colin was sitting next to her and couldn't think straight. I'd let her slide for that reason. ;-) Or maybe she was stunned by those stupid boots Scarlett was wearing. She had on some kind of mid-shin big, thick moccasins. They discussed the relationship of the Master to the maid, body language and use of eye contact. They were given lessons in how 17th Century people in these situations would move and look, or not look at each other. They were asked to walk down the hall, passing each other, like a master and maid would, while avoiding eye contact. Then they were asked to repeat that, but this time make brief eye contact. Scarlett said that as they made eye contact, her heart skipped 3 beats as she saw Colin's look. Actually mine skipped just hearing about it. Oh, the thought of it. *sigh*

My new favorite picture curtesy of little Bee....

The idea was to show how they went from being disconnected to connected to each other [other than physically]. Colin discussed how their intimacy really manifested itself when he accepted Griet moving the chair, which ultimately influenced his work. She had crossed the line into forbidden territory. Also, will apologize if I repeat stuff they covered on Monday. They discussed the possibility of morphing into the picture of the painting from Scarlett�s pose, but decided against it since Scarlett doesn�t look like the painting as much when compared directly to it. [Though some prominent features of Scarlett greatly resemble the painting such as the eyes, and the lips to a lesser degree to me when she turns around in "the pose"]. Colin joked that morphing them came out looking like Margaret Thatcher, to what SJ looked out in the audience and said, "Who?" Of course she was kidding....I hope. ;-) Colin discussed portraying someone about which virtually nothing is known, including what he looks like. He said the only painting that comes close to being a self-portrait is one in which a woman is sitting with her back to us, her face reflected in a mirror [this painting was rather extensively discussed in a PBS show on Vermeer a couple of weeks ago]. A smidgen of easel and what he said was Vermeer�s toe, was the extent of his self-portrait. So that was the extent of his inspiration for Vermeer....a toe. It was rather amusing the way he discussed it. I can�t capture that. :-( The use of accents came up. JM asked why Scarlett sounded English. [Gee, I don�t know, maybe so she wouldn�t sound so out of place with the others?] Colin had a long answer about how they got to the accents there were considering they weren�t going to speak 17th Century Dutch. Basically it came out to making sure the accents weren�t distracting, no matter what they all used. Someone expressed surprise about Luxembourg as a location, and Colin mentioned that there were quite a few productions filmed there at that studio. He started to try to name some, hesitated and said, "Well, at least, you know, that Venice one." Got a big laugh from the audience. Quite the comedian he was that night. They were asked about how this film would be promoted. Colin said that while he doesn�t know much about the science of marketing or what Lions Gate had planned, he felt it would and should be a word-of-mouth, as it�s definitely an art house film. He said the worst thing would be to overhype it as a "bodice ripper," though he did note they had the "It" girl of the moment to sell it.

I like that one, too, Bee! And little Bee! ;-) As far as promoting the film, it was interesting when JM said that Colin had been on the TV PR wagon this past week with the assumption it was all for LA. He said not necessarily. On the Today Show, they were supposed to talk about GWAPE and he had a clip, but they only showed BJD/EOR clips and stills. He was rather surprised it seemed. The subject of EOR came up. He said it was going well and Renee was so fantastic as Bridget, that he could see it going on. [Gasp!!] Matter of fact, he thought there was enough material that there could be 2 more! [Holy cow. ] JM and Colin discussed about a rumor that Helen Fielding was writing a third book. When JM brought up HG, Colin said he liked Hugh (in response to a question), but slipped in again, almost as an aside since he said it so fast, that he kicked Hugh's a$$ a week ago. I think it's funny how he keeps mentioning that. Like the little boy on the playground who beat up the bigger kid who everyone pays attention to. Someone asked a question about the film stock, that they acknowledged PW would be better equipped to answer, but did say it was a special kind. Scarlett talked about Eduardo Serra, cinematographer, how talented....and quiet he was. He knew what he wanted, could determine it �like that� and just did what needed to be done quickly and quietly. Wasn�t a lot of talk about it. She also mentioned Ben van Os the production designer. Colin had some stuff to say here, too, but I don�t really remember much more than this.

(Karen) People with other, specialized skills (like Sophie's animatronics and dewatermarking expertise) are always appreciated and should be listed on your C.V. Karen I bake a mean cheesecake, does that count? (Lora)I think Colin feels the same way! ;-) He can share my ciggie, I don't mind;-DDD (Dorine)Well then, brace yourself, there will be several. ;-P (paraphrasing badly)We no care about no steenking badg..uh...typos, hurry up, girl! ;-) (Bee)My new favorite picture curtesy of little Bee. (paraphrasing badly again) Please sir, uhm, ma'am, can I have some more? Thank you ladies!

Dorine, HA! That'll teach me to be cute. I'm typing mine up and you post 2 (count em 2) more times! Please forget the steenking typos remark;-)! Thank you so much...sounds like it was a great evening.

J and Pauline had very good questions, as was posted. I remember J as she was sitting across the aisle one or 2 rows down. He made a little face and sound when The Advocate was mentioned. He said AMITC was similar to GWAPE, small film, character study. Said the shoot on AMITC was 5 weeks, but kind of rushed as it rained the whole time, while the setting was supposed to seem like summer. They had to shoot with whatever bits of sunlight would come through. They�d wait for a break in the clouds which might last for only 30 secs. A question came up about career choices. No idea what she said....sorry. He said over his career, he was offered a bunch of paranoid depressive roles, then roles in breeches, then fluffy comedies. He says he does refuse many scripts, but aftter a while just takes whatever because, "I gotta work." He tries to pick and choose, which he doesn't think he's very good at, but then gives in craving work. He did mention seeming to have a run of poor judgement, which he looked rather....regretful [is that a word?], maybe. Kind of tried to chuckle it off, but obviously not happy about it. Maybe a tad uncomfortable in admitting it...possibly to us and himself. Pure speculation there on my part, as I can only imagine. (Pauline) My question is general in nature. When you film something you think is brilliant and the critics call it rubbish and trash you and the film, what do you as an actor do to work through this type of rejection? How do you exorcise the bad reviews? For example: as an ordinary person when I have a performance review, its between me and my boss. I can shred it or file it and no one will ever know unless I tell them. Colin and Scarlett are artists and by nature much more sensitive to criticism. Look, we just saw a mesmerizing film. He spoke eloquently, gave examples, told an hilarious anecdote, mugged, covered his face while peeking out between his fingers. He spoke for quite a while about it. Just staying under the radar of getting wound up about it, IMO. He mentioned how personal the reviews can get by attacking the physical aspects of the actor personally, their family friends, etc. The inclination being to not read them, basically as protection of some peace of mind. He told a story about a famous actor (no names) who said he didn�t read reviews and would passionately refuse despite his friends trying to get him to read even a great review. Colin was very animated telling this story, moving around and practically jumping out of the chair, at one point, demonstrating what the actor in his story would do. Finally the actor caved, he said. He said, for him, sometimes (for the bad ones I think he said) he�s just got to call up people he knows and read them to them, to laugh about them, rather than avoid them. I think I got all that right. He stated several times it was a real problem.

What fabulous positings this evening! Many thanks to all of you. Love the photo, Beedee and Little Bee! My own little bit is the picture article from "US Weekly" that I picked up today (Nov 17th issue). There's a photo spread on LA's "Gorgeous Leading Men". Rodrigo Santoro, Liam Neeson, Hugh (of course) Andrew Lincoln, and Colin. The other pictures were OK, but the one of Colin really struck me as his hair is positively auburn and his skin looks almost as if it had been dusted with something vaguely orange. He's wearing what appears to be a leather bomber jacket and looks windburned and half frozen. Wish I had a scanner (sigh, maybe Christmas). Interesting omission...Alan Rickman.

OK, I think that's pretty much it. If there's more, I'm blank at the moment. I have some pics I can't get off the camera at the moment. Will try to get them out onto another computer this weekend.

Hey Bee, do you know where he was standing when your little bee took that pic? Judging by knowing where she was, was he down by the elbow? Before getting to the ET podium?

Dorine, thank you so much for typing these great descriptions of what must have been a wonderful evening. I'm so thrilled, he mentioned AMITC as one of his favourite movies. It has allways been at the top of my list :-) Bee, great photo! Thank you for sharing :-) And Evelyn, loved your "ed-note" :-) Thank you for the Premier Mag-notes. About helping out: As I have fretted about ealier, there isn't much to contribute from this part of the world. And since I don't have any special talents, I'm so grateful for those of you who are willing to share yours :-)

(Dorine)OK, I think that's pretty much it. That's pretty much a pretty fabulous in-depth look at it! Thank you for all your recaptured CF answers. His feelings really come through in your account of his answers, especially the answer to Pauline's question. Pauline and J, thanks for your accounts of the evening too. I marvel at what you were all able to ask and remember and know you are still on a high from the experience. Thanks for sharing it with us. And was it P or J's DH who ran and got the disposable camera and saved her a seat while she went to the loo (and ran into YKW)? He deserves kudos too!

(Premiere Mag and Evelyn)....was touched by the tale of Colin Firth's not -lost in translation discovery of new love [ed note:"Take that Ebert!] ...." Am still astonishment on Ebert's reaction to ODB's 'piece'. I thought it was v. v. funny and enjoyed it (best bit of acting still goes to Emma T IMO, but ODB did very well indeed) ;-)! (Evelyn) See? Long postings are catching;-q Yah! Way to go! And you even left extra space at the end like you wanted to say more!!!! ;-D Bee....and Little Bee! Fantastic pic! Very good....really love the expression on his face right there. Sort of bemused (which I think he was when he walked into the tent). Do!? Is he looking at you?? I have a pic (I know, I know...I'll get them to Karen and she can sort them out) where he does appear to be looking in 'your corner'. (Dorine) A question came up about career choices. No idea what she said....sorry. LOL....SJ? Career choices? She's 18....she's got a lot of "Boat Trips" out there waiting for her...you remembered the best bits! And I'm glad you did. This is interesting...that he appeared to express himself so openly in front of an audience (jammy git!! ;-) ). (ODB through Dorine) He says he does refuse many scripts, but aftter a while just takes whatever because, "I gotta work." And I am assuming it isn't 'for the dough'. He sounds as if he just gets antsy and wants to do something....that's a good sign. He doesn't sound like Hugh....who keeps saying he doesnt want to act anymore (or dance every again! LOL!). (ODB through Do....again, but thanks to Pauline) He mentioned how personal the reviews can get by attacking the physical aspects of the actor personally, their family friends, etc. I still remember the personal attacks on Amanda Bynes. How incredibly hurtful some of them were.....they would attack her appearance when that had nothing to do with her performance. It sometimes seems that once certain reviewers start criticising a film, they just open every door, even if it isn't relevant.....or they begin to go on and on and on about themselves (a la Jo M from yesterday). Thank you Do! I know you've been v. v. busy (and you must be exhausted!). Great reporting! Dorine.....already a legend! (Eithne) ...and his skin looks almost as if it had been dusted with something vaguely orange. That's just cinnamon....so we can just 'eat him up'!! ;-D

Wow, this place is hopping! Thanks to J, Pauline and Dorine for your in-depth reporting of the Q&A. I am always fascinated by ODB's answers to questions about his acting and career choices. And thanks to the Big and Little Bees for the yummy pic! It was his night. Hurrah! :-)

(Tress) Do!? Is he looking at you?? I do believe so!! Have been trying to remain calm since I realized last night that it appears to be when he turned around once he heard me and was looking at what I had with me. I wrote Little Bee to clarify where he was when she took it. Didn't realize the first 3 times I looked at this pic, that Livia was right there. Pic is a bit smaller on the laptop than the one I have here, where she is more obvious. And as was apparent by my post about that night, I didn't seem to notice she was there at that moment, either. I still remember the personal attacks on Amanda Bynes. How incredibly hurtful some of them were.....they would attack her appearance when that had nothing to do with her performance. She came to mind as he mentioned the personal stuff and wondered if that's who he was thinking of, also. (Lisa) Thanks to J, Pauline and Dorine for your in-depth reporting of the Q&A. And I will thank some people from another list who were helpful in jogging my memory on some things, too. It was a lot of info, some more of which I have remembered as just flashes, like when you dream, but not enough to coherently put together.

(Tress)Am still astonishment on Ebert's reaction to ODB's 'piece' Although I know he saw LA, and liked it, sometimes I think he's out in left field. He said that Colin's storyline, if I remember correctly, was the weakest link in the film, and that the pond scene wasn't up to the caliber of the rest of the film??? What's up with that? Anyway, I know that Sunday I watched/heard him review WAGW...I know there was no way he watched that film. Ok, give it a thumbs down...and he did, but heck he made no sense and it was quite obvious to me he had gotten it all wrong. Almost like he took his review from other stuff that had been written. Oh well. He can't keep me away, I'm off to 3rd viewing of LA. right now. If your keeping score that's 3 LA and 2 Gwape. Dorine, thank you for all the details about Tuesday night. Oh how I wish I had gone to that, too. I shall not complain, though. Have lots to be thankful for. Great job, Little Bee. So glad you were able to join us. Great picture!!!

Hi everyone from one of the "blonde Stepford publicists" whose only mission in life is to piss off snotty journalists and serve Hugh Grant and Colin Firth chilled drinks! :):) Wow that woman is a pill. Anyway, I wanted to pop in a moment to congratulate all the folks who braved that rain at the NY premiere and made it a lot of fun for the talent, journalists, photogs, and us folks working the thing. The support and enthusiasm you showed the event and of course most especially the talent (ie CF) was terrific. Always a well behaved group those CF fans :) Colin's schedule is a bit crazed at the moment with promoting two pictures and filming one and so as I mentioned earlier some of the things have had to be juggled somewhat. But there is another junket set for this coming week and more to come in the media. Glad to hear you had a pleasant experience meeting Colin again or for the first time. He's truly one of my favorite folks and so is Hugh. Always a pleasure to deal with either of them. Take care and will be back soon with a bit more confirmed details. :)

Thnaks, Dorine, for the great write-up from the Q&A. On the Today Show, they were supposed to talk about GWAPE and he had a clip, but they only showed BJD/EOR clips and stills. He was rather surprised it seemed. LOL, he shouldn't be. He was there on Universal's nickel, so they showed the 2 films Uni is distributing, LA and TEOR. Uni sent a PR person with him to ensure that their stuff got on. I'd bet anything Lion's Gate didn't. That's business. Besides, it's unlikely they'd be interested in showing clips from a film that is still 2 months away for most of the country. Sorry, Colin, you're going to have to come back.;-) He tries to pick and choose, which he doesn't think he's very good at, but then gives in craving work. He did mention seeming to have a run of poor judgement, which he looked rather....regretful That's why people hire managers--as opposed to soley relying on agents, who just work out the business deal. He mentioned how personal the reviews can get by attacking the physical aspects of the actor personally, their family friends, etc. Definitely brought to mind the AB lynching by the Telegraph. They made fun of how she looked, of her personality, and if I recall correctly, criticized her parents (who they hadn't met.) http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/story.jsp?story=463924

(Lola)The support and enthusiasm you showed the event and of course most especially the talent (ie CF) was terrific. Aw shucks. *blushing*;-) Honestly, we were all so glad to be there to support Colin--and there were a heck of a lot more than just our group. And believe it or not, Hugh has won us over, Lola!:-) Did anyone make it to the BAFTA LA GWAPE showing last night and if so, did Colin attend? I think the London premiere for LA is tomorrow night, right? And then he has the Survival thing mid-week. Is he coming back to the US for the next junket, Lola?

(Dorine) Must point out, he said "erotic" *twice*. Am visualizing scene from Bye Bye Birdie, when Conrad is singing outside the town hall and the women are dropping like flies. (Dorine) struck up a conversation with the Prog Dir, noting that I agreed AMITC was indeed a gem...I brought up Apt Zero which he didn�t know...On my way back...I threw out Tumbledown as an example of one of his better things, too, which of course I knew he wouldn�t have heard of. *snickering big time* You showed them! They talked about the painting...JM asked if the real painting was cracked like it is in that close-up. Not having seen the movie yet, is the painting shown as if going back in time or as if it was just painted, in which case the paint would not have those cracks. Makes a diff IMO. Or maybe she was stunned by those stupid boots Scarlett was wearing. She had on some kind of mid-shin big, thick moccasins. Those are Ugg boots from Australia. You would've known if you'd seen The View and that you can get fairly decent knockoffs from Target. It would appear they're very in right now: http://www.uggaustralia.com/ The subject of EOR came up. He said it was going well and..that he could see it going on. [Gasp!!] Matter of fact, he thought there was enough material that there could be 2 more! [Holy cow. ] You do mean "cash cow," don't you? He says he does refuse many scripts, but aftter a while just takes whatever because, "I gotta work." He tries to pick and choose, which he doesn't think he's very good at, but then gives in craving work. He did mention seeming to have a run of poor judgement, which he looked rather....regretful [is that a word?], maybe. Kind of tried to chuckle it off, but obviously not happy about it. Maybe a tad uncomfortable in admitting it...possibly to us and himself. Pure speculation there on my part, as I can only imagine. He wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise and I've sensed it in a number of interviews/articles, going back to last year. Many other actors would slough it off, blaming others, talking about their failures in the abstract, etc. He not only needs better "career" advisors if he can't trust his own judgment, but a better agent (never thought I'd say that!!), one who *can* help him and is plugged in. Thank you, Dorine, for such fabulous reports from the front. You did a brilliant job with the details as well as your own impressions. For Eithne, this is the pic. It was initialy printed in a Norwegian magazine (Det Nye) earlier this year or perhaps end of last year: (Ada) Karen I bake a mean cheesecake, does that count? More than you'll ever know. ;-) And thanks to Bee and Little Bee (who will eventually be posting here herself). A great picture!

There are some new pics taken by a fan at the London Film Festival here: http://www.firth.com/gwape_premgal5.html Note to self: Must get NY premiere done before London one buries me.

Hope this hasn't already been posted. From People.com on AOL: "WHO'S THE SEXIER BRIT? Hugh Grant might be Hollywood's most popular British hunk, but the female fans who gathered outside the red carpet at the Love Actually premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City begged to differ. The ladies saved their biggest swoons for another British actor: Grant's costar Colin Firth. The roar was deafening as Firth emerged on the red carpet in a black Richard James suit and a white button-down shirt with the top couple of buttons undone. When PEOPLE asked Firth if he expected all the adoration, he said, "Not at all. It's pretty stunning actually. I actually want to get a tape of this and prove it to a few people back home." Grant, meanwhile, seemed to take his position as second fiddle in stride. Asked by PEOPLE whether he felt he received the appropriate reaction from the crowd, he joked, "Well, I could do with a little more noise."

Thanks Ellie D! (People.com)black Richard James suit Sure looked navy to me, especially in comparison to his black shoes ;-) (Colin)"Not at all. LOL! Am having a P&P moment! It's pretty stunning actually. Someone else is using actually, actually. I actually want to get a tape of this and prove it to a few people back home." Anyone else want to offer themselves up as evidence of his "fan base?" I'll scream and swoon for him if he needs a tape. ;-) Wow, I'm especially silly this evening. Please pardon me.

but the female fans who gathered outside the red carpet at the Love Actually premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City begged to differ. The ladies saved their biggest swoons for another British actor: Grant's costar Colin Firth. The roar was deafening as Firth emerged... It's about time. Am singing the Hallelujah Chorus here that one magazine, one reporter managed to accurately portray the evening, despite all the stilted reporting we got from the infotainment shows!

The ladies saved their biggest swoons for another British actor: Grant's costar Colin Firth. The roar was deafening ... We done him proud! :-D a black Richard James suit and a white button-down shirt with the top couple of buttons undone. Nice to see they notice what's important, too. ;-) Grant, meanwhile, seemed to take his position as second fiddle in stride. Asked by PEOPLE whether he felt he received the appropriate reaction from the crowd, he joked, "Well, I could do with a little more noise." Mari, next time shout your question at him. ;-D They talked about the painting...JM asked if the real painting was cracked like it is in that close-up. (Karen) Not having seen the movie yet, is the painting shown as if going back in time or as if it was just painted, in which case the paint would not have those cracks. Makes a diff IMO. It's just a pull back shot of the high resolution picture they mentioned in the Q&A, of the actual painting, that starts in close on the light reflected on the earring and ends with the whole painting shown and leads into the credits. So it would be the actual cracks in the painting.

OK, though, it seems like one should be closing *in* on the pic, so as to learn what what into its creation. Whatever, am not accredited cinematographer. ;-) The Today Show transcript is up, thanks to Ada: http://www.firth.com/int/03todaynov10.html

(Hola) Hi everyone from one of the "blonde Stepford publicists" whose only mission in life is to piss off snotty journalists and serve Hugh Grant and Colin Firth chilled drinks! :):) Don't listen to her Hola! Hateful woman! I like you.....just as you are! Had a blast in NYC....loving Colin (still) and a newfound respect and admiration for Hugh (who took our kidding and talked smack right back! Gotta love that!). (Mari) Did anyone make it to the BAFTA LA GWAPE showing last night and if so, did Colin attend? Yes. He was there. A friend went.....said he looked amazing. Hair looked great....khaki pants, brown suede shirt and his favorite brown boots....but you are probably wondering what he spoke about....LOL...didn't get into that too much. She was rushed. Will probably hear more in the next few days. (Dorine) Or maybe she was stunned by those stupid boots Scarlett was wearing. (Karen) Those are Ugg boots from Australia. Easy on the Uggs! I have a pair...but don't wear them with a skirt (isn't that what Scarlet did)? I promise not to embarrass you Dorine, when I come back to NYC in December....will keep Uggs at a respectful distance (but be warned that they are coming!). ;-D When PEOPLE asked Firth if he expected all the adoration, he said, "Not at all. It's pretty stunning actually. I actually want to get a tape of this and prove it to a few people back home." I think his time has come....actually! Am so thrilled for him (to borrow Emma T's line!)!!

(Hola Lola) the "blonde Stepford publicists" whose only mission in life is to piss off snotty journalists and serve Hugh Grant and Colin Firth chilled drinks! :):) LOL! Hmmmm....now how can I get a job like that? I'd gladly endure the disdain from bitter journalists. ;-) He's truly one of my favorite folks and so is Hugh. And what a great sport he is! :-D their family friends, etc. BTW, this was supposed to be family, friends, etc.....not just family friends. Just thought I'd put that out there. ;-) (Mari) Sorry, Colin, you're going to have to come back. ;-) From your keyboard to God's and publicist's eyes. ;-) Did anyone make it to the BAFTA LA GWAPE showing last night and if so, did Colin attend? I read he did, but no significant details at that time. I guess there were small details on clothing, etc, but I just glazed over it as I was on my way out. (Dorine) Must point out, he said "erotic" *twice*. (Karen) Am visualizing scene from Bye Bye Birdie, when Conrad is singing outside the town hall and the women are dropping like flies. Well that effect could be tempered by the sound of some remnants of congestion when he coughed several times. Poor baby. Hope he has been able to rest up a little to get totally over that cold or whatever he had from the dip in the cold fountain. Those are Ugg boots from Australia Was talking to someone about those recently, but didn't know what they looked like. They're fine with the right outfit. needs a better agent (never thought I'd say that!!) Really? Never knew which side of the fence you were on, on this subject. When PEOPLE asked Firth if he expected all the adoration, he said, "Not at all. It's pretty stunning actually. I actually want to get a tape of this and prove it to a few people back home." Colin, we'd be happy to be a traveling "fan base," or "Colin's peeps" show for you to prove it to people in person. ;-D

Oh! Sorry for double posting...but thank you everyone for all the wonderful tidbits.....and thank you Karen and Sylvia for the lovely pics of the London premiere (wish I had someone to follow me with an umbrella...would come in very handy here in the Pacfic Northwest! LOL!)! And thank you Karen and Ada for the Today Show transcript!

(Dorine) Colin, we'd be happy to be a traveling "fan base," or "Colin's peeps" show for you to prove it to people in person. ;-D ROTFL...I'd gladly follow him around and create a fuss for him so that all his friends would believe him! I'd scream and whine on demand if asked to! And relieve Hola of serving the chilled drinks if needed! ;-D

(Tress) I promise not to embarrass you Dorine, when I come back to NYC in December....will keep Uggs at a respectful distance (but be warned that they are coming!). ;-D Um, did I forget to mention that it turns out I'll be busy the day you wear those?....whatever day it is. ;-D And she wore them with pants. Trying desperately to get pics of them that night off the camera. (Karen) Those are Ugg boots from Australia. Yeah? Well doesn't make them any more attractive to me on her. Sorry, Terry! :-P

Good LFF page, Boss. Poor fans in all that rain. Hard to juggle pen, book and brollie. We were lucky to get inside the press tent. Did you arrange that Lola;-) Tomorrow night LA premiere in London. Survival Appeal night is Tuesday. Hope Richard James suit hold up.[That suit was dark navy!]

(Tress)(wish I had someone to follow me with an umbrella.. I have now realized what my true calling in life could be. I can maneuver one mean umbrella. Lola, thanks for stopping by. Colin was fantastic he made time for all of us. I'm glad People magazine took notice, too...the tent ladies were hard to miss. Just want to add my two cents about Hugh...great sense of humor and another very dear man! (Evelyn)Hope Richard James suit hold up.[That suit was dark navy!] Me too, it's been through hell. Rain, spills on the cobbies, sheesh! Very navy!!! (Dorine)Must point out, he said "erotic" *twice*. Oh gawd. Crikey, until Tuesday, I was on cloud nine because I heard him say "ab-so-lutely" (CF)"Not at all. It's pretty stunning actually. I actually want to get a tape of this and prove it to a few people back home." Colin, I have a better idea. Take us home and we can do a live repeat performance tomorrow and Tuesday in London. Peeps, what do you say? Are you up for it???

Mari: Did anyone make it to the BAFTA LA GWAPE showing last night and if so, did Colin attend? Tress: Yes. He was there. A friend went.....said he looked amazing. Hair looked great....khaki pants, brown suede shirt and his favorite brown boots....but you are probably wondering what he spoke about.... Jana and I attended the screening. He was there, along with SJ and PW. I think there were about 4 questions asked, and somehow they seemed to lead into praise for Eduardo Serra. As for how he looked, the lighting in the theatre was so poor, the Q&A could have been conducted by candlelight (and I sat in the front row).

(people.com)The roar was deafening as Firth emerged on the red carpet in a black Richard James suit and a white button-down shirt with the top couple of buttons undone. When PEOPLE asked Firth if he expected all the adoration, he said, "Not at all. It's pretty stunning actually. I actually want to get a tape of this and prove it to a few people back home." (Karen)It's about time It is about time!! Stupid, stupid reporting! Some of us are bound to be able to make a tape for him......;-))) (Karen)and Little Bee (who will eventually be posting here herself). Oh! I can't wait!!

(Marianne) As for how he looked, the lighting in the theatre was so poor, the Q&A could have been conducted by candlelight (and I sat in the front row). Sounds like how our BAFTA one was. And they have better lights in those theaters that are on before the movie, but they don't seem to feel the need to turn them on for the Q&A. Did the same with Russell Crowe this week. Thanks for reminding me I was going to complain about that. And I was in the 2nd and 1st row, respectively, for those, too. Thanks, Marianne. Were there only 4 questions because the session was short? Or because they talked so long for each answer? Or the moderator asked most of the questions? I assumed you meant 4 audience questions, not total. Ok, making progress with pics. Just have to get folders to manageable size to send to Karen. Get ready Karen....seems I went a bit nuts with pixel size. I mean, who doesn't want to see a really big Colin? ;-D

Dorine: Were there only 4 questions because the session was short? Or because they talked so long for each answer? Or the moderator asked most of the questions? BAFTA switched the viewing location from the Pacific Design Center to the Laemmle Fairfax, so the Q&A was short cause the moderator said that it would have to end by 10 as they would be unspooling another movie ... liar. PW and CF spoke lengthily, when answering their questions, but honestly I can't for the life of me remember much. PW spoke about how a lot of his favorite scenes and other characters were cut but would be included in the dvd. CF did a lot of gesturing, grimacing and hands all over his face. In fact, I think he's been spending entirely too much time with HG as he's begun to use some of his reactions. SJ did something really cute. She shoved the mic towards CF and said something along the lines of a romance novel about how she/Griet loves CF/Vermeer ... I wish I could remember the exact words. But mygawd, his reaction! He looked stupefied ... it was so funny.

Notice to Australian Drooleurs: Next week's "In-Entertainment" (Channel 10, 6pm on Sundays in Sydney) promises "interviews with the cast of Love Actually" -- don't know which cast members, but might need to set the VCR just in case... I will hate Antonia Kidman even more if she gets to meet/interview ODB....

it seems from the mars website (the company distributing LA in france) there will be a local premiere this monday at the ugc normandy in paris (on the champs-�lys�es). looks like they are cramming european premieres in the same week. time of screening for the paris thing not specified though (should be around 7-8 pm, right ?). they boast that "the whole crew will be there"... am doubtful, but will go and check this afternoon at the theater. i entered a competition last week to win tickets to the premiere, but alack & alas, the gods of vegas were definitely not with me on this one : might be a sign the *whole* of the crew is not going to be there, or is phantom screening of some sort for i cannot find any listing of this in the daily press...

(Dorine)The subject of EOR came up. He said it was going well and Renee was so fantastic as Bridget, that he could see it going on. [Gasp!!] Matter of fact, he thought there was enough material that there could be 2 more! You don't think he was just yanking our chain here, do you? I'm thinking of Mari's take on the story, set 25 years from now... (Dorine) Must point out, he said "erotic" *twice*. (Karen) Am visualizing scene from Bye Bye Birdie, when Conrad is singing outside the town hall and the women are dropping like flies. Count me amont the laid out flat! (CF)"Not at all. It's pretty stunning actually. I actually want to get a tape of this and prove it to a few people back home." (Linda)Colin, I have a better idea. Take us home and we can do a live repeat performance tomorrow and Tuesday in London. Peeps, what do you say? Are you up for it??? This peep is in! And Colin that was nothing! Why, had we known it would impress you so much, I'm sure none of us would have had our voices the rest of the weekend from screaming! Thanks Dorine for all the notes and thank you Karen for keeping up with all of this in this amazing time! Come on London premiere!! Wahoooo!!!

Thanks, Marianne, for the report from BaftaLA. Sounds like Colin was very entertaining at all these Q&A sessions. He might want to loosen up a bit more on TV. (Beedee) Some of us are bound to be able to make a tape for him......;-))) Did you have a camcorder? Probably should've gotten friendlier with that cameraman from Extra! (a freelancer on assignment). Bet he shot footage of Colin--like everyone else--which they didn't use. (Sophie) they boast that "the whole crew will be there"... am doubtful There has been a fairly large contingent making the rounds to Madrid, Rome, Lisbon and Munich, though Colin hasn't thus far been part of that group. However, given that his storyline takes place in France, it would seem logical for him to be there. But, if you go to ogle at the premiere, you won't be disappointed by Rodrigo and you might want to needle Hugh a little bit more. ;-)

There's a fairly large interview (with no new pics) in today's Sunday Herald magazine (Scottish broadsheet). My brother works for their sister paper, so I'll get extra copies and send one to you, Karen. The female interviewer was quite uneffected by his charms, BTW. - Strange woman!

(Karen)Sounds like Colin was very entertaining at all these Q&A sessions. He might want to loosen up a bit more on TV. Wot and act more like Hugh;-) (as Marianne said). I thought he did v. well on the current round of TV appearances. In top form on The View. (Janet) There's a fairly large interview (with no new pics) in today's Sunday Herald magazine (Scottish broadsheet). Is it online? I can't wait a week til that paper gets here. Can you be a dear, Janet, and type it out for us? We would be greatly indebted.

I'm going to be v. v. bad again and not go to the LA premiere in Leicester Square tonight. I just am not in the mood for a gazillion people crowding around trying to see all the other folks - would much prefer the one man show like HS or similar, and I doubt I would get anywhere near what you excellent NY reporters got. He's probably jet lagged anyway. Won't be quite so dashing and happy to see lots of people. But of course will be going Tuesday to Survival, and will report in asap after. Not, of course, expecting that he will show. It'll just be a nice bonus if he does =).

Thanks for the heads up, Janet. Herald interview is below. Pic is a variation of the "jumping at the rainbow" ones we've seen: After ten years of being seen as a romantic hero, Colin Firth is keen to lose his sex symbol image. But first, discovers Vicky Allan, there is the small matter of Love Actually, the most hotly anticipated British film of the year Bridget Jones II is a closed set, which means that while Colin Firth is doing the �line-up� for his latest scene, I am forced to sit in a freezing, grungy canteen with an overhead heater which seems to have been designed as a hair dryer for people over 6ft. Tall, lean, gangly people like Colin Firth. Already he has stood me up several times. There was the occasion when I booked a flight down to London, only to find, moments before I left, that the date was off, though I decided to go and see his new film, Love Actually, anyway. Then there was my current date, shifted from the warm chic of the Portobello Hotel to chilly Ealing Studios with its plastic table cloths, brown ketchup bottles, extras in Thai police uniforms and pale clouds of breath. Of course, it doesn�t help that I am wearing my short skirt. A bit of leg had seemed only right back in Edinburgh as I discussed my prospective date with jealous girlfriends, but here, it already seems wrong. Here, a short skirt seems all too Bridget Jones. As if I am play-acting a role as a follower in the cult of Firth. By the time Firth arrives, I am pacing to keep warm. He blusters through the door, looking for all the world like Mark Darcy, the character he plays in the Bridget Jones films. He is dressed in a lawyerish pin-striped suit, pale blue shirt, tie pulled from round his neck. And he has that troubled, slightly constipated look about him. He is almost overly apologetic. �Have you come down from Edinburgh today?� he asks. �I�m so sorry about that. It�s been a very odd day because I�ve been doing the post-production dubbing for another film, which couldn�t be more different. It�s called Trauma. I�m just playing someone who�s very upset all the time. It�s about a guy in sort of emotional meltdown. I didn�t expect to be filming this today either. I thought we would be lounging in a hotel.� He suggests that we move to his trailer which will be much warmer. I can�t help thinking of a few lines from the book of Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason, when Bridget interviews the actor Colin Firth, Mr Darcy in the BBC adaption of Austen�s Pride and Prejudice. �I think you�re exactly like Mr Darcy,� Bridget says. �In what way?� he asks. �You talk the same way as him.� �Oh, do I?� �You look exactly like him.� At this moment Colin Firth looks very like Mark Darcy. Not like Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pride and Prejudice, or like Jamie, the lovelorn writer he plays in Love Actually, or Judd the embittered public school Trotskyite he played in Another Country. But like the dull, repressed, smouldering Darcy of Bridget Jones, and it doesn�t make me swoon. I have to confess that, despite the short skirt, I�ve never caught the Firth mania. Firth has been thinking a lot about Pride and Prejudice. �It�s very odd, you know, to have it as this ghost. It�s nearly ten years now and I do find it sort of bewildering. I�ve thought about it more in the last year than I�ve ever thought about it. Because it�s suddenly occurred to me how long it�s been and it�s still there. It�s only now that I�m seeing how bloody durable it is. �We are, you know ... culture is saturated with stuff, we�re full of self-reference. So this film [Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason] quotes from something else that�s already out there, either the first film, or Pride And Prejudice. Everything is full of little homages to something or satires. And it occurred to me today because I was doing this dubbing � something that was very different � then one of the engineers said, �Oh, did someone say that the line sounded a bit Darcyish?� I thought, God, ten years ago, I did that. That was my summer of 1994.� Love Actually is the directorial debut of Richard Curtis, the screenwriter with the Midas touch responsible for Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones� Diary. It is an ensemble romantic comedy with a cast including Hugh Grant, Martine McCutcheon, Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson. Firth plays a novelist, ditched by his girlfriend, who goes off to France to recover. There he meets and falls in love with a Portuguese housekeeper played by Lucia Moniz. In one of the film�s most romantic scenes, Moniz strips off and dives into a lake to fish out a manuscript he has been working on, echoing, I suggest, his own iconic soaking in Pride and Prejudice. �I don�t think that scene was written for me,� he says, shaking his head. �It was in place before I had the part.� The scene in which Bridget Jones interviews Firth is in the book they are filming at the moment. In other words, Firth the actor is appearing in the film of a novel in which he appears as a character. How are they tackling this? �When does this article run?� he says, �because I find it very boring not to discuss the secrets. But I can assure you right now, as things stand, the character of Colin Firth does not exist in the film.� Instead we talk about the actual interview Helen Fielding, author of the Bridget Jones novels, did with Firth, which formed the basis of the passage. �We had a friend in common through Nick Hornby,� Firth explains, �and he introduced us. She came to the set of Fever Pitch and then, I don�t know whose suggestion it was, but a call came from Nick suggesting that we do a Bridget interviews Colin, and I was living in Rome at the time and, in a way, though we staged it, it was pretty much verbatim. I thought she was remarkably faithful. The only difference is that she doesn�t let on that she�s the writer, Helen Fielding. And she very generously afterwards sent me faxes of the proof. Because it wasn�t a real interview. It was a little act we�d done together.� Did she seem to have a Colin Firth crush, like Bridget does? �How do I know?� he sighs. �Can�t you tell?� �No. No.� Firth�s eyes narrow at this point, as if bracing himself for a slew of humiliating questions about his �sex god� status. He is 43 now and perhaps considers himself past all that. �I�d be delighted to think errrmm � obviously it would be flattering. But I don�t know. She doesn�t behave in a silly Bridget way at all.� I tell him that out of the many women I talked to before the interview, I found only one who wasn�t a Firth-Darcy devotee. �I don�t know,� he says. �It�s very difficult for me to answer any questions on this subject because I�m the last person who could have anything sensible to say about it.� Firth has a resigned air, as if he�s given up on trying to convince the world he�s a serious actor, given up reminding them of his roles in Tumbledown, The English Patient and the forthcoming Girl With The Pearl Earring. �Very often,� he says, �when I do something that�s different from Darcy it blends in and people don�t notice it. I quite like the occasional invisibility of an actor in certain things. You know, sometimes it�s one�s business not to shine.� There�s a pained, earnestness in his manner that verges on the comic. It�s not difficult to see why Rupert Everett might have clashed with him back when they were both acting in Another Country, when he complained that Firth was a �ghastly guitar-playing redbrick socialist who was going to give his first half-million away to charity�. Even now he is engaged in charitable and political causes (including campaigns for imprisoned asylum seekers) which he is reluctant to talk about. �I�m not really that comfortable with doing it as a celebrity. I mean for years I�d much rather put leaflets through the door on my street. I spoke to someone recently who said, �I never think good of someone when they�re doing that. I just think it�s a kind of massage of your own conscience.� Perhaps it is. I don�t know. But I think if you live in the west, you�re going to be living that paradox a bit. You are going to have to, you know, the inequality is there, there�s injustice in the world; do you have the right to have a nice day?� His modesty is like a running gag. When I ask him if he sees all his own films, he says: �Yes, I do, sadly. One is obliged to see more of them. It�s not always a pleasant experience.� He constantly seems worried that something he�s just said may be ridiculous. For instance when he tells me he thinks it�s odd that when someone read back a quote from his short story (published in an anthology edited by Nick Hornby) he found the experience �horrific�, and adds, as if tired of his own voice, �Perhaps not that odd.� He encourages me to talk about myself. �Moving on,� I say, but he insists on asking me about a book I�ve written. �What is it called?� It is difficult to tell if he is genuine. A journalist who recently interviewed him on the set of Girl With A Pearl Earring (in which he plays Johannes Vermeer), noted a telling aside by co-star Scarlett Johansson: �Colin has such a huge ego he probably thinks he painted the paintings himself.� Firth grew up initially in Nigeria, then Britain and the United States. His father was a history lecturer, his mother taught comparative religions. Both were of missionary stock and grew up in India. Even now his mother still campaigns for the rights of asylum seekers, which is where he confesses he gets his worthiness from. Did it seem a rebellion then to do something so seemingly frivolous as acting? �My family are so unorthodox I think the real rebellion would have been to become something much more � maybe gone into business, or gone into the armed forces or something. That would have been more strange for them. Although, my father has mentioned several times that I was the first actor he had met.� I tell him I have heard that despite the money he must now be earning, he sticks to a fairly spartan lifestyle. �No, I�m not ascetic,� he says. �Absolutely no, I�m not. Well, I can be a bit. My family has a certain puritanism about it, because my parents grew up in India and they were all conscious of the need to conserve things, which is to do with their generation.� But he has no television? �That�s out of date. It was true. About ten years. I watch almost no television now, I watch news.� He met his wife, the Italian producer, Livia Guiggioli, while on set of the mini-series, Nostromo, where she was then a production assistant, and married her in 1997. They now have two children � a two-year-old and four-month-old, and spend at least three months of the year in Rome. (He also has a son from a previous relationship with the American actress Meg Tilly, with whom he moved to British Columbia to live the wilderness life in a five-year break from his career.) What does Guiggioli think of his reputation as an object of desire? �It just doesn�t come up any more. She thought it was as funny as everyone else at first. It wasn�t the Italians who couldn�t believe it. It was everyone who knew me. It actually was rather a funny time, and I don�t think I ever stopped feeling a bit numb about it really.� Guiggioli�s parents, Firth explains, have always found it �vaguely ridiculous� that their son-in-law became such a screen idol. �It�s partly because when Livia and I met it was just a little bit pre-Pride And Prejudice and the only reference they had for it, was a film out in Italy at the time called Circle Of Friends, in which I play about as unattractive a character as you can get. A sort of mustachioed upper-class buffoon who pays for the abortion of a girl he gets into trouble. And, of course, they all went there to see this actor, and they came away, I think, probably in near despair. It confirmed everyone�s stereotypical idea of an unattractive Brit. Stuffy, humourless, rather stupid and a bit cruel.� It�s not difficult to see why the Italians would struggle to relate to this stiff-upper-lipped Englishness. These days most English people, I suspect, don�t quite relate to it, except as a parody of some forgotten breed. Even Firth prefers to see himself as quite American. �I steered accidentally into the old-fashioned idea of the English persona. It�s partly having been away so much. Ex-pats do that. But actually I feel very largely rooted in America. Partly because my mother grew up there for so many years of her life. India and then Iowa for about seven years. And I spent some of my childhood in suburban America and I�ve been surrounded by Americans all my life. My eldest son is American.� Even the culture he relates best to is American; his favourite author is William Faulkner. �One of the first things I would define myself with, is a passion for all sorts of Americana.� In a way this makes sense. Only a not-very-English person could be this English. There is a knock at the door. Firth grips his tie and his loose collar � all that stands between him and the man he�s about to play. Any good jumpers in this film? I ask, �Trade secret,� he says. Then he apologises again, and that concerned look passes over his face. �Do you feel as if you�ve justified your trip down from Edinburgh? I�m so sorry it had to be so messy and everything.� It�s so very Mark Darcy. Love Actually is released on Friday. 16 November 2003

Love Actually Stars Head for the Red Carpet By Anita Singh, Showbusiness Correspondent, PA News Love Actually, the most eagerly awaited British film of the year, was getting its UK premiere tonight. The feel-good romantic comedy features the cream of British acting talent. Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and Keira Knightley will be gracing the red carpet in London's Leicester Square, along with Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy and Alan Rickman. Love Actually is the latest film from Richard Curtis, who brought us Four Weddings And A Funeral and Notting Hill. Set in London in the run-up to Christmas, the film tells a series of interwoven love stories. Hugh Grant plays a Prime Minister ("based on Tony Blair") who falls for his tea-lady, Martine McCutcheon. Colin Firth is a lovelorn writer, Billy Bob Thornton plays the US president and Bill Nighy steals the show as a fading rock star. Other famous faces who appear in the movie include Liam Neeson, Rowan Atkinson, Laura Linney and The Office's Martin Freeman. Claudia Schiffer, Michael Parkinson and Ant and Dec pop up in cameo roles. Grant has predicted that the film will be a huge hit. "It sounds nauseating because it's all about love," he said. "The reason it succeeds, rather than being puke-making, is that it is funny as well." The film premiered in the US last week but some of the critics were less than kind. The New York Times called it "an indigestible Christmas pudding from the British whimsy factory" while Rolling Stone magazine said "sometimes it just makes you gag." Love Actually is released over here on November 21. And Bill Nighy is tipped to land the Christmas number one with his song from the film, a jokey Yuletide version of Love Is All Around.

Mari, thanks for copying the Sunday Herald article. And good luck to anyone planning on going along to the premiere tonight in London. - I hope you all have as great a time as the 'fan base' on the other side of the Atlantic did this past week!!

Thanks, Janet, I'd appreciate a copy. (Janet) The female interviewer was quite uneffected by his charms, BTW. - Strange woman She came into the interview, I'm convinced, ready and eager to do a hatchet job. Did we really need to hear how "inconvenienced" she was? Then there are the phrases like "the cult of Firth." Maybe he should clear his schedule next time she wants to talk to him. ;-) Firth has a resigned air, as if he's given up on trying to convince the world he's a serious actor Doing Hamlet would've helped. :-( (Mr In-A-Perfect-World) "I'm not really that comfortable with doing it [charitable causes] as a celebrity. I mean for years I'd much rather put leaflets through the door on my street. You mean, the stuff that goes directly into my garbage bad??? When I ask him if he sees all his own films, he says: "Yes, I do, sadly. One is obliged to see more of them. It's not always a pleasant experience." He brings it up himself. Is this an offensive move to deflect criticism? The best defense is a good offense. It is difficult to tell if he is genuine. A journalist who recently interviewed him on the set of Girl With A Pearl Earring...noted a telling aside by co-star Scarlett Johansson: "Colin has such a huge ego he probably thinks he painted the paintings himself." And this idiot writer takes it seriously? Oh, she's severely lacking in both humor and judgment. :-( What does Guiggioli think of his reputation as an object of desire? I'm getting rather tired of this. Why is this considered remote newsworthy? Why don't I hear this question being posed of other celebrities' spouses, etc.? Even the culture he relates best to is American; his favourite author is William Faulkner. Still, huh? Then why hasn't he pursued doing some of the roles I've always thought he suited to a T, like Ben Quick?

"Love Actually" I saw it in town yesterday in the late afternoon and the audience had a wonderful time watching it!....Men and women were giggling and laughing out loud at the witty dialogue and charming action going on....It's a "feel good" kind of movie....The film is energetic - PERFECT for this time of year - .....I really needed to see this kind of film considering the "down feelings" I've been experiencing with my uncle being so ill.... It's a wonderful movie in a quirky, fun-loving, sentimental sort of way....There are several storylines (subplots) going on�.It�s easy to follow each storyline because the film is well directed, with terrific acting, gorgeously filmed capturing the merriment and beauty of the holiday season during Christmas, and meticulously edited�.The scenes are clearly defined moving easily with understanding from one scene to the next�.Watching �Love Actually� was like reading an enjoyable book that you just didn�t want to put down�. Roger Ebert gave it 3 � out of 4 stars which I �totally� agree with so those other reviews aren�t hitting the point as to what this film is about�.Everyone has their opinion though which is just that - an �opinion��. Roger Ebert�s review: http://www.suntimes.com/output/ebert1/wkp-news-love07f.html GO & SEE IT WHEN IT COMES IN YOUR AREA��YOU�LL ENJOY IT!!!!! NOTE: (For those of you who don't want to know the storyline involving Colin Firth's character Jamie, don't read any further.) Colin Firth is wonderful as the "lovelorn writer" who was jilted by his girlfriend as she is having an affair with his brother�.To ease his pains and mend his wounds, he goes to Marseille, France and retreats to a country cottage near a lake/pond�.The scenery is beautiful�.There he meets lovely Aurelia (Lucia Moniz), a young Portugese woman who cleans his cottage during his stay there�At the end of the day, Jamie drives Aurelia home�.Neither of them speak each other�s language�.Regardless of not being able to communicate verbally with each other, a budding relationship develops from there, but I won�t go on�.You�ll need to see the film to find out how the relationship ends�. To read about Lucia Moniz who plays Aurelia, click on the link below: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0598159/ ~Momi~

I don't know why they keep quoting that NY Times review; clearly the public isn't paying much attention to it. Weekend boxoffice estimates: LA took in $8.8 million, for a per screen average of over $7,500, and a total since opening of $19 million. And it hasn't even gone on widest release yet.

Here, a short skirt seems all too Bridget Jones. As if I am play-acting a role as a follower in the cult of Firth. Silly Vicky...I have no sympathy for her (maybe she can hook up with Jo and they can commiserate over hot cocoa). I didn't dress her in her short skirt (and I don't care that she's wearing it....I learn more about the reviewer in some of these than I do about ODB...). A journalist who recently interviewed him on the set of Girl With A Pearl Earring (in which he plays Johannes Vermeer), noted a telling aside by co-star Scarlett Johansson: �Colin has such a huge ego he probably thinks he painted the paintings himself.� LOL...I love that some reviewers thought this was serious and instead of making up their own minds about how the feel about Colin, they drag this bit out. Like saying...."he was perfectly gentleman like and kind to me, but let me tell you what I heard from so and so...who heard from his cousin's best friend that he can be a real pill!" �One of the first things I would define myself with, is a passion for all sorts of Americana.� LOL...I would have given him a little piece of Americana! Oooohhhhh bad, Tress, bad! Time out! ;-) Thank you Mari, Janet.....good luck to you Emma! I hope he shows to Survival (I'll keep fingers and everything else crossed!).

(Scotland Herald) Even the culture he relates best to is American; his favourite author is William Faulkner. ?One of the first things I would define myself with, is a passion for all sorts of Americana.? In Italy, he substitutes Italian. (Scotland Herald)Moniz strips off and dives into a lake to fish out a manuscript he has been working on,echoing, I suggest, his own iconic soaking in Pride and Prejudice. "I don?t think that scene was written for me," he says, shaking his head. "It was in place before I had the part." Psst,Colin...RC says he wrote the screenplay with the actors in mind. Agree about the journalist. Why would I care if she froze her ass off.

#6 Love Actually Uni. $8,880,000 29% 1,177 +601 $7,544 $19,044,000 - / - 2 Up 29% this weekend - From Box Office Mojo. Full chart here: http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/?yr=2003&wknd=46&p=.htm

From Felicity: LA premiere being covered live by news stations so will be loads on Sky, News 24 etc. Colin even managed to get on ITN 6.00 by walking behind their reporter! wearing lightish grey suit and black shirt. Sorry can't confirm shoe colour. Not looking like Hugh's twin today. But looking good.

I checked, but didn't find this posted. From BBCiFilms, review of LA http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2003/11/06/love_actually_2003_review.shtml Can't wait to see pictures from the London premiere. Nice to hear, he looked good (doesn't he allways :-))

Can't wait to see pictures from the London premiere. WireImage is starting to put them on...none of Colin so far. http://www.wireimage.com/

I can see I'll be switching channels all night tonight! For viewers in the UK and Europe. Bonus Love Actually is showing on Sky Movies 5 at 8.40pm tonight, British time.

Just caught quite a bit of coverage on Sky. Colin and Hugh arrived first. Crowd were screaming something - definitely two syllables, blah blah-ah (ie not "Hugh") Would recognise CF anywhere from the walk. Interviews with both CF and Huge. Believe it or not, this is the first time I've ever seen CF as himself on TV for more than a nanosecond. Definite Hugh bias in reporting - all about Hugh's adoring fans being there to welcome him, women in studio swooning, Martine McC. going on about how good a kisser he is etc. Very good review of LA from in studio critic, although the news reader kept on quoting the New York Times review! Thanks for all the brilliant reporting! Was very interested in the Q&A's. CF should ignore the bad reviews - at least he tries to do life-affirming stuff, stressing the basic decency of people. Most UK reviews seem to be written by 20/30 something males whose defining childhood experience was "Star Wars" and who love anything miserable! Perhaps they don't realise that there are times when all the audience wants is some light relief, some undemandingly pleasant escapism. Bin the reviews!

One pic of Colin up at Wire Image. He's wearing a dark shirt (LOL!) under his jacket (maybe dark grey, but am not sure).

To anyone in the UK, SKY News are running story now on the UK Premiere that is taking place tonight. They Spoke to Colin for a few minutes, looked divine as usual! I guess they run it on a loop so will put it back on later

Looks like the ole SIL premiere suit. Emma looking v. glam again.. & Laura Linney, stunning. Martine's dress,... (gag!) And who is Laura Bailey in the "ostrich number."

LOVE ACTUALLY PREMIERES Love was in the air as the cream of British acting talent gathered for the UK premiere Love Actually. Stars from the feel-good romantic comedy strode down the red carpet in style as they arrived in London's Leicester Square. Director Richard Curtis, famous for Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill described his movie as a "roaring rampage of romance". And the film's Christmas theme was on full show when actor Bill Nighy arrived with three blondes on each arm, dressed in risqu� Santa outfits. Set in London in the run up to Christmas, Love Actually tells a series of interwoven love stories. Hugh Grant plays a Prime Minister - based on Tony Blair - who falls for his tea-lady, Martine McCutcheon. Colin Firth is a love-lorn writer, Billy Bob Thornton plays the US president and Bill Nighy steals the show as a fading rock star. Heart-throbs Grant and Firth had the crowds screaming as they drew up to the premiere. "I think this is very much Richard Curtis's gig actually," said Firth. "We all just took a free ride. I just went to the south of France and was horribly overpaid." Grant praised his co-star McCutcheon as an "unbelievably good actress with a lot of sexy presence". He added: "It's certainly a very, very romantic and positive film. If you can't deal with that, it's not the film for you." McCutcheon showed off her figure in a skimpy black and pink sequinned dress. She said she was honoured to star alongside her "hero" Grant. The film is released over here on Friday. http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-12928100,00.html

Sounds like Colin looked top form this evening. (bethan)Definite Hugh bias in reporting - all about Hugh's adoring fans being there to welcome him, women in studio swooning Ah...but we know the real truth. I told you the NY Peeps should have gone on a premiere junket;-) Mari, thanks for that Herald article. Sounds a bit to me like the reporter did protest too much. It is difficult to tell if he is genuine. Oh please, I thought reporters had a sixth sense about these things...You're dead on, Karen, she did go with some preconcieved notions. (Evelyn)Agree about the journalist. Why would I care if she froze her ass off. Glad she did, and, just why??? did she wear the short skirt in the first place, Ms. Play Actor of the cult of Firth. Give me a break. Thank you UK ladies for the premiere happenings, and good luck Emma on Tuesday!

From BBC News: "A crowd of several thousand were at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square, some waiting more than five hours. " "Love Actually took almost $16m (�9.5m) in its first two weekends on release in the United States and Canada, but has received mixed reviews from critics. Curtis said: "I'd rather make a film that most of the audience liked and some critics didn't rather than a film that critics loved and nobody wanted to watch." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3275283.stm 7 photos , but none of YKW (grrrrr)

(Evelyn) Laura Linney, stunning. Martine's dress,... (gag!) That's funny, I was thinking the other way around. ;-)

Got a couple of gallery pages done, while supervising leaf bagging: http://www.firth.com/p_eye010.html http://www.firth.com/love_gal_nyprem1.html and will add NY Drooleurs pics when available. Plan to have small sections on the NY Bafta screening and Burns Center screening as well.

About the dresses, I seem to get stuck (sp?) at the picture of ODB. My tired eyes won't use any energy on anything else right now :-) Thank you for the links and reviews :-)

Sorry to doublepost, but have to thank Karen for the new galleries. Really enjoyed reading the text aswell :-)

(Karen) Got a couple of gallery pages done.... Bravo, Karen on the In the Public Eye page! I like the pic of he and Livia going into the club (in front of the bus). Looks like it was taken when he's looking over at his portable "fan base" cheering for him. ;-D And LOL, I never saw partygoers having to be bussed into a party in the middle of the city. And to think we had to wear out our little feets schlepping down the street to get there. But then, unfortunately, we weren't partygoers. ;-)

Oh yeah, and that extremely open neck on that shirt of his in those Premiere gallery pics are driving me insane! *fanning self*

(Karen)Got a couple of gallery pages done, while supervising leaf bagging Holy S**t!!! Those pictures are wonderful Karen.:-))) He's beaming. So glad to be a part of it and give him a little back. He sure has given me plenty of pleasure. What a treat! Also loved the narrative.

Still only the one pic submitted; there are bound to be more later at other sites.

"....New York at the world premiere of Love Actually. firth.com was there to experience first hand the heady atmosphere of a film premiere' Yeay!! Great write-up, Boss. Sure you weren't a journalist in your pre-Drool life? Wonderful pics of "The Divine One."

(Evelyn) Sure you weren't a journalist in your pre-Drool life *snort*

Mari - Thanks for the article Karen - wow . .love those galleries . .I have to say I do love the pics with ODB and Livia . . they are such a beautiful couple together . .god those kids of theirs are going to be drop dead gorgeous when they grow up! Thank you to everyone who donated pics to them!!!!!! Could kick mysself for not joining Drool earlier . .could have met up with the NY Ladies . .sounds like everyone had so much fun!!!!! Will try for next time perhaps??? Lola - So when will he be back in town???? . .I want to make sure to free up my calendar!!! (CF) "Not at all. It's pretty stunning actually. I actually want to get a tape of this and prove it to a few people back home." Hmmm . .I think Beedee suggested making a tape . .what a lovely Christmas present for him, perhaps???? Video testament of screaming adoration from his fans?:)

(Kimberley) Thank you to everyone who donated pics to them! Those galleries only have press photos so far. You've yet to see any of the pics taken by the Drooleurs who were there, except for the one that Bee posted here. I hope to start dealing with them tomorrow-ish...

Huge Thank You to Karen, the gallery pages are lovely. He looks so AFG and not at all too tired. Love how those buttons are unbuttoned lower and lower;-) I say, why button up at all?

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2003/11/16/crunch_time/ From the Boston Globe...GWAPE seems to be creeping up in the Oscar stakes,and SJ and RZ seem to be regarded as sure bets for nominations.

(Karen) Those galleries only have press photos so far. Erp . .my mistake . . .am eager to see the angles the NY Ladies were able to get with their cameras!!

Zowie!!! What gorgeous pictures, and what a great write-up! Thank you, Karen! (Leaf-bagging must be conducive to putting up new galleries...) Can't wait to see the pix from the Lovely Drooleurs in NYC and elsewhere!

Karen, the galleries you put together while leaf bagging are terrific. What a multitasker you are as well as a writer with great journalist talents! The pictures are amazing. Look forward to seeing the ones from drooleurs too. (Karen)Still only the one pic submitted But a goody! Love his rosy cheeks. You're right, Linda, he doesn't look at all tired from US junket. And I love the gray and black change of outfit!

Wire Image has lots of them up now. Hey boss, pl. blow up Colin and Livia...she's got a smashy pants outfit. (Lose the pony tail;-( AR looks hung-over.

A great big thanks to Karen for the lovely LA premiere galleries! A classy layout on a v. classy guy. Love the gray suit/black shirt from the London premiere. And Livia looks lovely as usual. Wonder what kind of wrap she's wearing with that dress? Wish some of us could have been there!

I think Colin looks very tired, not in as good a mood as NY, and is somewhat forcing smiles. It's all in the eyes, they aren't smiling as much, IMO. Certainly understandable if it's so, but of course we're only getting snapshots of particular moments. But he looks that way in all the moments to me, so far. Nice silk suit he has on. Looks like they have matching shirts. Re others..... Bad dress choice Laura...a frumpy dressy look. Bill Nighy didn't smile once. Some I realize are put on's, but still different again. Is Kelly Clarkson LA's traveling guest celebrity? Poor Greg Wise, reduced to being guest with Emma, as is Daniel Craig with Heike M. I notice here they dress with more color in UK premieres vs black or darker shades in NY. Not just this movie, but with others, too.

(Linda) I say, why button up at all? I second that!! Or tuck the shirttails? Ok, well at an event like this, even I'd think that not great fashion sense...being the fashion maven I'm not.

Rare moment when Colin gets in a photo when Huge is in the room: If that photo didn't show up, go to: http://editorial.gettyimages.com/ms_gins/CFW/home.aspx?pg=1

Looks like he got a slight tan while he was in LA, despite the snow/hail storm.

Are they wearing matching shirts?

(Ada)Are they wearing matching shirts? I'll take that shirt! Either one. What a face on him Ada. Thanks for it.

Not to be catty, but I've never seen that many rings on one hand, other than a Las Vegas dealer's... wonder why Livia's wearing so many rings at once?

Actually..I saw Colin on the news just before leaving to see LA at a preview with my DH. Colin looked well, radiant, I thought. He seemed to shine. Did not look tired at all. He was being interviewed next to Hugh and as the interviewer started to speak to him he was distracted by something Hugh was saying about him to another interviewer. Colin's woman said something rather briskly along the lines of "so can we talk to you...". He just said something about RC being the star of LA and that the critics were bound to carp, this was a film for, and I think he said "the little people". It might not have been that but it was some such phrase. Slightly wince-making. Anyway went to see LA with my DH. He hated it. Said it was the worst film he had ever seen. Take no notice a. He only goes to see films carefully selected by his wife (and she didn't make him see SLOW ;-)) b. he should get out more. I found myself smiling inanely by the end of it even though it was shamelessly schmultzy and had times when it was completely ludicrous. But more of that on spoolers perhaps.

wonder why Livia's wearing so many rings at once? And one of them looks like scarlett's ring from 4WAAF. The one which served as a wedding ring.

-- second try at this post -- I got to see LA last night, (thanks to a DH who 'found' giveaway tickets in a newspaper that we 'never' buy... ;-) The theater was full, and there was clapping and cheering almost thoughout the screening. I enjoyed most of the stories, but as it was my first viewing, I was still trying to sort out who belonged to who - and this is after reading the Spoilers and reviews, okay, so sometimes I have to see a movie 5 or 6 times to really get an idea of whats going on ;-) As for Jamie's scenes, I'm going to have to see this a *few more times*, as I couldn't concentrate on his face and the subtitles at the same time. Now to just get the 'feelin' in my fingers song banished from my head until the next time...

For any of you who are attending the Survival screening tomorrow night, I just spoke with Survival and they told me that Colin does not finish filming until 7pm so he is going to try and make his speech after the film finishes. Lets just hope he makes it!

Empire has a whole mini site about LA... http://www.empireonline.co.uk/features/events/loveactually/

And if you are greedy and never satisfied, like me, and wish you had been there and want to eat up every moment, there is a small video clip here that opens with Hugh and Colin, but that is all we get of him... http://www.itv.com/news/1658508.html

Grrr...maybe this? http://www.itv.com/news/VideoReports.html

From This is London (and should be the same one up at femail.co.uk: All you need is Love By Georgina Littlejohn 17 November 2003 Love was in the air last night as the cream of British acting talent hit the red carpet for the premiere of the year's most eagerly-awaited romantic movie. Stars of the comedy Love Actually arrived at the Odeon Leicester Square as director Richard Curtis - the man behind Four Weddings And AFuneral, and Notting Hill - described his film as a 'roaring rampage of romance'. Set in the capital in the run-up to Christmas, it intertwines nine different stories connected by one theme - love. Hugh Grant plays a prime minister - apparently based on Tony Blair - who falls for tea-lady Martine McCutcheon. Colin Firth is a lovelorn writer, Billy Bob Thornton plays the US President and Bill Nighy is a fading rock star. Grant and Firth had the crowds screaming as they drew up. 'I think this is very much Richard Curtis's gig actually,' said Firth. 'We all just took a free ride. I just went to the South of France and was horribly overpaid.' Grant praised McCutcheon as an 'unbelievably good actress'. The film was 'very romantic and positive', he added, saying: 'If you can't deal with that, it's not the film for you.' Other stars there included Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley and McCutcheon, who said she was 'blown away' to act with Grant. Nighy is releasing his song from the soundtrack, a jokey version of the Wet Wet Wet hit Love Is All Around. Love was certainly around for Londoner Marc Andrews, who won VIP tickets to the film. He proposed to girlfriend Monse Eiroa as they arrived.

I am curious as to how the British press will review LA. Big question: Will it protect its young or join the feeding frenzy? Empire (not really part of the the group referred to above) was critical but gave it 3/5 stars, summing it up as: Overlong and over-sentimental, this is nonetheless a fairly entertaining way to spend a couple of hours, and it�s great to see so many of the UK�s best actors sharing screen space. While never quite scaling the heights of Four Weddings or Notting Hill, it�s a perfectly respectable debut for Curtis. - Caroline Westbrook As a few have mentioned, "Spoilers" is the proper place to talk about a newly released movie.

Just got an email from jaap photo saying, the stills from GWAPE is up. Not any new ones of ODB as far as I could tell. http://www.jaapphoto.com/ Thank you for the photos and links :-)

Overlong and over-sentimental, this is nonetheless a fairly entertaining way to spend a couple of hours, and it�s great to see so many of the UK�s best actors sharing screen space. While never quite scaling the heights of Four Weddings or Notting Hill, it�s a perfectly respectable debut for Curtis. - Caroline Westbrook I think that's spot on as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for the new GWAPE pics.

Thanks, Annette. I'd given up on that guy, figuring he was still busy photographing Alexander. There *is* one new one BTW, at least to me. Globe has its pics of the premiere: http://www.globephotos.com/scripts/kws30pre.exe?site=GLOBEPH&maxhits=12&picktype=GfxOnly&type=GfxOnly&search=[A13976+K34130]&hmessage='LOVE+ACTUALLY'+U.K.+PREMIERE,+ODEON+LEICESTER+SQUARE,+LONDON.+11/16/2003&ShowTotal=on&fmaxhits=&submit=lsearch Pic of Colin with Laura Linney is different: And the after party, at the In and Out Club. http://www.globephotos.com/scripts/kws30pre.exe?site=GLOBEPH&maxhits=12&picktype=GfxOnly&type=GfxOnly&search=A13977&hmessage='LOVE+ACTUALLY'+U.K.+PREMIERE+AFTER+PARTY,+IN+AND+OUT+CLUB,+LONDON.+11/16/2003&ShowTotal=on&fmaxhits=&submit=lsearch where there are *no* pics of Colin

(Karen) From This is London (and should be the same one up at femail.co.uk: Post 188 He looks somewhat perturbed here...Almost the look in WAGW just after he punched Alistair...Was it something the photographers said?

Any reports of daily newspaper coverage from the UK?? According to the Express site, the cover of today's newspaper says there are pics from the premiere?

LA London premiere was great fun - fans were screaming for Colin, Hugh and Keira while we were going in, CF seemed to spend more time than anyone doing autographs, and then got caught for endless interviews once in the lobby. Seemed very upbeat, whereas you could sense that AR, KK and some others were a bit more jaundiced by the publicity carousel. Pre-screening, short speeches from Tim Bevan, Duncan Kenworthy and Richard Curtis, none of them very funny except where RC mentioned that one of the preview cards gathered had said: "Things You Liked About This Film: Lots of fit birds taking their tops off; Things You Didn't Like About This Film: Everything else." Post-screening, the actors were called up on stage for a bow, nothing more.

Globe has its pics of the premiere: What is the trophy in Colin's hand?

Pics of the after party at Getty...2 pics of Colin http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/CFW/imageResults.aspx?s=EventImagesSearchState|1|15|1|2736621|0|0|0|0|&p=7"

(Dorine)Oh yeah, and that extremely open neck on that shirt of his in those Premiere gallery pics are driving me insane! *fanning self* Mmmmm .Dorine . .just makes you want to nuzzle him right there, doesn't it;) (Allison M.) Anyway went to see LA with my DH. He hated it. I so understand!! I dragged my hubby to see LA .and was quite surprised he liked it . . . he's rather fickle as well (usu. never wants to be near any rom-com or period films I prefer) . .would rather see shoot-em up films or anything related to sports . .have to admit he did enjoy FP (what little I could make him sit through only due to football/obbsessive fan references) Karen - Would you want to see the NY Times review of LA? . .I can 't recall seeing it in any earlier posts . .I hesitate to post it . .b/c it wasn't very good . .I got so angry I wanted to throttle the writer myself.

Has anybody posted this? There is video on the BBC entertainment site, bottom right of the page: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/default.stm There is pics in all the papers here today, but as far as I can see from a quick check on my lunch break, they are the same ones that you have all seen already from the websites. Looks like I missed quite the spectacle. And of course just the news I was waiting for - filming commitments tomorrow! Argh!

(Ellie D) ...The ladies saved their biggest swoons for another British actor: Grant's costar Colin Firth. The roar was deafening as Firth emerged on the red carpet... *Grinning from ear to ear* Sigh! Finally! I never thought I'd ever have the chance to read something like that. I'm absolutely thrilled. (Mari)Herald interview: ...�Have you come down from Edinburgh today?� he asks. �I�m so sorry about that. ...He encourages me to talk about myself. �Moving on,� I say, but he insists on asking me about a book I�ve written. ...Then he apologises again, and that concerned look passes over his face. �Do you feel as if you�ve justified your trip down from Edinburgh? I�m so sorry it had to be so messy and everything.� It is difficult to tell if he is genuine. ????? Difficult?! You are a true gentleman Colin. But save your concern, this woman does NOT deserve it. Unbelievable. Thank you for the pics, links, accounts, everyone, I love all these goodies. Colin is gorgeous on all the pics, and so is Livia. I thought one of the after party (London) pics was cute, the one where Colin seems to be chatting with a waitress(?) She must have enjoyed her shift that night. :-)

Just had a quick browse through the papers. Telegraph has a pic of Hugh and Martine on the front page - "Hugh and Martine delight fans at LA premiere". Same pic on front of Express and Mirror. Full page spread in Mail of Hugh and his leading ladies, Martine, Emma, Keira. Hugh says Martine has a lovely bottom, Martine says Hugh is very fit. A small pic of CF and Livia. No Alan Rickman or Rowan Atkinson. Nothing in the Times, and I didn't even check the Guardian! Not bad coverage though, but Hugh definitely wins the day! I am curious as to how the British press will review LA. Big question: Will it protect its young or join the feeding frenzy? I think, fingers crossed, that LA may get off fairly unscathed. We've already been told that it had mixed reviews in the States, but that audience ratings are generally okay. Some of the papers have had a dig at the unreal "Richard Curtis land" and are asking just how long his run of success can last. But that's about it. I guess it will get middling reviews, but provided they're not "I'd rather boil in oil than watch this", there shouldn't be any damage! And if we don't have Richard Curtis, who have we got left?

No need for the NYT review; it was posted here when published, as I recall. I've put up a number of pics, starting here: http://www.firth.com/p_eye012.html and continuing here: http://www.firth.com/love_gal_londprem1.html I expect there will be more and I'll have to send a few to my dewatermarking expert Sophie. ;-) But I knew you'd want to see them sort of 'as is'

From a lurker, a fascinating look at the party planning for the NY post-premiere party inside that fortress (the Metropolitan Club) http://bizbash.com/content/editorial/e3310.asp

(Bethan)Not bad coverage though, but Hugh definitely wins the day! Understandably, he's the UK film industry's Cash Cow. Wow...Thanks 'Lurker' and Karen for the NY LA Bash account. Not just a wine and cheese do. Colin would be happy with the menu. Only people I know on the resources are the A-1 security;-) I'd like to know what the promotion tab for this film is.... Hope they make it.

Karen, thanks for the NY and London premiere pages; loved firth.com's narrative about our night in NY.;-) Thanks also to everyone who contributed pics, reports, articles, etc. Colin has really done some heavy lifting for this film. As Evelyn told him, "I'm very proud of you, Colin." :-)

Wow, Fantastic pictures of London premiere and after party. Thank you Karen, Ada, Maria and all for the pictures and links, Thanks also to Mark G for first hand insight at the premiere. Would love to know what the trophy is all about (loudest fans?);-) Love the picture with the waitress pouring the bubbly. Curtis said: "I'd rather make a film that most of the audience liked and some critics didn't rather than a film that critics loved and nobody wanted to watch." Bethan, keeping my fingers crossed, as well. Hope you're right. Some positve, preemptive spin, perhaps?

Karen - as always . .great pics! . .Intersting link for the NY premiere party . .I used to be a special events planner (one of a few jobs I had prior to leaving 9 to 5 work for acting)so I can only imagine what went into that shindig! . .How beautiful it looked!

(Kimberley) How beautiful it looked! Would've liked to have seen it firsthand, but no one put our names down on the guest list. ;-) Here's Hello mag's coverage of the premiere: http://www.hellomagazine.com/film/2003/11/17/loveactually/

(Bethan)And if we don't have Richard Curtis, who have we got left? Puh-leeze... You've got Anathony Minghella, James Madden, Stephen Daldry,Sam Mendes... RC couldn't clean any of their shoes. However, I do hope the film succeeds for Colin's sake. His segment is the best and he's worked at promotion. To his advantage, IMO. Got lots of recognition in the US .

(Evelyn) You've got Anathony Minghella, James Madden, Stephen Daldry,Sam Mendes... Yeah, but someone's gotta make you laugh sometime. ;-) (Kimberley) How beautiful it looked! (Karen) Would've liked to have seen it firsthand, but no one put our names down on the guest list. ;-) Hey, maybe that'll be our reward next time for making the US press take more notice of Colin. You can't buy publicity like that......oh, wait! Of course you can and they do. Silly me. ;-) Great pages, Karen! He still doesn't look as into it all overall, despite a couple of beaming smiles. After that bi-continental PR merry-go-round, I wouldn't either, I suppose.

(Karen) Would've liked to have seen it firsthand, but no one put our names down on the guest list. ;-) Ohhh....I think Mike could have arranged something...but I don't know at what cost! LOL! Wasn't willing to find out! Thank you Karen and everyone for all the pics and articles! So many to thank (it's like the Oscars)! Love it when news is coming fast and furious....is hard to keep up, but it sure is fun! (Linda) Love the picture with the waitress pouring the bubbly. LOL...I was kinda hoping she was picking up the glass, not setting it down. She's got her fingers all over the rim (pulling a Daphne)!

The first pic of Colin here made me LOL! Like maybe someone goosed him and he spun around to see who! No?...Could easily just be me.... http://217.158.83.123/scripts/kws30pre.exe?Firsthit=25&maxhits=12&hmessage=THE+UK+CHARITY+FILM+PREMIERE+OF+%27LOVE+ACTUALLY%27%2C+HELD+AT+THE+ODEON+CINEMA+IN+LEICESTER+SQUARE%2C+LONDON&search=LFLON+003944&type=GfxOnly&site=LFI&SEARCH_FILTERA=&Next.x=47&Next.y=14

Ooh! No! Sorry, It is the "I have no idea where that came from" Look!

I like this one

Lots in the ES today. Lots about the supposed spat between the two ladies MM and KK. Boring. Even an editorial telling everyone that LA is okay and that A/B's should not be so stuck up as to despise it (will make sure my DH sees that). One snippet. HG was overheard at the party telling someone that he and Colin did not like LA. Was too schmaltzy. Ooh all the men in my life agree. ;-)

Hi everbody, Here is my Premiere report. I have to keep it short, maybe I can write more later. I stood in front row and colin look so good and was so nice. He signed madly and signed my photo, too. I said to him �Don t forget your fans in Germany� I thought I would be nice for him to know that people from far away come to see him. He couldn t here me so he stepped back with an questioning look at me searching what it was I want him to sign because I thought he forget to sign for me. I repeated my sentence and he replied �I will� So I could hear his voice. I was one of the best moments in my life. By the way could it be I saw his mother

(Allison) HG was overheard at the party telling someone that he and Colin did not like LA. Was too schmaltzy Thanks, Allison. Colin said on The Today Show that it's not the type of movie he likes to see. Doesn't surprise me he didn't like it. Thanks, Petra. Glad you got to talk to him. Sounds like the noise was something there. They advertise premieres and stuff there, don't they? Presumably to get a crowd for the media? Who finds out about that stuff here? Unless for the most part, you are connected in some way to someone who does, how would anyone know?

I was wondering the same thing, Dorine. How do hundreds/thousands (?) of people know to show up at Leicester Square at a given hour on a Sunday evening? Is it announced in the newspapers or on TV? Over here, it's like a big secret, at least in NY. You call the studio to find out and they give you the third degree about why you're calling and who you're working for. I always tell 'em, "I'm just a member of the ticket buying public who pays the salaries." ;-)

|Thanks Maria...Agree that ODB doen't look like the happiest camper. Too much Hugh, perhaps? Methinks he needed the NY "fan base"contingent;-) FYI Leicester Sq on weekend is a hub of people...wall to wall.Mostly young. Not difficult to get a thousand folks at any time.

Let's enjoy this overkill while the gettin's good I say! http://www.rexfeatures.com/cgi-bin/r2show0?k=COLIN+FIRTH&f=Newest&s=gtKCD7hHLEl8Ik9XZ2bzoY-r&u=DEFAULT&p=b16813EF400000096&t=000000BA

Maria)Let's enjoy this overkill while the gettin's good I say! Thanks Maria! That'll do me for the ride home.

Oooh!! Got them all. Big ones. There's one with Jessica Callan, who is listed as the 3am gal. That would be The Mirror... Today's cover of the Daily Mirror had a pic of Colin and Livia, and there's one with this column on the event: http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/page.cfm?objectid=13631365&method=full

OH NOOOOOOO!!! His 'n her matching clothes -- say it isn't so. That only works for square dancing. Had to be Livia's idea, so there'd be no question about who "HE" was with. Let's hope this won't become his next favorite outfit.

Extra! shows the London premiere and Colin, though he isn't mentioned among the litany of castmembers. But then, they are talking to Huge about TEOR and flash a one of the doorway near kiss pics of RZ and Colin, mention that he's in it and Huge says that Renee hasn't gained enough weight but Colin has gained too much.

A 20-strong gospel choir serenaded guests ..... with The Beatles' hit All You Need Is Love as they walked up the red carpet. Did they crowd outside have to hear that continuously? Brings to mind the mental trauma of getting stuck inside that Small World ride at Disney World and having to hear that "It's A Small World" (after all) on a loop for 45 mins. :-( But the normally gorgeous Keira Knightley shunned top designers and plumped for a dowdy outfit made by a friend. "When you have friends who are this talented, you may as well take advantage of their skills," she said. And save yourself a few quid, too. Honey, spend the few extra quid. I think you can spare it now. (Deb) His 'n her matching clothes -- say it isn't so. Thank you!

Livia is so beautiful but I wish she'd get a stylist to help her out for these big events. I am not being catty, I just think she could do a better job on her outfits (& hair???) when she is going to be "In The Public Eye" and photographed so much. Luckily she is a natural beauty and her choice of arm candy is impeccable. Jodi

(Karen) ...Huge says that Renee hasn't gained enough weight but Colin has gained too much. LOL! I love what these two are doing. Keep it up boys, I'm having a lot of fun. Dorine) Honey, spend the few extra quid. I think you can spare it now. Honestly, I rather like what she is doing. She is "advertising" the work of a friend, presenting his/her design to the world, trying to help him/her instead of doing it for an already famous designer. She is taking a bit of a risk with it, and I admire her for it.

(Ildiko) Honestly, I rather like what she is doing. She is "advertising" the work of a friend I definitely applaud her effort for a friend. Many celebrities do that at some point. I was making more of comment on the style. Just 'cause it's a friend, doesn't make it the best outfit for you. Throw a party for him and wear his stuff. I just didn't find this particular outfit overly flattering on her, IMO.

LOL, if Colin and Livia can do it...matching outfits seemed to be "in" for both premieres I do like Colin's grey and black...a bit different than the usual. (Evelyn)Methinks he needed the NY "fan base"contingent;-) Doesn't he look a bit melancholy? He must be missing his NYFB;-) Again, thanks Maria and Karen for the great pictures, and Petra for sharing your experience. Good for you!! But would somebody, anybody, please please please tell me what the trophy is for. I don't see anyone else holding one.

(Linda)But would somebody, anybody, please please please tell me what the trophy is for. I don't see anyone else holding one. Must be for winning the Mr. Congeniality award! ;-)

(Linda) But would somebody, anybody, please please please tell me what the trophy is for. I don't see anyone else holding one. It's the middle weight 'ass whuppin' trophy. Colin won this round...maybe in BJD3 (The Edge of Senility) Hugh will get it back! ;-)

(Tress) It's the middle weight 'ass whuppin' trophy ROTFLMAO! And he lobbied hard for it, too, telling everyone within earshot he whupped Hugh's ass. Mari, that's what you should've asked!!! "Hugh, how was it to have your ass kicked by CF? LOL! Re: the pic of CF and HG above...was looking at a blowup of that earlier noticing how they look like conjoined twins with the outfits and hands in pockets.

I find it cute how Colin and Hugh affectionately jab at each other in their ongoing mock feud. Shows how much they care:) Most recent example from a video with Dave Sillito of the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3275283.stm .................................................................... COLIN: Well, a year(?) or so we had the film to ourselves for a while. So it's a bit of a shock to see all these imposters soaking up the attention. HUGH: I don't like it, I don't like it at all. But fortunately Colin's performance is very weak (shakes head and laughs). No one, um, no one will be waching that. .............................................................. I don't know what the question to Hugh was, but maybe he was asked what he thought about being in a film with Colin again.

(Kimberley) How beautiful it looked! (Karen)Would've liked to have seen it firsthand, but no one put our names down on the guest list. ;-) Ahhh . .that's our next task of subterfuge . .getting a Drooleur on the inside so we can get in on these parties!!!;) . .Preferably seats at ODB's table?;)

(Tress) It's the middle weight 'ass whuppin' trophy. Colin won this round...maybe in BJD3 (The Edge of Senility) Hugh will get it back! ;-) LOL! Might be the heavy weight class now. Hugh's been saying that Colin's gained too much weight. Question: Can you win an ass-whupping bout if you resort to hair-pulling? ;-) Very cute dialogue, Katty. Thanks for posting it. I couldn't get the player to work. :-( (this computer is going through the window soon like two v. bad street fighters)

hi all - just a quick note to say HELLO and to wave at all the Droolers i met in NYC for the premiere! i don't have much time to chat or to introduce so i'll keep it brief... and and post my own favorite pic of the ones i got that night ;) i got a bunch, but that one is my favorite. it's when he's signing for Mari!

I would be willing to sacrifice myself for my fellow Drooleurs and volunteer to date...ummm...maybe Hugh (since I don't fancy the missus beating me senseless or worse)so that y'all can come to the parties. Think that would work?

*Waving back to you, Risa!* it's when he's signing for Mari! Well, I do my best to keep the fellas smiling.;-) Dazzling photo, thanks! (Allison)Lots about the supposed spat between the two ladies MM and KK. Now now, ladies, if you're going to fight, learn to fight nice like Colin and Huge.;-) (Tress)It's the middle weight 'ass whuppin' trophy. LOL! HG was overheard at the party telling someone that he and Colin did not like LA. Was too schmaltzy. Maybe this person watched the US talk shows last week when the two of them kept saying it would make one puke.;-) Doesn't mean they don't like it, puking is fine in moderation.;-) (Dorine)Mari, that's what you should've asked!!! "Hugh, how was it to have your ass kicked by CF? Darn it, we always think of the perfect thing to say after the moment has passed us by.;-) Well, I figure we have a year until The Edge of Renal Failure premiere to prep our questions and fine tune our interview skills.;-)

Love Actually's sweet overdose By Matthew Slater BBC News Online Love Actually, the new film from the man behind Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, is given its UK premi�re in London on Sunday. Just as ten spoonfuls of sugar ruin a cup of tea, ten different stories spoil a good film. In the case of Richard Curtis's directorial debut, Love Actually, his confection is so sweet it is almost impossible to finish. Curtis, of course, is the writer behind the smash hits Four Weddings and Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary and Notting Hill - not to mention Blackadder and numerous other TV credits. Curtis and his Working Title partners are clearly believers in the old adage that if ain't broke, don't fix it. So once more we have a group of articulate, middle-class Londoners struggling with their love lives and loved ones. As a director of his own material, Curtis is crying out for the editing skills of a less indulgent hand. He can knock out romantic comedies as easily as the rest of us breathe. But Love Actually only serves to prove another old adage that you can have too much of a good thing. What is good here - and there is much that is very good - is diminished by too many distracting plot lines and unnecessary characters. One look at the movie poster will tell you that this is a film not lacking in star turns, but at about 10 minutes of screen time per actor, they are only turns, not performances. Hugh Grant reprises his lovable posh bloke routine - this time as an impossibly youthful prime minister - while Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Colin Firth all try to bring a bit of depth to proceedings. Martine McCutcheon plays her appallingly underwritten role very well, Rowan Atkinson supplies another vintage cameo and Bill Nighy almost steals the entire film as a cynical rock star with Curtis's best lines. Love Actually is not a very good film - it's lots of bits of good films with some duff films thrown in too. But its irresistibly optimistic message, strong cast and clever marketing will make it more of a cracker than a turkey this Christmas.

Great pic, Risa! Thanks for sharing. More pics up here: http://www.firth.com/love_gal_londprem2.html (Psst, second row, pic on right.)

Hi all. It�s been quite awhile since I posted but I do try to keep up with you and with all the news. Sorry I�m a bit tardy with this report but here�s a little more info about the BAFTA-LA Q&A. Marianne already filled you in on most of the details since it was a pretty short session. The moderator asked a few questions about how the GWAPE project got off the ground and its development process, as well as how CF and SJ went about deciding to take the role. Honestly I can�t remember all the specifics but there wasn�t any information discussed that we haven�t already read in some other interview or article. The moderator only took about four questions from the audience since the group was being kicked out of the theatre at 10p.m. One question had to do with the lighting of the film and Peter Webber discussed this at length. Somebody else asked about the film�s financing and the number of producers and what their roles were � PW also fielded this one. Another question had to do with set decoration and art direction. This was primarily directed at Peter Webber but Colin talked about how the meticulous sets helped them to develop their characters. CF said he had done many hours of research on Vermeer in order to prepare and that most of his paintings featured the same corner of the same room. He mentioned that it was moving to actually get to see that famous corner in real life. CF also said that he enjoyed the fact that the sets were built more like a real house than typical sets in that they had to walk through the kitchen area to get to the other rooms and up stairs to get to the studio. He said this must have been very difficult for the technical crew but the fact that it felt like a real house made it easier for the actors. Somebody asked about the minimal dialogue and was it difficult to portray a character using so few words. SJ primarily answered this one and said that in this film she much preferred letting the emotions show in her face and expression particularly since the only alternative she could think of would be having to say a lot of cheesey �movie� dialogue. She gave the audience an example of what she meant by turning dramatically to Colin, grabbing his arm and saying something OTT like �Oh Vermeer, I want you like I�ve never wanted anyone before.� It was hilarious � I found SJ to be quite charming. CF also commented on the scant dialogue and said when he was reading the script he actually thought there was too much dialogue. He said something about pressing for speeches to be cut and the visuals allowed to speak for themselves. Sorry this report wasn�t more interesting, but the whole event was pretty short. Marianne already mentioned how awful the lighting was. I sat near the front and could still barely see SJ, CF and PW. Too bad they didn�t have it at the originally scheduled venue which is much nicer, and actually has decent lights. They said they had to switch to a larger theatre at the last minute. Foolish antelopes, didn�t they know CF would draw a crowd ;-)? BTW, Hart Bochner (CF co-star in AZ) was in the audience and it looked like he and CF may have left together. Can�t say for sure since they sort of disappeared into the crowd.

Thanks Jana and all the other ladies for your reports and pics.

Nice pictures of Livia - if I remember correctly, not many photos of just herself. And more importantly, she is neither "Olivia" nor "guest" anymore! ;-) http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navtyp=CLB&str=9874&styp=clbi&nm=Colin%20Firth

I met 2 other german girls at the premiere and we were screaming madly when Heike Makatsch (german actress) arrived. She was very surprised to hear her name (and very happy) , then signed for us . I ask her �What was it like with �.(I bet at this moment she though I would ask her about Hugh Grant. She was been asked this question a thousand times in interviews)��Colin Firth." She said: Oh he is really a nice and lovely guy�. Didn t we know it :o)

Extra was in London, Hugh is strating to really crack me up...Video clip also but real brief of Colin ... http://extratv.warnerbros.com/dailynews/extra/11_03/11_17a.html Star Sightings It is the hottest bunch of stars on either side of the pond. "Extra" talked "Love Actually" in London, where Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Martine McCutcheon, Keira Knightley, Simon Cowell, and of course Hugh Grant all popped in for the premier. Grant says folks who have already seen the film have had an interesting reaction. He says, "People do come out feeling a little warmer about other human beings. And I think a little bit hornier." Some of that warmer feeling is being blamed on Rodrigo Santoro. And while Grant, the King of Romantic Comedy, enjoys the film's success, he gave "Extra" the inside story on his new "Bridget Jones" movie, "The Edge of Reason," now in the works with Colin Firth and Ren�e Zellweger. Grant says, "The only problem is that Ren�e has not put on enough weight and Colin has put on too much."

For any that hadn't already seen the E Talk Live clip (Yeah to September and long London shadows and first chill!) http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1068161731432_79/?hub=Entertainment#

Hi Risa! Lovely picture! I'd say if you wanted a new job, you could join the paparazzi, but you're far too nice to be one of them (though it could be a useful inroad). ;-) (Dorine)Mari, that's what you should've asked!!! "Hugh, how was it to have your ass kicked by CF? (Mari)Darn it, we always think of the perfect thing to say after the moment has passed us by.;-) Well, I figure we have a year until The Edge of Renal Failure premiere to prep our questions and fine tune our interview skills.;-) LOL! How about rehearsing how not to stand like a stunned dear caught in the headlights? I know I could use some help there.

Liquid News on BBC3 had a short, but entertaining piece on the LA premiere last night, presenting the event as a continuation of the fight btwn CF and HD in BJD. It ended with Richard C saying Hugh would make a dreadful PM, but that Colin would be good.

Lovely picture, Little Bee :-) Thank you for posting it. Maria, thank you so much for the links. Seems our only chance to see any of the premiere-fuzz at this part of the world.

Thanks Karen for your London preem pics .Can't wait for your own! Livia has looked better in former pics. Smashy 2 yrs ago at the BAFTAs. Jana..good to hear from you. It's been too long. Thanks for your on the spot report.

CF said he had done many hours of research on Vermeer in order to prepare and that most of his paintings featured the same corner of the same room. He mentioned that it was moving to actually get to see that famous corner in real life. In real life? *snort* OK, I understand what he meant but... ;-) Thanks for all the details on the screening. Jana. I bet SJ's demo of cheesy dialogue was a hoot to watch. I'm pretty sure this is the second time we've heard that Hart Bochner was at one of these things. I believe he's directing now. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences (premieres, screenings, etc.) and their wonderful pictures and news items. *smooch*

Oh yeah, I'm busy cropping and fixing up pics harvested last night, so the NY pics will be next up...

From the Tabloid Watch...still very positive about LA. The Mirror has a one page report on the post premiere party. The reporter says that everyone came to ogle Hugh and Colin, then goes on to say (quoting from memory!) "all my Christmases came early when I bumped into the lovely Colin Firth. His gorgeous wife Livia didn't seem to mind as he chatted happily with the women - and men - who threw themselves at him. At least someone was happy, unlike Hugh Grant who had a black scowl on his face for most of the bash. Definitely needs to chill out"

OK, the additions to London have been made, but they're all on existing gallery pages. http://www.firth.com/love_gal_londprem1.html http://www.firth.com/love_gal_londprem2.html I didn't want to rearrange because so many of you have used the pics here and on other topics.

From Jennie, a scan of the Sunday Herald mag cover, which Janet brought to our attention: (Pssst! I still want it.)

Capital, Karen, capital! You are such a good and thoughtful boss! And thanks for the news, reoports and links Jana, Josie, Petra, Maria, Barbara, and Bethan!!!

Karen -Love the London pics!!! Who is the lucky girl in lavendar? . .the one that ODB has his arm about her waist. That's a great pic . .the two of them. And as usual Livia and Colin looking wonderful! That Sunday Herald cover is too cute . .make me laugh . .Wish I could have ben at that photo shoot!

OMG!!! Jennie! Janet! Karen! Thanks! Those pics are some of my all time favorites...and to see a new one is a treat! Love the belly peeking through...Air Colin! And this one is too great for words: And "Hello Little Bee!!" Glad you stopped by! And thanks for sharing your lovely pic!

(Little Bee) got a bunch, but that one is my favorite. it's when he's signing for Mari! Thank you, Risa That's actually a very special smile... Not only was he signing for our dear Mari, he was holding my copy of GWAPE. (I think he was bombarded with such good vibes for the whole evening that he was just beaming). Now I have a new GWAPE that he signed for my daughter at the BAFTA screening. Oh, these good feelings just keep hanging around. the Sunday Herald mag cover...The rise and rise of Colin Firth. How great does that sound? Thank you Karen for the triple overtime, Maria for the clips that keep us in touch from across the pond, and Petra, Jana, Josie, Barbara, and Bethan for the news. Thank you,Karen and Maria

(Kimberley) Who is the lucky girl in lavendar? That's Jessica Callan, one of the three women who write the 3 am column for The Mirror. Now don't you think this makes him look...squishier? ;-)

I'm unhappy! GWAPE is showing in Glasgow tonight, but it is a private screening for BAFTA members only. :-(((

Debacklogging...from the NY Premiere as covered by In Touch magazine: I've cut off the unimportant parts below, so you can read the captioning.

That's my "Pen of Love" (at this moment still in my purse in it's protective 'wrapper'...my 'security Sharpie'....DH is lucky I don't sleep with it under my pillow)!!! ODB fondled it but so did Hugh, Emma and Bill! And that's my poster! Also recognize bits and pieces of Droolers! ;-)

Risa!! Awesome to see ya! Nice pics! Karen, nice LA London pages. I love how in wireimage, the pic of Colin and AR is credited as CF and "guest." Poor AR...they're going to make him stand on the side like Greg Wise soon. F Funny, I saw virtually no pics of Andrew Lincoln or Lucia Moniz, but he was on one of the clips for a bit. A cutie last night. (Bethan) The reporter says that everyone came to ogle Hugh and Colin... the Sunday Herald mag cover...The rise and rise of Colin Firth I'm ambivalent. We may have to start sharing him more soon. :-/ We'll have to show up 6 hours ahead next time. Good for him, though, long overdue. Thanks, Jennie and Janet. he chatted happily with the..... men - who threw themselves at him. That's funny, I know of several who left before he got here, who are hoping and waiting for another actor to attend someday. ;-)

(Dorine) I love how in wireimage, the pic of Colin and AR is credited as CF and "guest." Are you talking about the one where Colin is hugging someone?? First off, it is hard for photographers to keep all these people straight and most don't know who these people are, especially the underlings who will label the pics later on, when they're turned in. But second, that's not Alan Rickman. Hair is completely wrong color and, think about it, can you *really* imagine AR hugging anybody like that??? C'mon, you saw Mr Aloof in the tent. He'd be voted Least Likely to Hug Anybody from any high school class. ;-)

(Karen) But second, that's not Alan Rickman I thought it was Bill Nighy. The jacket looks the same...

One opinion from the Guardian - The 10 hottest films that will walk off with the Oscars 2. Girl With a Pearl Earring BBC drama veteran Peter Webber wasn't sure he wanted to make the transition to features with a conventional period romance about the painter Johannes Vermeer and his muse until he read the ear-piercing scene. Then he saw the heart of the upstairs-downstairs domestic drama: the conflict between the artist (Colin Firth) and his patron (Tom Wilkinson), the painter and his family, and the unspoken attraction between the man and his model (Scarlett Johansson). Webber was not afraid to fashion a quietly paced movie that is as visually lovely as a Vermeer. A hit on the festival circuit as well as with academy voters, Girl With a Pearl Earring could be the Frida of this Oscar race. http://film.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,4793219-3181,00.html

(Tress[pic In Touch])Also recognize bits and pieces of Droolers! ;-) The pretty blond is Meg's sister.

A few pics got lost into other folders, including two adorable ones of ET with Colin and BN at a table. They've been added to Gallery 2; the other is another with LL and there's a pic of the theatre on the In the Public Eye page. http://www.firth.com/love_gal_londprem2.html http://www.firth.com/p_eye012.html But these are too hysterical! Evidently, there was a massage chair at the party: And, lastly, some of the NY pics have gone up here: http://www.firth.com/love_gal_nyprem2.html The page is not complete (only has Bee/Little Bee, Shoshana and Meg's pics) and hasn't been linked to the rest of the galleries yet. Much, much more to come. Shouldn't we be hearing from the Survival crowd? Have they survived the evening? Has Colin survived another evening with representatives of his fan base? ;-)

He came and he looked scrummy! Managed to arrive after we all saw LA, apparently hopped across town on a motorbike again (does he *really* do this? are there confirmed sightings of him or is he pulling our leg and came in a limo or something?!). Good Mark Darcy hair (as was playing him at Sheperton Studios today), jeans, black t-shirt, brown suede jacket. My DBF took some decent digitals which I hope to get tomorrow and will send along. It was nice as I didn't have to worry about snapping them, I could sit back and listen to him orate about diamonds threatening tribes in the Kalahari! Except when I was prodding him to take more! Didn't take any questions, just quick speech about importance of supporting Survival. Another drool-er told me he sneaked out a side door after - perhaps more filming to do or just to go home. Won't add to LA reviews really, a lot has been said, but except for those few funny bits and Emma T and Colin, I wasn't into it and I was waiting for it to end really (not just because I was waiting for what was coming after the credits either!). DBF apparently was getting a little emotional at the end! But he was tired :). He laughed a lot though. And when I asked: didn't you think Colin just looked fantastic in person?, his response is interesting to me as he thinks he's just an average looking guy, a bloke you would see down the pub. Whereas Huge, you can't imagine that. But that he has aged well, as we all know. Must go to bed. Content though!

Oh! Thank you Karen for the new pics (and all the lovely goodies of today)! Love the table pic of Emma with the boys! And thank you Shosh, Meg and the Bees (Risa, your pic! The over the shoulder glance a Dorine...he's giving off an aura! ;-) )!!! EMMA!!!! Yipppppeeeee!!!So glad Colin showed up! Can't wait to see the pics taken by DBF! What a guy (to snap so you can do some proper drooling...er....listening...)! ;-)

Thaks to everyone for the links to videos and articles! Karen, your hard work is always appreciated, and it's obvious you've been burning the midnight oil. Love the pics taken by fellow Drooleurs, including the fantastic close-up by Little Bee. Thanks, Risa, for sharing! ODB appears to have once again been thrilled with his reception. Thanks to Petra for her on the scene reporting. And thank you Emma for keeping us posted on the Survival screening. Have vision of Hunk daddy flying across London on Ian's motorbike;-)

(Tress)Also recognize bits and pieces of Droolers LOL, That's me under the white caption...I think I may have looked better under a blue dot;-) That's my SWTA hanging out there just seconds away from Colin using it to finish signing Tress's poster. (Emma)Good Mark Darcy hair (as was playing him at Sheperton Studios today), jeans, black t-shirt, brown suede jacket Looks like he had time to do laundry. That's the same outfit from the BAFTA screening last Monday in NY. Emma, was it the dark brown suede or the light one like he wore for the PEN reading? Last Monday's jacket was the dark one. (Tress)I thought it was Bill Nighy. The jacket looks the same... My thoughts, exactly. Hair looked the same, as well. One opinion from the Guardian - The 10 hottest films that will walk off with the Oscars Bless you, Guardian! Thanks to all for the reports, and, again, to the hardest working Boss I know. Would love to know who was standing in front of the massage chair and the remark they made to prompt the finger. LOL!!

(Tress)I thought it was Bill Nighy. The jacket looks the same... (Linda) My thoughts, exactly. Hair looked the same, as well. He'd get my vote too. We'd have a positive ID, if there was just a little better shot from above...the thinning hair. ;-) Thanks for the report from the screening, Emma! (Emma) My DBF took some decent digitals Does you DBF know that he can get knighted for service to Drool? ;-) You probably should've told him that before giving him the assignment. Never know what that kind of motivation can produce. apparently hopped across town on a motorbike again (does he *really* do this? are there confirmed sightings of him or is he pulling our leg and came in a limo or something?!). Did he have wind-blown hair or helmet head? ;-) (Linda) Would love to know who was standing in front of the massage chair and the remark they made to prompt the finger. LOL!! Yeah, me too. ;-) Sorry I didn't identify the woman, she's Ruby Wax, an American TV personality on British TV. the hardest working Boss I know. *looking around* You must be speaking about your slave-driver husband, as most people would say that what I do is more like "fannying about." ;-D

(Karen)most people would say that what I do is more like "fannying about." ;-D But do you wear a short little skirt and see-through blouse?;-)

(Karen)Did he have wind-blown hair or helmet head? ;-) I'd say helmet head. Can't really add much to Emma's report. He said he was really pleased to see so many people there (only a few empty seats) and that he had made a journey of 20 miles in five minutes!! He hoped, after watching LA, that we felt 'fluffy and Christmassy'.

(Tress)Also recognize bits and pieces of Droolers (Linda)LOL, That's me under the white caption...I think I may have looked better under a blue dot;-) And that's my head on the lower right of Shoshanna's pic;-) Livia was in front of us the whole time. Never let him out of her sight;-) I ask you, why couldn't she go in and take a seat like the other wives.

Thanks for the reports of Survival from the Lucky London Ladies! (Emma)He came and he looked scrummy! Managed to arrive after we all saw LA, apparently hopped across town on a motorbike again (does he *really* do this? are there confirmed sightings of him or is he pulling our leg and came in a limo or something?!). (Hen)Have vision of Hunk daddy flying across London on Ian's motorbike;-) (Karen)Did he have wind-blown hair or helmet head? ;-) (Aishling)I'd say helmet head... and that he had made a journey of 20 miles in five minutes!! I'll have to say that I'm a bit skepitcal about the motorbike, but it is a lovely mental image (and I'm so glad he uses a helmet)!!! ;-) (Tress)Also recognize bits and pieces of Droolers (Linda)LOL, That's me under the white caption...I think I may have looked better under a blue dot;-) (Evelyn)And that's my head on the lower right of Shoshanna's pic;-) Awwww... Evelyn, it'd your portrait with ODB! I ask you, why couldn't she go in and take a seat like the other wives. LOL! At least you didn't yell at Livia to move like you did LL's mother! ;-) (that was a really big winkie BTW!) And another apology to Evelyn for the overabundance of quotes and sort-of-long post. ;-)

(Tress)I thought it was Bill Nighy. The jacket looks the same... (Linda) My thoughts, exactly. Hair looked the same, as well. I thought AR because I thought the hair looked darker. Then BN it is! Either way, he was "guest" to the press. ;-) (Emma) he looked scrummy! You're too cute! Glad he showed up for you. It's been a banner couple of weeks of sightings for Droolers. (Karen) First off, it is hard for photographers to keep all these people straight and most don't know who these people are, especially the underlings who will label the pics later on, when they're turned in. Oh, I know, but it's funny to see how they identify some people. (Tress) he's giving off an aura! ;-) )!!! Yeah, that aura was too much for my camera. ;-) Esp one (what would have been awesome) shot I got of him. (Aishling) He hoped, after watching LA, that we felt 'fluffy and Christmassy'. Awwww. Glad for you, too, Aishling. (Evelyn) I ask you, why couldn't she go in and take a seat like the other wives. LOL, remember he commented on the ET online pic that his wife had been squirreled (or was that squired) away somewhere? Thanks Droolers for all your pictures!

(Evelyn) I ask you, why couldn't she go in and take a seat like the other wives. I think all the wives (and a hubby...and a mum) stayed on the carpet, didn't they? I have a pic of Bill N with his wife (v. v. cute pic BTW), Princess Rosario was there (in my pics her bra strap tag is showing! Oops!), Natasha Richardson, Greg Wise....all hung out on the carpet. Besides, I think they have more of a right to be there than some of the other people....I mean, I know there were publicists and such, but there were tons of 'random sorts' whose sole purpose appeared to be to run back and forth and mess up my pics! ;-)

(Tress) but there were tons of 'random sorts' whose sole purpose appeared to be to run back and forth You mean like Joan Collins? ;-)

(Dorine) You mean like Joan Collins? ;-) ROTFL! I was going to mention her! Exactly! What was she doing there and why do I have her sequined backside in so many pictures I took of ODB?? ;-D

(Evelyn)I ask you, why couldn't she go in and take a seat like the other wives. Would have left him out there alone? I wouldn't! He was so lovely. LOL! At least you didn't yell at Livia to move like you did LL's mother! ;-) Oops, Shosh, that was me. Evelyn was the picture of decorum.But, but it was my first close encounter. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. BYW, if I had known that she was a mother I would never have said such a thing. I thought she was one of those *ancillary* photo op spoiling types. I would never knowingly push around a Mom!;-))

hi and hugs and thanks yous to Mari, Karen, Shoshana, Annette, Tress, Linda, and Dorine! and Shoshana, special thanks for the paparazzi compliment! maybe i can take annie liebovitz's place as portraiture of the stars :D (just kidding!)

(Risa) annie liebovitz's place as portraiture of the stars :D OMG...just imagine an Annie Liebovitz pic of Colin.....**big sigh**. How would she pose him?? Love her pics!

OK folks this is the second attempt to post my observations on last night's survival showing. If it gets posted twice many apologies. I was really delighted to see Colin there last night even though it was only a few minutes that he was at the front of house.Thanks to those people who warned that he might not be there, at least I was a little prepared. Emma and Aishling have already posted and there's not much more to say. I also noticed his comments about the bushmen of the Kalahari and how their lifestyle and very existance is threatened. We listened to Colin's thoughts and feelings about the issues surrounding the work that Survival does and how he came to value their work. I couldn't have told you what he was wearing as the light was so bad, however, I did notice his jeans funnily enough! He was not at all formally attired and looked reminiscent of Paul Ashworth. He appeared very comfortable in his jeans and they were well worn and faded in all the right places!.When he mentioned riding at breakneck peed though London traffic ,I felt so grateful that he made such an effort to get there and was happy he got there safely. Now that I come to think of it I have seen many jeans in that state belonging to Bikers. Many a time in A/E (ER)I've had to cut off bikers trousers and leathers usually up the seams as leathers can then be re-stitched ! but perhaps I'd better not go there. Suffice to say he was his usual courteous, eloquent self and put the case for Survival in a way that no-one else could. Heartfelt thanks to Mr Emma who took digi photos while we looked at Colin.I think only one person got an autograph as he really did a speedy exit reportedly by a side door. I was delighted to hear him use the word fluffy as is a name by which I am known to my friends -it felt a little personal even though I know that it wasn't for me ! Many thanks to all those people who regularly post,I'm sorry that I don't post very often usually there's not much to share but I hope the jeans observation makes up for it ju t a little.

Ok Ok perhaps that should read " breakneck speed" through the London traffic although perhaps after a journey of 20 miles on good roads I might have been closer the first time.LOL!

Thank you all for all the wonderful reports and pics. I can't even begin to tell, how much I envie you. Karen you are the greatest! Thank you for all the effort.

(Evelyn) I ask you, why couldn't she go in and take a seat like the other wives. The only one I noticed who made a beeline into the theater, instead of hanging around on the red carpet, was the woman with AR. (Shoshana) At least you didn't yell at Livia to move like you did LL's mother! ;-) However, she looked pretty amused by the whole incident and kept looking back at us and chuckling. At least no one yelled, "hey, lady, you make a better wall than a window." ;-) You can bet that she would've been horribly yelled at if she stood in front of the press. Thanks, ladies, for your reports from the Survival screening. I'm so glad he did manage to be there for you. Several pictures have already been sent to me; so I'll get them up ASAP for all.

(Karen) The only one I noticed who made a beeline into the theater, instead of hanging around on the red carpet, was the woman with AR. There was a woman with AR? Must've been some beeline as my vantage point was just after he walked in. Obviously concentrating on looking for someone else. ;-)

(Shoshana) At least you didn't yell at Livia to move like you did LL's mother! ;-) (Karen) At least no one yelled, "hey, lady, you make a better wall than a window." ;-) My favorite :"Made of glass, lady". Note to self: Learn how to say that in Italian;-)). (Dorine) There was a woman with AR? His mother;-) Thanks Gina, drop in more often.

(Evelyn) My favorite :"Made of glass, lady". Note to self: Learn how to say that in Italian;-)). LOL!!!!

Thanks everyone for all the interesting write ups and pictures . .whew .go away from your computer for a few hours and there's so much to catch up on .gotta love it .there's always something new 24-7!

(Emma)I could sit back and listen to him orate about diamonds Ahhh, diamonds. Mmmm . . . dreamy sigh. . . threatening tribes in the Kalahari! Er, um, bad diamonds, bad bad. Never use 'em! ;-)

(Dorine) There was a woman with AR? Yup, and she got out of the same limo with him at the M Club. Actually, she got out first and that's how I knew Rickman was in that car. ;-) She had dark brown/reddish hair, cut short. That's all I remember about her, but she looked like a lady on a mission as she kept walking past on the red carpet. She must really have wanted to go sit in her designated seat labeled "Rickman guest." ;-)

(Emma) I could sit back and listen to him orate about diamonds threatening tribes in the Kalahari! (Mari) Er, um, bad diamonds, bad bad. Never use 'em! ;-) Must have been quite a sight! All the women in the audience throwing their diamond rings, earrings, etc., onto the stage and taking mass oath never to wear them again. Yes, I can just see Moon tossing her tiara into the bin. ;-)

I don't recall if this was posted, but a lurker from Japan wrote me about this featurette, which has behind-the-scenes commentary about LA: http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/feature.jsp?V=4&SV=7&id=125840

"listen to him orate about diamonds threatening tribes in the Kalahari! " I hope Livia was aware of his position before she started dreaming of a huge diamond engagement ring. Makes you wonder what those pretty sparkly thangs on her fingers were -- I would suppose ANY natural gemstone would be OUT. Do you think the Firths shop at QVC for Cubic Zirconias and various "___-olites"?

From another lurker, the transcript of a PBS program in the DC area (Around Town on WETA), where LA was discussed. The relevant portions: ROBERT AUBRY DAVIS: THE CREATORS OF THE HIT FILMS, 'FOUR WEDDINGS And A FUNERAL,' And 'BRIDGET JONES' DIARY,' NOW BRING US THEIR NEWEST RELEASE,'LOVE ACTUALLY.' IN THIS SCENE, THE NEW BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, HUGH GRANT, SETTLES INTO THE JOB: [FILM CLIP] ROBERT AUBRY DAVIS: I love this guy's work, I've loved all his other movies. I was a sucker for this movie, it rang all my romantic bells. I thought it was delightful form beginning to end. BOB MONDELLO: I didn't resist it as firmly as usual. It was actually kind of fun. One of the quotes they use in the ads is "epic romance." Well, it is. It's weird, but epic has to do with lots of interwoven stories. And this has a lot of different stories going on at once. And it's quite fun. It's just incredibly stupid. There is one scene which has him and the American president talking. I love that sequence. ROBERT AUBRY DAVIS: There are some serious political digs. PETER FAY: This is a movie in which some terrifically talented British actors, directors and writers are really having at, among other things, American politics, which is such an easy target for them. But Tony Blair doesn't come off too easily either. It's so much silly fun that the intricacy, the well-craftedness of it gets hidden which is a good idea. So, it just seems to be a light romantic story, when it's actually more than that. JANE HORWITZ: I actually went to see it at a second screening. ROBERT AUBRY DAVIS: Me too. JANE HORWITZ: Because at the first screening I was not in a great mood. Normally, any time Colin Firth appears in anything, I'm a happy camper. But for some reason it didn't hit me right. And I have to say it did work the second time. It is totally contrived, all movies are, but the wheels do show a bit in this. BOB MONDELLO: The critics who dislike it have usually singled out the way that it treats older women and women in relationships. There are several characters that if they're not very young and sveldt in a specific way, then they're not going to fare as well in romance. You've got Emma Thompson and a couple of other people. JANE HORWITZ: All the young leads are secretaries or tea ladies. ROBERT AUBRY DAVIS: There's a moment with Emma Thompson listening to a Joni Mitchell song, her life collapsing in front of her eyes, as only a great actor can do. It's a fantastic moment. JANE HORWITZ: Liam Neeson plays a recent widower whose step-son by the wife who died, a young boy -- he's worried that the young boy is depressed -- that little kid -- his name is Thomas Sangster -- has a face on him. He may even be younger than eleven. He's small. But his suffering, which turns out not to be quite related to his mother's passing, although he misses her too, and Neeson's interplay with him -- it's full of little grace notes like that all the way through. http://www2.weta.org/productions/aroundtown/transcripts/at20031115.html [Ed note: How I wish that every program put up transcripts. ;-) ]

From THR, some info on the intl box office of LA: The romantic comedy "Love Actually" conquered Italy with $2.2 million from 357, edging "[The Matrix] Revolutions" to second place. Combined with a weekend opening in Portugal, "Love's" weekend haul came to $2.6 million as it entered the international market. So it was in first place in Italy and second place in Portugal.

[Ed note: How I wish that every program put up transcripts. ;-) ] That's PBS for you! You really get your money's worth.;-)

(Deb)Makes you wonder what those pretty sparkly thangs on her fingers were -- I would suppose ANY natural gemstone would be OUT. I imagine they must be some affordable synthetic "All-rounders", you know . .something you could where any where on any occasion . . ." (Deb)Do you think the Firths shop at QVC for Cubic Zirconias and various "___-olites"? Can you imagine being the QVC operator picking up that order . . "So sir, that will be the one of Item Number J94553 the Epiphany Platinum Clad Diamonique Princess Cut w/Accents Ring . . . " "Ab-so-lut-ley . . ."

Is this new or terribly old? http://film.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,8544,1085537,00.html Enjoying all the goodies...

Lots of thanks to everyone for all these treats! I've lost track of what's what so here's another clip that you may or may not have seen: This one is almost 7 minutes long. I like the accent Colin used for this one. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/entertainment/films/articles/7709685? Can't wait to see Mr Emma's photos!! Should we be calling him Mr Bean? (sorry, I couldn't resist that).

US TV news flash (well, I didn't know about it, so it's a "flash" to me ;-): P&P is apparently being shown at 2pm EST on A&E beginning this afternoon.

some affordable synthetic "All-rounders" SNORT!! "And, sir, if you order now, you can also get the matching earrings for only $19.99." "WOT? ... Sorry, musta dropped the phone whilst doing my little happy dance!"

How did Sophie's animatronics get to this site? http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/471047/CFdancing.gif

I borrowed this one only. Sorry if this is not allowed. I only intended to re-use it here. I will smack my own hand. :(

From MSNBC Holiday Movie Guide http://www.msnbc.com/news/988783.asp?0ql=c7p Scroll way down on the site for this bit. GIRL WITH THE PEARL EARRING� Scarlett Johansson stars in 'The Girl with a Pearl Earring.' Starring: Colin Firth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Essie Davis, Alakina Mann, Cillian Murphy Director: Peter Webber The story: Based on the novel by Tracey Chevalier, this story of seduction stars Johansson as a girl hired to be a maid in the house of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (Firth). She finds herself drawn to his work and winds up being the model for one of his most famous works, stirring up jealousy in his wife (Davis), who realizes the girl has borrowed her pearl earrings to wear for the portrait. Firth (�Bridget Jones Diary�) may have finally been given a role that allows him to show some of the sexual heat he had in �Valmont.� He often gets typed as the prim, proper type � but give him the right role and he smolders. What�s the buzz: Johansson has become the �It� girl of the moment since her winning turn in �Lost in Translation.� She�s more likely to get a nomination for that film than for this one. This film will give her a chance to show her range. Web site: http://www.girlwithapearlearringmovie.com/

For Drooleurs in LA, Chicago (YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!), NY and SF, I got an email announcing free advance screenings of GWAPE (all except NY's followed by a cocktail reception) in early December. You go to this site: http://www.campuscircle.net/girlwithapearlearring/ click on your city and open up an Adobe invite, which you must then print to use as your admission ticket. Info on times, places, receptions, etc., is in that Adobe file.

US TV news flash (well, I didn't know about it, so it's a "flash" to me ;-): P&P is apparently being shown at 2pm EST on A&E beginning this afternoon. It was posted here 2 weeks ago, and recently Rika posted it again on Darcy drool topic. AGAIN:Mark your calendars This Sunday Morning on A&E COLIN FIRTH INTERVIEW from Toronto FF. On BWTA check your time. (Karen)free advance screenings of GWAPE ( Pox on Lion's Gate for ignoring the rest of the country.

A hearty thanks to Petra, Aishling, Emma and Gina for all the London reporting! Excellent! (Emma) I could sit back and listen to him orate about diamonds threatening tribes in the Kalahari! (Mari) Er, um, bad diamonds, bad bad. Never use 'em! ;-) Wow...so Marilyn Monroe was wrong! (MSNBC) Firth (�Bridget Jones Diary�) may have finally been given a role that allows him to show some of the sexual heat he had in �Valmont.� Heat? Valmont? Never noticed! ;-)

For Drooleurs in LA, Chicago (YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!), NY and SF, I got an email announcing free advance screenings of GWAPE (all except NY's followed by a cocktail reception) in early December. YESSSSSSS!!!!! . .I am so there in NY on Dec 10th . .this is down the street from me (I'm temping at Showtime Cable Networks at 1633 B'dway) . . . .Will anyone be there? . .I'll be happy to meet ya!!!

Who's Colin with in this picture? Sorry if it's been asked, haven't had time to read all the post yet. Is Colin still scheduled to be on A&E's Breakfast With The Arts this Sunday? Thanks.

I give up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From the office of Redundancy: (Evelyn)This Sunday Morning on A&E COLIN FIRTH INTERVIEW from Toronto FF. On BWTA check your time. (Karen)free advance screenings of GWAPE ( (Ev.)Pox on Lion's Gate for ignoring the rest of the country. I'll match your Pox and raise you a pestilence. Who will relieve us of our suffering?:-((

Okay, now I'm confused. A&E doesn't list CF for this Sunday. I can't find a listing for Dec. 7th on the BWTA site, but was under the impression (from here: http://www.firth.com/tv_promo.html) that he is going to be on Sunday, Dec. 7th. Here's what they have listed for this Sunday (Nov 23rd): Enrico Caruso: Voice of the Century Life of the opera star considered by many to be the greatest singer of all time. Enjoy the recollections of fellow singers Luciano Pavarotti, Beverly Sills, and Placido Domingo. Also, Michael Kimmelman talks to curator Ruth Fine and jazz musician Branford Marsalis about The Art of Romare Bearden at the National Gallery in Washington, and a conversation with James Rosenquist, one of the founding fathers of pop art. Am I missing something? Is he in fact still supposed to be on on the 7th?

(Karen) For Drooleurs in LA, Chicago (YEAHHHHHHHHH!!!), NY and SF, I got an email announcing free advance screenings of GWAPE Hmmm, I already was RSVP'd for a Lions Gate GWAPE screening that night at a screening room. Must check to see if this is additional or they changed to a bigger theater due to demand.

(Beedee) I'll match your Pox and raise you a pestilence. Who will relieve us of our suffering?:-(( It's showing in Portland on December 11th. A benefit for the NorthWest Film Center. (Sorry Bee and Evelyn! At least we won't get cocktails!) ;-)

(Evelyn)My favorite :"Made of glass, lady". Note to self: Learn how to say that in Italian;-)). Siete fatti di vetro, signora? (Tress and Dorine)but there were tons of 'random sorts' whose sole purpose appeared to be to run back and forth You mean like Joan Collins? ;-) More like random tart;-) Great to hear from you, Gina. Glad you got to see ODB, with or without the helmet hair. Those jeans faded in the right places sound lovely, better yet...scrummy. Love that, Emma. Firth (�Bridget Jones Diary�) may have finally been given a role that allows him to show some of the sexual heat he had in �Valmont.� Oh, Valmont...just watched that two days ago, have P&P on in the background, now. Just finished with Mr. Darcy leaving the bath, and thinking about the sexual heat of Vermeer. Whew, time for a break and I only just got here;-)

(Meg) Am I missing something? Is he in fact still supposed to be on on the 7th? Last month I got an email, after an inquiry ,saying he would be on 11/23. We'll get emails tomorrow or Fri on the program guests . Watch this space;-)

(Karen) At least no one yelled, "hey, lady, you make a better wall than a window." ;-) *blushes* I didn't realize I was yelling... I thought I was just muttering out loud. ;-)))

Though Karen said it above . .I liked the conparisons to other previous openings in this as well . . Daily Variety - 11/17/03 "Love Actually" wooed $2.3 million from 332 playdates in Italy, which would be No. 1, unseating "(Matrix)Revolutions," if Universal/UIP's estimate pans out; the opening was 11% bigger than "Bridget Jones' Diary" and 4% up on "Meet the Parents." In Portugal, the romantic comedy penned and written by Richard Curtis fetched $330,000, 43% better than "Notting Hill" and 4% ahead of "Bridget Jones." Pic opens next weekend in 15 countries including Germany, Spain and the UK.

Sorry, I've been offline for awhile (@#$% SBCYahoo DSL)... A couple of things... Admin message For the the sake of some people's sanity (and that includes mine, especially today - insert winkie-), please read the boards before you post a question. If you are using some convoluted, inefficient method of reading Drool (i.e., you're in public mode, not logged in, not letting the software do its thing), contact me at my office and I'll give you some pointers for the best way of reading and navigating here. One of the great things about Drool is that you can always go back and read previous messages too. However, unlike chatrooms, each of our topics has a finite number of messages, which is why private conversations, personal OT questions, etc., are frowned upon. Okay, putting away my virtual wet blanket now. As to BWTA, I received an email on Nov 3, telling me that the interview had been changed to 12/7/03 and I updated my "TV_promos" page around that time. The email included the attached correspondence from A&E.

FYI, I got contacted by the woman who held up a Colin Firth sign in The View's audience. She might come over here; otherwise, I'll post her comments about what went on.

It seems I am ill equipped for having a job that actually requires me to work ALL the dang hours of the work day (plus plus lately!) with no time for my true vocation as "Googlier" (pronounced like Sommelier, my DH's vocation and thanks to Dorine for granting me that title in NY!! :-))and as Droolier too I suppose.. Of course I am also ill equipped to live in this climate and yet every morning despite donning my red sneakers of happiness and clicking them 3 times and doing the chant "There is no place like home" I open my eyes and still find myself here in insupportable 80 degree weather in November...But enough kvetching and back to ODB!!! I just popped into Google and this popped out and I hadn't seen this pic or bio, and the pic truly should appeal to those that love the bedhead or JFL (you know who you are! ;-)) http://www.tiscali.co.uk/entertainment/film/biographies/colin_firth_biog/page1

OMG...this bio is 10 pages long (and every page has that wonderful JFL pic)!! AND....there is a conveniant button on the bottom that says "BUY NOW"!! Wait! Will he come before Christmas? Can I have him gift wrapped?? Can I give him to myself?? ;-D Try it as an experiment; walk into any pub or restaurant and shout out "Cab for Mr D'Arcy!" The result will always be the same. No man will express the slightest interest, but every woman's eyes will brighten, a coy smile of delight will appear on her lips and her head will revolve as close to 360 degrees as is possible. Just in case it's him - THE Mr D'Arcy. LOL...my heard revolved 360 degress just reading that! Thank you Googlier! ;-)

More silliness... MARTINE McCUTCHEON'S MEN Actress MARTINE McCUTCHEON cherished her time on the LOVE ACTUALLY set, because she and the rest of the female crew adored her co-stars HUGH GRANT, COLIN FIRTH and LIAM NEESON. The former soap star found herself acting opposite some of Britain's hunkiest actors when she filmed the romantic comedy, and she was surprised by how lovely they were. Martine says, "Hugh Grant is really serious. He's much more serious than I thought he would be. He is clever, very shrewd, and a good businessman. There was no sexual chemistry off-screen. In real life we were just mates, cracking up and telling jokes all the time. "Everyone loves Colin Firth and Liam Neeson. I can honestly say that everybody on the set just loved Colin Firth. He is gorgeous - everybody in make-up just loved him. "It was the same with Liam Neeson - all the women were going, 'Look at his hands - you know what they say about men with big hands!' Liam's such a soft, lovely man." Mental note - Give makeup artists more credit...And ODB's hands aren't chopped liver either!! ;-))