22 Years Later and I Still Can't Wrap My Head Around Keira Knightley's Age Gap With This 'Love Actually' Co-Star

Though the variety of fashionable vacation movies which have reached traditional standing is comparatively slim, Love Truly turned a shocking hit that’s a part of many households’ seasonal viewing annually. The candy, barely satirical writing model of Richard Curtis has earned each criticism and reward over time, however Love Truly confirmed extra nuance than his different initiatives due to its ensemble forged. As with every movie that entails a number of intersecting storylines, there are sure to be some parts and characters that work higher than others. Love Truly doesn’t maintain its characters in equal regard, because the movie expects its feminine characters to be accountable and forgiving to their male counterparts, no matter how outdated they’re. And there isn’t any facet of the movie that higher illuminates this subject than the discrepancy between the storylines involving Keira Knightley and Thomas Brodie-Sangster who’re a lot nearer in age than the film would have you ever assume.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Keira Knightley Are Solely 4 Years Aside

Knightley and Brodie-Sangster are concerned in two of probably the most memorable storylines in Love Truly, one in every of which is way extra healthful and harmless than the opposite. Brodie-Sangster seems as Sam, who begins to attach together with his stepfather, Daniel (Liam Neeson), within the aftermath of his mom Joanna’s dying; Sam is inspired to start out pursuing his crush, additionally named Joanna (Olivia Olson), by performing in a faculty present. Knightley stars as Juliet, who has simply married Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Their storyline revolves principally round Peter’s greatest buddy Mark (Andrew Lincoln), as we be taught that his preliminary hostility in the direction of Juliet is definitely him hiding his deep love for her. Two very completely different tales that includes actors of not-so-different ages. Brodie-Sangster was 13 when the movie was shot, and Knightley was 17, however the characters are supposed to be at fully completely different levels of their lives. Whereas Sam is meant to be younger sufficient that he’s first discovering what love is, Juliet is a married girl with not one however two males head over heels in love along with her.

Phoenix Buchanan, played by actor Hugh Grant, wearing a dandy suit while standing in front of mannequins wearing similar outfits in Paddington 2.

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The discrepancy between the ages of the actors is extra obvious when contemplating their actions. The storyline involving Sam works very properly as a result of it’s fully honest, and Brodie-Sangster is ready to convey how a younger boy must take care of each loss and heartbreak, all whereas making an attempt to know his stepfather. Comparatively, the storyline involving Juliet is far more uncomfortable, because the movie appears to lionize the habits of Mark, who seemingly stalks a lady to who he has by no means confessed his emotions. Regardless that she is the thing of each Mark and Peters’ affections, Juliet doesn’t actually have any company within the movie and doesn’t get a second to showcase her character in the identical manner that Sam does. It’s a problematic message to ship, nevertheless it’s made much more uncommon given the truth that Knightley was performing reverse two co-stars who have been considerably older than her.

‘Love Truly’ Hasn’t Aged Effectively

Love Truly confirmed the variations in how women and men are handled in Hollywood, significantly when trying on the roles that Brodie-Sangster and Knightley took on over the next a long time of their respective careers. Brodie-Sangster was nonetheless capable of convincingly play youngster roles for practically ten extra years, as he scored a number one function within the household franchise Nanny McPhee, and performed a youngster within the younger grownup journey sequence The Maze Runner. Nonetheless, Knightley was virtually instantly anticipated to star in additional mature romantic roles through which she was as soon as once more forged reverse co-stars who have been far older than her; she quickly after starred within the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Satisfaction & Prejudice and was not given the possibility to seem as a youthful character in the identical manner that Brodie-Sangster was.

There’s a big high quality hole inside the assorted storylines in Love Truly. Basically, the storylines which might be extra broadly foolish, equivalent to Hugh Grant because the love-stricken Prime Minister and Invoice Nighy as a rock star, work properly as a result of they’re merely supposed to entertain; among the extra straight-up romantic parts, equivalent to Colin Firth’s affection for a girl he can’t converse to, are much less compelling as a result of there may be not the identical aspect of irony. Love Truly has each fantastic moments and scenes which might be fairly sickening, and the age distinction between Knightley and Brodie-Sangster is the proper distillation of how obvious that’s.