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Director: Richard Curtis
Year: 2003
Rating: R
Running Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
A series of interconnected love stories centered around the weeks leading up to Christmas in Britain.
...you know, when it comes down to it, there's nothing less romantic than philandering husbands and girlfriends, fat jokes, funerals, and lobsters.
...and yet, I feel compelled, every single year, like clockwork, to watch this damn movie.
Why?
Because, that's why.
If you can get past the often arrogant and shallow characters and their equally ridiculous expectations for and about love, "Love Actually" is genuinely a decent rom-com. Sure, it is a sappy collection of interconnected romance stories, but it also shows the different sides and stages of love, too. Sometimes, the scenarios are not handled with the most grace by the characters themselves (a la cheating Alan Rickman, HE WOULD NEVER), but isn't that what love is all about? Love isn't always happy and sunshine and roses...sometimes love hurts, and this movie does a great job of showing the evolution of romance, from the pining stages to the more grim deadly ones. Christmas is a great reason to tell the people you love how you feel, and this movie captures that sentiment. Christmas often feels like it takes a back-seat to the romance aspect of the film, but it is definitely there the whole time.
Filmmakers don't have a whole lot of time for deep character development since there are so many different people involved here, so it all feels sort of crammed together at times. However, when you take a step back, this movie really does a spectacular job of intertwining the stories together, which a lot of films attempt but often fail at. Weaving it around Christmas also ensures that it will be enjoyed semi-regularly, if you're like us and watch your Christmas movies yearly.
And the cast, oh boy, the cast! Everyone is in this movie, from Emma Thompson to Martin Freeman, tons of the finest British actors and actresses give great performances, and that's another reason for this film's success. If it had been all Z-list actors, no one would give a damn, but with its huge star-power, "Love Actually" is able to excel. All-in-all, it's a feel-good Christmas-centred movie with a lot of laughs, some tears, and a whole love of love.
The only thing this movie needed more of was Mr. Bean!
My Rating: 9/10
BigJ's Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB's Rating: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 63%
Do we recommend this movie: Yes!
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