After last week’s action-packed Christmas review of Die Hard, I think it is time to reset our bearings and capture a more Christmas-y feel. The 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually, written and directed by Richard Curtis (Mr. Bean, Bridget Jones’s Diary), fits the bill.
Featuring an all-star cast of mostly British actors, the movie follows many different stories that intertwine together, sometimes loosely, over a five week period before Christmas.
Bill Nighy plays Billy Mack, an aging rock star who, along with his long-suffering and long-time manager Joe (Gregor Fisher), is re-working his big hit into a gimmicky Christmas song. Nighy is an absolute scene-stealer. He encapsulates the slithery persona of the once hip rock-star who has become jaded after many long years in the business.
We also follow Jamie (Colin Firth), who discovers that his wife is cheating on him with his brother. He takes a respite in France to write a book and begins to fall for his non-English speaking Portugese maid Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz).
Another story features Juliet (Keira Knightley) and Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor – who is receiving Oscar buzz for this year’s 12 Years a Slave) who have just gotten married. Peter’s best friend is Mark (Andrew Lincoln – The Walking Dead), who seems to dislike Juliet, yet he harbours a secret regarding her.
Alan Rickman stars as Harry, a managing director of a design agency, who is being seduced by his secretary Mia (Heike Makatsch), while his wife Karen (Emma Thompson) takes care of the kids at home.
Newly elected British Prime Minister David (Hugh Grant) has been criticized for being a bachelor, yet manages to find love in his office with a common household staffer named Natalie (Martine McCutcheon).
Other plot-lines follow Daniel (Liam Neeson), who struggles to aid his step-son find love at school after their wife/mother has passed away; Sarah (Laura Linney), an employee at Harry’s company, who has a major crush on a fellow employee, yet her brother’s mental-health issues keep getting in the way; unlucky-in-love Colin Frissell (Kris Marshall) who believes that he will find love in the United States as his accent will win over the women unlike stuffy British ladies; and John (Martin Freeman – The Hobbit) meets Judy (Joanna Page) – both are working as body doubles for sex scenes in a movie, and innocently fall for each other.
Love Actually is a beautifully written film that captures what is most important at this very special time of the year. Though this may seem like somewhat of a cookie-cutter premise, the movie brings forth a great mix of drama and humour that combine nicely with the romantic aspects of the storylines, giving it a more realistic and layered feel. Also, note the fluidity and seamlessness in which the director and editor piece the different threads of the tapestry that is the story together – pure cinematic magic.
The performances are also pristine. From Firth’s evolution of a man whose heart is broken by love, then spontaneously boards a plane to risk finding love once again; to Thompson’s realistic performance of a woman trying to hold Christmas and her family together after she discovers that her husband may be cheating on her; these are just two examples that show that every actor here is playing their ‘A’ game. Guests spots are equally memorable, with Billy Bob Thornton as the slimy and bullying American President, Rowan Atkinson portraying a particularly perfectionist jewelry salesman, as well as model Claudia Schiffer, actresses Denise Richards, Shannon Elizabeth, Elisha Cuthbert and January Jones all making interesting little guest cameos.
Some memorable scenes worth looking for include Atkinson’s gift-wrapping spot, Grant’s happy dance at 10 Downing Street, Firth’s proposal in sloppy Portugese, Lincoln’s silent and covert explanation through written messages and Nighy’s final visit to his manager’s flat. The first two moments mentioned above display the great physical humour found in the movie while the final three are excellent examples of truly poignant moments in the film. This is an excellent modern holiday film that will get you into the mood for the Christmas season. So, what is Christmas really all about? Love . . . actually!
I watch this one every Christmas because it makes me happy. Especially adore Bill Nighy as the cheeky has-been!