Love Actually
2003 · Directed by Richard Curtis
Original language: English
- comedy
- romance
- drama
The story
Eight very different couples deal with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London.
What it’s like
Bright, bustling Christmas-season London rendered in warm interiors and glossy, saturated daylight: fairy lights strung over rain-slick streets, cosy kitchens, red-and-gold office parties, a snowy airport arrival, and sunny Marseille and Wisconsin-style sea-and-snow contrasts. The camera moves briskly and cheerfully, cutting between many small stories with a steady, romantic-comedy pulse and a soundtrack of upbeat pop and wistful standards that swells into sentiment at each reunion. The vibe is warm, cheeky and sentimental, a festive ensemble comfort watch for a cold December evening, a group dinner, or a lazy holiday afternoon with a glass of mulled wine. Its arcs follow lonely and hopeful people (a newly widowed stepfather, a bashful office worker, a prime minister's awkward crush, a best friend quietly in love) gradually finding connection, with many tender, funny and bittersweet beats. Intensity is mild: some crude jokes and innuendo, brief sexual nudity and strong language, and a few sombre moments of grief and heartbreak, but no real violence beyond a brief war-related scene. It suits people who want a gentle, feel-good holiday romance with plenty of heart and a light, knowing humour.
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