“Love Actually” is a Christmas movie about love, and it knows exactly what it is doing. Richard Curtis wrote and directed the film, and he packed it full of stories, some of them small, some of them big, all of them built around the idea that love can show up anywhere and in almost any form. The result is a film that critics tend to divide over, but one that holds up as a warm, chaotic mess of a holiday tradition.
Trailer, via Universal Pictures At Home.
The Speech That Opens It
The film opens with a speech by British Prime Minister David Beckham, played by Hugh Grant. He tells his countrymen that love is everywhere, and then the movie cuts away to follow a dozen different characters through December. There is a man who wants to propose to his girlfriend, a woman who is trying to save her marriage, a boy who is obsessed with his father, a soldier far from home, a writer who is falling for a stranger, and a family dealing with loss. The stories cross paths in small ways, and the film asks you to believe that the world is full of love even when things look bleak.
Grant’s Prime Minister
Grant plays the prime minister with a nervous energy that suits the role. He delivers his speeches with a stuttering charm, and he reads lines like “love actually” as though they were the most important words he has ever spoken. His scenes are the emotional center of the film, and he carries them with a sincerity that makes the whole thing feel less like a joke and more like a confession.
Billy’s Grief
One thread follows Billy, played by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, a young boy whose father has left him for a younger woman. Billy is heartbroken, and the film handles his grief with a gentle hand. Another follows Mark, played by Andrew Lincoln, a man who falls in love with his best friend’s sister, played by Martine McCutcheon. Their story is awkward and funny, but it also carries a genuine sadness about the nature of desire and loyalty.
Then there is the subplot involving Sarah, played by Laura Linney, who is married to a man who is having an affair. Her story is quieter, but it is also the most mature thread in the film. She learns to find happiness again after betrayal, and the film treats her journey with a respect that many Christmas movies would not bother with.
The Music That Runs Through It
The music is a large part of what makes “Love Actually” work. The film uses songs by artists like Elvis Costello, Michael Bublé, and John Lennon, and each one is placed at the right moment to give a scene weight. The song “Love Actually” itself, performed by James Newton Howard and performed by the cast, is played several times and becomes a kind of anthem for the whole thing.
“Love Actually”
The film also includes a dance sequence set to Bublé’s version of “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” and it is a moment of pure joy. Everyone on screen is smiling, and the audience is meant to smile along with them. It is a silly, joyful thing, and it works.
Where It Falls Short
Not every story lands the way Grant’s does. Some of the subplots feel rushed, and a few of the characters exist only to fill out a quota of love stories. The film moves fast, and it sometimes loses its footing in the rush.
There is also a strain of sentimentality that can wear thin. The film wants you to feel moved by the beauty of love, and it often reaches for emotion that feels earned. But when it works, it really works. The final scene, which brings all the threads together, is a moment of genuine warmth.
The Final Word
“Love Actually” is a flawed but generous film. It tries to say something about love, and it mostly succeeds. The performances are strong across the board, the music is used well, and the spirit of the thing is honest.
It is not a great film, and it is not trying to be. It is a Christmas film, and it does what Christmas films are supposed to do: it makes you feel good, it reminds you of people you care about, and it ends with a note of hope.
7.1 of 10.
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