The Film
Not all holiday movies need to supply visions of sugar-plums. While the kids are nestled all snug in their beds, you can celebrate with the Christmas-themed rom-com Love Actually. After all, nothing says Christmas like Billy Bob Thornton as our jerk-faced president!
So, his appearance is fleeting, but there are plenty of other characters to keep you busy in this British import. That lengthy roster includes an aging rock star (a hilarious Bill Nighy), a cheesy writer (Colin Firth), a widower (Liam Neeson) and his stepson (Thomas Sangster), and a designer (Laura Linney) with an office crush. Then, there is a bride (Keira Knightley) and her new husband's best friend (Andrew Lincoln), two adult film stand-ins (Joanna Page and Martin Freeman), an uncomfortably married couple (Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman), and of course, the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) and his young staffer (Martine McCutheon).
Confused? Well, that's not even the tip of this iceberg of characters. It sounds like you might need a scorecard to keep up. However, once it gets into a groove, Love Actually is actually an entertaining movie. Richard Curtis, the man behind Four Weddings and a Funeral and both Bridget Jones flicks, wrote the script. It's also his first shot at directing, so he pulled out the stops and the Rolodex, calling in every top British actor, as well as a few American ones (Linney, January Jones, Elisha Cuthbert, Shannon Elizabeth and Denise Richards).
Christmas may create a nice backdrop for love, but it also makes for a nice image. There's nothing especially eye-popping in this 2.35:1 transfer, but it does have a nice, warm color palette, with good fleshtones -- even for some of the pasty ones. The detail is also great, from the opening wedding scene, to the American bar, to the snowfall, to the school play. It's not going to be something to show off for the holidays, but the image does add to that warm, fuzzy feeling that runs rampant through the movie.
The Sound
Overall, Love Actually sticks close to the front speakers, as most romantic comedies do. However, it does rely heavily on its soundtrack (and has the featurette to prove it). The DTS-HD Master Audio track projects dialogue and music very well. Opening scenes, which include Bill Nighy's interesting recording session, the church choir, and the Bay City Rollers, all sound great. However, once the movie gets going, some of that music gets a bit overwhelming. By the time the film belts out The Pointer Sisters, you may find yourself scrambling for the remote to knock things down a notch.
The Extras
There are a lot of characters in Love Actually. In case you get a bit lost, you might want to take a peek at "The Storytellers," a quick recap of the characters and storylines in the movie. Other than that, there's a commentary with Curtis, Grant, Nighy and Sangster, but not much else. Two music videos and 37 minutes of deleted scenes round out the release.
Final Thoughts
Don't let the tagline, "the ultimate romantic comedy," scare you. This one doesn't rely on stereotypes. It does, however, rely heavily on a who's who of British talent. Still, the film works for the holidays, as well as any other time of year, making it worth the purchase.
Product Details
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