Love Actually Review: Why Yes, I’m Still Endlessly Charmed By This Controversial Richard Curtis Classic

The Christmas season might’ve just ended, but the arrival of a beloved holiday movie on Netflix means we have the chance to extend the joy. Released just over 21 years ago in 2003, Richard Curtis’ Love Actually has stood the test of time to become one of the go-to Christmas movies of today. This is an especially impressive feat when considering how controversial some elements have become, thus threatening to dim the glow of this heartwarming feature.

Every year, I feel more and more like I need to defend my affection for this movie. And yet, every year, I still turn to it as soon as Thanksgiving comes to a close. Love Actually is largely aided by its charming cast of A-list British stars and the storylines that are executed well, though the flaws are still glaringly present and definitely deserve to be examined closely. Overall, this means Curtis’ tale of multiple interconnected love stories set around Christmas is a fascinating rom-com to review.

Love Actually Has A Lot On Its Mind

And It’s Not All Successful

If I were to go through every storyline in Love Actually, I’d spend a significant amount of time evaluating this movie. The most popular arcs have become iconic, for better or worse: the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) falls for a sweetly earnest member of his household staff (Martine McCutcheon); a husband (Alan Rickman) strays towards infidelity and away from his devoted wife (Emma Thompson, giving one of the best performances in the movie); and a pre-Walking Dead Andrew Lincoln declares his love to a young Keira Knightley via cue cards outside her house.

Curtis penned the screenplay for Love Actually, and from the myriad characters and situations he’s devised, it’s clear he was bursting with inspiration. However, some stories are more successful than others, and the least effective ones perhaps should’ve been left on the drawing board. The two most glaring examples demonstrate one of the film’s weaknesses, which is an overall unevenness in tone. On one end of the spectrum, hapless courier/waiter Colin (Kris Marshall), tired of being rejected by British women, travels overseas and miraculously wins the, erm, affections of four American women right off the bat.

It’s meant to be silly and over-the-top, but when juxtaposed with Love Actually‘s more serious storylines, it falls flat, a plot point more sticky than sweet. Laura Linney’s arc, which sees her torn between finally connecting with her longtime work crush (Rodrigo Santoro) and caring for her ailing brother (Michael Fitzgerald), is almost upsetting to watch when compared to the film’s general cheer. It offers little resolution for Linney’s character — she’s the only one of the main cast to not appear at the end — and comes as a sobering smack in the face after something like Colin’s antics.

Love Actually is so packed with characters and conflicting emotions that the opening sequence introducing everyone has some continuity issues if you pay close enough attention. Then there are the plot points that have somehow become hot-button issues, such as Lincoln’s aforementioned confession and the various jokes made about people’s weight, particularly when it comes to McCutcheon’s Natalie. As with many movies from the early 2000s, Love Actually hasn’t aged entirely well, and one can see missed opportunities when it comes to certain romances and dynamics. However, this doesn’t change the fact that, when it works, it really works.

Through It All, Love Actually Still Tugs At The Heartstrings

It Helps That It Has A Perfect Cast

There’s little question that Curtis knows how to stage grand romantic gestures, best shown in the dual climaxes featuring a spur-of-the-moment marriage proposal and an airport dash. With Craig Armstrong’s sweeping score propelling Colin Firth’s and Thomas Brodie-Sangster’s characters forward at the same time, it’s nearly impossible not to get caught up in the magic. And that’s why Love Actually has remained such an enduring classic: it knows when to play to its strengths.

Said strengths include the shockingly stacked Love Actually cast, featuring established heavyweights like Grant, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson, and Rickman alongside then-newcomers such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Freeman, and Knightley. Not everyone gets the chance to push their talents to their fullest potential, but there are more than a few standouts. Thompson’s Joni Mitchell-scored breakdown upon learning of her husband’s infidelity is heart-wrenching and defines the sharper side of the holiday season. Firth and Lúcia Moniz, in a storyline about two lovers who speak different languages, sell their unconventional romance with charmingly awkward and genuine chemistry.

The strongest storyline, though, has always been that of Sam (Brodie-Sangster) and Daniel (Neeson), a son and his step-father navigating a devastating loss by confronting the thrills and challenges of young love. Daniel might be out of his depth in caring for Sam, but their bond is one of the movie’s sweetest dynamics, with Neeson nailing the role of an uncertain yet eager father trying to help his kid act on his feelings for his talented classmate.

Love Actually does, at times, take a misguided approach to its various romantic storylines, but it has a timeless charm that hasn’t yet dimmed. There’s something for everyone here; if the love stories are too much, there are friendships and family dynamics here to supply some extra warmth. The holiday season wouldn’t feel right without Nighy’s aging rockstar singing about Christmas being all around, so expect this movie to stick around for years to come.

Love Actually is now streaming on Netflix. It is 135 minutes long and rated R for sexuality, nudity, and language.

Love Actually

7/10

Pros

• Love Actually’s cast is packed with brilliant performers.
• The grand romantic gestures are executed really well.
• Still makes for a heartwarming watch 20+ years later.

Cons

• There are jarring tonal shifts between silly arcs and heartbreaking storylines.
• Not every storyline is well-thought-out or satisfying.
• Some jokes haven’t aged well.