verdict
Summary
Love Actually is far from perfect with a couple of cringe inducing storylines, but there is still enough charm to make it a deserved holiday classic. The 4K looks and sounds perfect with several hours of special features making this well worth adding to the collection.
Plot: Funny, irresistible, and heartwarming, Love Actually is the ultimate romantic comedy that follows eight couples whose lives intersect shortly before Christmas. From the makers of Bridget Jones’s Diary and Notting Hill, this beloved film is headlined by an incredible roster of stars including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Rowan Atkinson and more. Take a breathtaking tour of love’s delightful twists and turns as you fall under the spell of Love Actually and share the laughs and charm again and again!
Review: Love Actually has become a bit of a holiday classic and is the perfect film to watch at this time of year even if some of it is almost unbearably cringe inducing. It’s still the ultimate feelgood film but some of the storylines are definitely better than others.
My personal favourite is Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson’s story who are both phenomenal giving the right amount of humour and sadness with Thompson giving a heartbreaking performance as a wife who discovers her husband has bought a necklace for someone who isn’t her. I also enjoyed Laura Linney’s tale as it proves there are different kinds of love and in her case it’s for her brother, so she has to sacrifice her own happiness to care for him which is the ultimate form of love.
As much as I am a huge fan of Liam Neeson his scenes with his step son are at times excruciating and I’ll sound like a prude here but he says some things you really shouldn’t be saying in front of a child.
Andrew Lincoln’s story is also a little creepy as he is in love with his best friend’s wife (Keira Knightly) and I think it’s meant to be cute but it’s really just a bit too stalker-ish. I also hate the porn star storyline with Martin Freeman as it just feels tacky.
Hugh Grant is at his Hugh Grant-ish best as the Prime Minister who falls for one of his staff which has a few laughs too. Bill Nighy of course practically steals the movie as a has-been singer who returns to the top by any means necessary.
I love how the Nativity towards the end has a kid wearing a crown but also with Spider-Man make-up as well as another kid dressed up as a whale; I had no idea Spidey and a whale were at the birth of Jesus…
There of course some classic tunes here including Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas and the score is nice and romantic too.
The 4K looks and sounds great and there are a plethora of special features to bury yourself in for several hours.
- Making LOVE ACTUALLY (NEW)
- Join Writer/Director Richard Curtis along the with cast and crew as they reflect on the making of the film and its legacy 20 years later.
- Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Richard Curtis
- The Music of LOVE ACTUALLY with Introductions by Richard Curtis
- The Storytellers
- A featurette exploring the film’s main storylines, featuring interviews with the cast discussing their characters and the major elements within each on-screen relationship.
- Kelly Clarkson “The Trouble with Love is” Music Video
- Billy Mack “Christmas is All Around” Music Video
- Feature Commentary with Director Richard Curtis and Actors Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy and Thomas Sangsters
Overall, the 20th Anniversary 4K Blu-ray of Love Actually looks and sounds faultless and with all the special features it will keep you entertained for the entire holiday season. The film itself has plenty of flaws, but still has enough charm and an amazing cast to be a Christmas classic.