Retro Review: Love, Actually

Everything old is new again, or so it seems. In Retro Review, our resident film buffs take a dive into a movie classic -- and tell us why it worked then, and whether it still works now. This week, Sarah Rose looks back at Richard Curtis' 2003 romcom extravaganza Love, Actually

THE MOVIE: 

Hailed as the “Ultimate Romantic Comedy”, Love, Actually by renowned romcom director Richard Curtis follows several couples from across the spectrum of love during the December holiday period…

so, it’s also ostensibly a Christmas movie. As it hurtles towards its 21st birthday, what better time to review what makes this Noughties Lovefest a cult classic? 

WHO’S IN IT? 

Or rather, who isn’t in it?  

DO I KNOW THEM? 

Of course you do. It’s a real who’s who of Britain’s biggest stars. 

Dame Emma Thompson you’ll recognise as the childhood classic Nanny McPhee (2005), or from her more recent hits Saving Mr Banks (2013) and Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022).  

Colin Firth has an impressive body of work that spans from biopics (The Kings Speech, 2010) to musicals (Mamma Mia 2008), period dramas (Pride and Prejudice 1995) to queer romances (Supernova 2020).  

Though Hugh Grant has a well and truly established a career as a romantic leading man, he’s presently engaged in more comedic roles like the ostentatious villain, Phoenix Buchanan, in Paddington 2 (2017) … or an Oompa Loompa in Wonka (2023).  

The late Alan Rickman, most well-known for playing Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films with his distinctive and languid deep voice. 

Liam Neeson, a renowned Irish actor, has appeared in a wide range of films from a swathe of gritty action titles to Schindler’s List (1993) and The Lego Movie (2014).  

An 18-year-old Kiera Knightly comes fresh off Bend It Like Beckham (2002) glory.

Bill Nighy, who was largely unknown before Love, Actually, but went on to star in movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) and About Time (2013). 

Laura Linney, from The Truman Show (1998) and more recently Ozark (2017-2022).

The late 90s and early 2000s saw Martine McCutcheon achieve stardom as Tiffany in iconic BBC soap opera East Enders (1985 -present).

Google ‘love actually kid’ and you’ll find Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who plays the endearingly charming and articulate 10-year-old, Sam. Following  his cinematic debut he’s starred in a variety of films and TV shows including the movie adaptation for YA dystopian series Maze Runner (2014-2018) and The Queen’s Gambit (2020). 

Andrew Lincoln went on to find success as Rick Grimes in hit zombie-apocalypse drama The Walking Dead (2010-2022). 

An accomplished actor, writer, and director, Chiwetel Ejiofor is renowned for his leading performance in 12 Years a Slave (2013). 

Martin Freeman you’ll know as Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014) and Dr John Watson from the BBC’s Sherlock (2010-2017). 

And despite appearing on screen for less than 5 minutes, Rowan Atkinson lands a spot on the poster for the film (because sex doesn’t sell, Mr Bean does). 

WHAT’S IT ABOUT, AND WHY DID IT WORK THEN? 

There’s no easy or efficient way to explain the web of intersected stories that is Love, Actually - everyone is someone’s sister or friend or neighbour or boss and will appear at moments you least expect them. London isn’t exactly a ‘small town’, though you would be forgiven for thinking that considering how often the cast run into each other. A mind-map may or may not make things less confusing. 

In a nutshell, the film explores the massive and eternal concept of love and the various forms in which it appears throughout life: Newlyweds, affairs, slow burn romances, crushes, death and loss - And all the while there’s a subtle rush to it all because the movie takes place weeks before Christmas. Why not! 

There’s the story of newlyweds Peter (Ejiofor) and Juliet (Knightly), which juxtaposes that of Harry (Rickman) and Karen (Thompson), a middle-aged couple with two kids whose marriage is becoming stagnant to the point that Harry begins to entertain the advances of his secretary. John (Freeman) and Judy (Page) strike up a connection at work too… on a porn set. There’s blossoming romance at Downing Street between the new PM (Grant) and a member of staff (McCutcheon); and Daniel (Neeson), although struggling with the grief of losing his wife, bonds with 11-year-old stepson Sam (Brodie-Sangster) who professes his love for a classmate. 

Consideration of when the film was released is crucial in understanding its success. As the world continued to reel from the horrific events of 9/11 and adapted to life post-tragedy, Love, Actually presented a glimpse of hope in dark times, as punctuated by the opening narration: 

It’s also worth noting the film comes from Richard Curtis, the screenwriter of a handful of wildly successful British rom coms from the 90s and early 2000s: Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Notting Hill (1999) and Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001) … all of which star Hugh Grant… So, its following in the footsteps of titles eponymous with the romantic comedy genre almost guaranteed it a smash hit - and a lasting one, too. 

DOES IT WORK NOW? 

Well… maybe it’s not exactly how we remember it, buried beneath fuzzy layers of nostalgia. 

Several plot points, characters, and lines of dialogue have not aged the best: most egregiously the fatphobia directed almost entirely at Natalie (McCutcheon). The blatant ridicule of her figure is jarring for a contemporary viewer, but the film as a whole is rife with derogatory language and objectification of women, interspersed with moments of politically incorrect and offensive language. The main cast is exclusively heterosexual (though Daniel does let Sam know it's OK if he’s “in love” with a boy) and overwhelmingly white, with the few instances of Black representation relegated to background or comparatively insignificant characters.  

Believe it or not, the film originally included a sapphic romance between a school headmistress and her lover suffering from cancer. The lesbian love story was even filmed but was such a minor subplot that it was cut.

Because Love, Actually rears its misbegotten head every holiday season, contemporary analysis isn’t hard to find. Most notable of these criticisms of the film's un-pc narrative is the treatment of Karen post-affair, as well as an 18-year-old Knightley being the love interest for two characters, both a decade older than her.

Like many rom-coms of the ‘80s, '90s, and early 2000s, Love, Actually is a fairly simplistic and idealised rendition of romantic love. An anthology with a 2-hour runtime, it lacks the depth you might be looking for in a cosy rom-com, and its lack of a diverse cast certainly leaves it as a relic of rom-com history - However, its vast range of creative and weird romances still scratches that itch for unexpected and fuzzy love stories. 

DO I NEED TO SEE IT? 

Probably. If you haven’t seen it already, it will sit comfortably in the list of films to watch before you die. Love, Actually has permeated pop culture so thoroughly that its presence is inescapable, so you may as well succumb to the lure. 

I recommend watching it with a loved one; a partner, a parent or sibling, your grandparents if they’re cool; friends old or new. I’d attempted a solo watch of the film and not even 30 minutes in found myself unable to continue - oh the cringe and discomfort! But when I watched it with my mum, I found it much more enjoyable. Singing along to All I Want For Christmas Is You, lamenting over the treatment of Karen, cringing together over the crassness of Colin (Marshall), and continuing to be puzzled by the fact this is -allegedly- one of my grandfather’s favourite movies. 

RATING 

5/10