Released in the United States one week after Elf, a film I think should become a
holiday classic, Love Actually warmed
audiences' hearts and for many has become perennial viewing at this time of
year. It’s easy to see why as I found it thoroughly enjoyable in the cinema in
November, 2003, and still find it emotionally fulfilling eight years later. At
the time I might have written it off as high-end fluff that I fell for at a
time when I was returning from the emotional high of three months backpacking
Europe, a trip during which I saw London for the first time. So watching the
movie, I experienced nostalgic excitement over seeing that skyline again, for
recognizing Heathrow airport, for hearing those London accents. It turns out,
however, that the film has a lot more to offer. It has staying power built on a
witty script by Richard Curtis, who also directs with a light touch, keeping
more than a dozen major characters suspended over two hours bringing everyone’s
story into resolve in the final scenes and brief coda.
