Love Actually
★★★★
If you have seen Love Actually before, it's hard to watch it with fresh eyes. It has been parodied to death (hello, cue cards!) and has become easy fodder for cynicism. Yes, I admit, there are some high highs and some low lows, but I can't help but get wrapped up into Richard Curtis's world every time.
It's easy to forget how revolutionary this film was when it came out. The way Love Actually brought in multiple storylines to the genre is pretty ingenious. It had never been done before and unfortunately spawned a lot of bad copycats. There are definitely storylines that are better than others, but each character and plot is unique in its own way and despite so much going on, the audience is never lost. For every eye-rolling moment, there are both extremely touching and hilarious scenes. And even if a storyline doesn't work for you, you don't blame the actors because this movie has a tremendous cast with some stellar performances from Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson and most importantly, the always impressive Emma Thompson.
What endures most about this film is its spirit. Every moment, song, tear or laugh feels inspired. It's easy to poke holes in Love Actually's concept, but sometimes we pick on the things that we love as a sign of endearment.
