Love Actually Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Love Actually Blu-ray Movie Review

Now with a new digital restoration! Wait... a new digital restoration?

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown October 7, 2013

Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge. They were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around.

Cynics may scoff, cinephiles may brace for sappy impact, but Love Actually -- Oscar nominated screenwriter Richard Curtis' directorial debut -- is actually a charming, unexpectedly irresistible romantic comedy that represents a rarity in the genre. Its script is both breezy and weighty, its performances hilarious and heartwrenching, its actors witty and honest. In spite of an arguably indulgent deluge of characters and plotlines, Curtis manages to tell a refreshingly simple tale; one filled with passion and whimsy, humor and heartache. It's a bit bloated and, like most ensemble comedies, falls flat on occasion, but is nevertheless an endearing odyssey into the most essential human emotion.

Recounting Love Actually's cast of lovable losers and lovelorn romantics is a daunting chore sure to leave some readers overwhelmed before they even sample the film. Rest assured though, Curtis' steady hand keeps everything in check, making his rather sprawling romcom a seemingly effortless endeavor. It all begins with Billy Mack (Bill Nighy), an aging rock star struggling to insert the words "Chirstmas" and "snow" into a classic Troggs song and, to the dismay of his longtime manager (Gregor Fisher), being transparent with every radio host and television personality he encounters. From there we meet Jamie (Colin Firth), a dimestore novelist who discovers his girlfriend is sleeping with his brother. Heartbroken, he retreats to the countryside where he meets Aurelia (Lúcia Moniz), a softspoken maid who doesn't understand English. Liam Neeson plays Daniel, a recent widower tasked with burying his wife and raising his young, reclusive stepson, Sam (Thomas Sangster). However, he soon learns Sam isn't depressed because of his mother's death (which had been expected for some time), but because he's in love with a girl (Olivia Olson) that doesn't know his name. Daniel's sister Karen (Emma Thompson) is facing a personal crisis as well. As Christmas quickly approaches, she begins to suspect her husband (Alan Rickman) is falling for the wiles of his secretary (Heike Makatsch), a suspicion that proves to be all too true.

Meanwhile, we learn Karen's brother David (Hugh Grant) has recently been elected Prime Minister. He's not only been tasked with cleaning up after a timid administration, he begins to grow fond of one of his staff members (Martine McCutcheon), has to contend with a stubborn American President (Billy Bob Thornton), and navigate the tricky political waters of a country desperate to embrace new policies. Along the way, we meet a variety of other anxious lovers. Newlyweds Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Juliet (Kiera Knightley) are forging a happy marriage, but Peter's best friend Mark (Andrew Lincoln) isn't as enthused about their pairing as he lets on. A meek graphic designer (Laura Linney) is forced to choose between love and family; a choice she dreads but knows she'll have to make. Bumbling waiter Colin Frissell (Kris Marshall) becomes convinced that a trip to the US will give him opportunities he doesn't have in the UK. And unassuming sex-scene stand-ins John (Martin Freeman) and Judy (Joanna Page), two of the most disarmingly sweet characters in the film, fall in love in the strangest of circumstances (or positions, as it were). Everyone is connected in some way or another, and everyone is poised to finally find love. After all, it's Christmas.

For all intents and purposes, Love Actually shouldn't work. It has too many characters, too many storylines, too much of everything. Yet it does. It not only works, it works smashingly, dissecting love, lust, and loss with startling precision and scoring a healthy mix of tears and laughs at every turn. While barbed gags dot each affair, truth dominates the storylines, granting the film a relevance most romantic comedies forgo in favor of easy one-liners and contrived couplings. Nothing is as it seems in Love Actually. Cliches are present, but are ultimately skewed; convenience is an operating force, but each connection develops quite naturally; and romantic love, while a primary element, isn't the focus of each relationship. Counsel and friendship are just as important to Curtis, as are restraint and loyalty. Whereas most writers and directors would concentrate on the expression of love, he pulls back the curtain to reveal the innerworkings of the emotion itself. He never settles for the obvious (other than the obvious pairings), and he rarely gets sidetracked by lesser subplots.

Unfortunately, Curtis should have trimmed a few more scenes from the film. I'm sure hacking apart his initial three hour cut was a painful process, but further editing would have made Love Actually a near-perfect genre classic. Frissell's Wisconsin adventures are aimless, silly distractions; Grant's downtime is amusing, sure, but otherwise a complete waste of time; Rickman's brushes with his character's secretary grow repetitive long after having made their point; and some of the musical interludes could have been chopped in half. That being said, other storylines could have used more screentime. I love the Peter/Mark/Juliet subplot, but it feels like it's missing two or three additional scenes. Likewise, Mia is a total conundrum. Is she a villain? A vixen? A woman who gets her kicks pursuing married men? I have no idea, nor does Curtis. While other characters are given backstories, conflict, and motivation, she's little more than a forbidden fruit. Still, Neeson and Sangstar are magnificent, Grant and McCutcheon are perfect together, Thompson and Linney provide emotional gravitas, and Nighy and Fisher reignite the film's fuse every time they appear.

Is love actually all around us? Love Actually pleads a convincing case, shaking its characters' foundations, finding humor in everyday encounters, and unearthing romance in the unlikeliest of places. Curtis doesn't pander to his audience (well, too much); he simply invites them into a cozy little world where paths cross, stars align, and all a man or woman needs is love. I for one am fairly smitten with the results.

Love Actually Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 2013 release of Love Actually includes the US version of the film, while the 2009 release features the UK version. The differences are primarily limited to song choices as far as I can tell (Kelly Clarkson's "The Trouble With Love Is" replaces the Sugarbabes' "Too Lost in You" and "Jump (For My Love)" by Girls Aloud), but the variation is worth noting.

Of all the Universal catalog releases available on Blu-ray, Love Actually wasn't one that called for a new transfer. And yet here it is: a new 1080p video presentation, minted from a new 10th Anniversary digital restoration. What's even stranger, though, is that, at first glance -- and second, third and fourth glances -- the 2013 transfer bears such a striking resemblance to its 2009 predecessor that I had a hard time accepting the claim that the two weren't the same. Only upon closer examination, with near-frame by frame scrutiny, did its slight improvements become remotely visible. In fact, without a side by side comparison, the two could easily be labeled identical twins, which is exactly what I suspect many will deem the two. So what's changed? Fine detail is the tiniest bit more refined. (Best way to spot the difference? Keep your eyes locked on the grain field, the hair on faces and arms, and the fabric on sweaters for a handful of instances where the new presentation nudges past the old.) Edge definition is a touch more natural (albeit, again, only in a scant few shots). And, in hindsight, a few instances of negligible artifacting that snuck into the 2009 image are MIA.

Is it enough to call for an increase in video score? Technically. While the 2009 transfer earned a 4.0, I'm awarding give this one a 4.25, which in our system rounds up to a 4.5. Does the new presentation warrant a full half-point boost? Honestly no, the two are so similar it's a mystery why any time and effort was invested in restoring the film. Is it perfect? Not quite. There are still a few issues, although most of the things videophiles will criticize -- e.g. the brightness of the image, the uptick in noise that haunts darker scenes -- trace back to the source and original photography. As for the restoration and encode, exceedingly minor red and black crush is still at play (take a split-second look at Natalie's cherry red coat in the closing airport scene), skintones are occasionally a wee bit too warm (during Jamie's restaurant proposal for one), and a few white specks still pepper select scenes (watch Mark and Juliet's closeups when he arrives at her doorstep with a special Christmas message). But let me be very clear: each instance amounts to the briefest of moments, so much so that they're hardly worth mentioning.

So, all that being said, does the 10th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release justify its existence? Not as far as I'm concerned. If you already own the 2009 version, there's very, very little reason to double dip. But am I about to complain? Nope. I'd rather Universal had addressed issues with numerous catalog classics that suffer with more problematic transfers, sure. I could name a dozen off the top of my head that desperately need a new digital restoration. But those who don't already own Love Actually now have their chance.

Love Actually Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Can a chatty romantic comedy and its faithful but front-heavy DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track surpass expectation and woo audiophiles? When Love Actually's music kicks in, absolutely. Both the film's orchestral score and pop-infused soundtrack sound wonderful, filling every speaker with rewarding tones and satisfying swells. However, when the music subsides, all that remains are conversations, whispers, laughs, and pithy banter, hardly the makings of a sonic powerhouse. Beyond bass beats, LFE output is subtle and subdued; beyond strings, rear speaker activity is limited to light ambience; beyond horn runs, the soundscape is only punctuated by dialogue. Of course, anything more would undermine the integrity of the original mix, rendering Universal's lossless track a somewhat underwhelming but thoroughly respectful offering. There are moments of note -- Rickman and Thompson's shopping trip drops the listener in the middle of a bustling mall, a children's holiday play features convincing auditorium acoustics, and Neeson and Sangstar airport run is suitably involving -- but prepare yourself for an inherently limited, oft-times two-dimensional experience.

Love Actually Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 10th Anniversary Edition includes all of the special features that appeared on the 2009 Blu-ray release, among them several overseas extras that weren't available on Universal's 2004 DVD. It would have been nice to see some of the film's supplemental content upgraded with high definition video, or better yet, a new retrospective or commentary. Still, the content here is candid, thoughtful, and worth the time.

• 10th Anniversary Christmas Ornament: The 10th Anniversary release is packaged in a thin cardboard slip-box that contains a standard-size Blu-ray case and a small holiday ornament. However, the ornament is a cheaply made metal plate stamped with a Love Actually blurb; think miniature Dollar Store pizza tin, and you'll have an idea of what to expect.
• Audio Commentary: Director Richard Curtis and actors Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, and Thomas Sangster deliver a spotty but engaging commentary that touches on the film's development and production, but tends to get muddled in tangential banter and admittedly amusing anecdotes. Even so, laughs abound and the group's chemistry is undeniable, making this an amiable, albeit occasionally aimless treat Love Actually fans will enjoy listening to.
• Deleted Scenes (SD, 37 minutes): A lengthy collection of hit-or-miss deletions and extensions (with introductions by Curtis) that reveal entire exorcised subplots, comedic and dramatic gems, and a few oddball scenes that were wisely trimmed from the final cut. In all, it's a generous addition to the package sure to entertain anyone who's already fallen for the film.
• The Music of Love Actually (SD/HD, 21 minutes): Curtis provides introductions to a selection of scenes from the film, explaining his music choices, tonal intentions, and creative inspiration for using each song. While the scenes themselves are presented in high definition, Curtis' video commentaries are not.
• The Storytellers (SD, 10 minutes): This low-key featurette briefly looks at each of the film's major storylines, includes interviews with the actors about their characters, and digs into the themes Curtis explores with each on-screen relationship. The only downside is that it's far, far too short.
• Music Videos (SD, 8 minutes): Skip past Kelly Clarkson's predictable "The Trouble with Love Is" music video and soak up the smarmy brilliance of Bill Nighy's in-character vid for "Christmas is All Around." Clips of the video appear in the film, but this is the only way to see the full cut of his hilarious performance.

Blu-ray/DVD/UltraViolet Combo Pack Contents (Subject to Change): The initial 10th Anniversary combo pack release of Love Actually features a BD-50 disc, a standard DVD copy of the film, and an UltraViolet digital copy that works with iTunes.

Love Actually Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Love Actually is smart, funny, and surprisingly moving, sidestepping the usual genre pitfalls in its exploration of the human heart. Yes, Curtis makes a few missteps along the way, but his ensemble classic is a hilarious, deviously heartwarming holiday treat worthy of its place in any rom-com addict's collection. The 10th Anniversary Edition is a great release mired in mystery. Love Actually was already released on Blu-ray in 2009, and while the 2013 edition features the negligibly different US version of the film (the 2009 release features the UK version) and a new digital restoration, the two of which are so maddeningly similar that I'm still having a hard time believing we're even talking about a new transfer. Even so, the 10th Anniversary edition's video presentation is terrific, its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is a solid one, the disc's extras are as entertaining and revealing as ever, and it includes a DVD copy of the film, an UltraViolet digital copy, and a 10th Anniversary Christmas ornament. It's just a shame there aren't any exclusive extras or retrospectives to speak of. Ultimately, if you already own the 2009 Blu-ray release, there isn't much to get excited about here. If not, make this the holiday season you add Love Actually to your collection.