Love Actually (2003) — Riley Cross Reviews

The Blockbuster Classic Perfect for a Cozy Night In

Look, I worked the Blockbuster counter for six years. Back in 2003, this was the movie you rented on a Tuesday just to show you had taste on paper, but really, you just wanted to hear "Love Is All Around" on repeat until you hated it. Now, you’re stuck at home. You don't want tension. You don't want a film that’s going to keep you up at 3 AM because of PTSD or because the writing just fell off a cliff. You just want to be safe and warm, and honestly, who can blame you?

Richard Curtis throws basically every famous person who is currently working in Britain—no, make that England—at the screen and says, "Okay, love works in mysterious ways." It’s an ensemble piece, so you'll see the PM hooking up with his staffer, the writer falling for the girl in the record shop, and the guy realizing his best friend is in love with the same woman. It’s messy, but because everyone is so earnest the whole time, it works. There’s a specific scene—right before the big Christmas party—where the Prime Minister stands at a lectern in his boxers listening to a choir sing just to prove he's not boring. It’s hilarious and somehow incredibly wholesome against the odds.

This is the movie for a night when you have wine and maybe some cheese that’s been in the fridge since last week. It’s for those nights where the weather outside is falling apart, so you need the weather inside the flat to be picturesque London pubs and mistletoe. Grab your popcorn or a blanket, kick your feet up, and let the celebrities fight for your heart.

Bottom line: Grab a glass of wine, and let Hugh Grant distract you from all the bad things happening in the world for two hours.