A Few Thoughts About....LOVE ACTUALLY in Blu-ray (A MUST BUY!) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

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[b]I am falling in love all over again![/b]

The first time I saw [i]Love Actually[/i] was on an airline flight to
Los Angeles. Normally I would skip the inflight entertainment and
certainly a movie called [i]Love Actually[/i] by title alone didn't
perk my interest, but without a portable DVD player on hand,
I decided to give this film a few minutes of my time. Well
a few minutes soon turned into total bliss as I sat spellbound
watching one the best "feel good" movies I had ever seen.
By the time we landed I was walking off the plane smiling
ear to ear.



I tried searching for my original review that I posted here
some six years ago where I was boasting that this was one
of the best films I had seen all year while admitting that
watching it a second time on DVD was a bit of a disappointment.
It was the first time that I had seen the film UNCUT which
introduced the storyline of the porn actors (which was totally
edited out of the airline version). I think this is the weakest
story in the film and I dare say that I much better prefer the
edited version.


So here we are 6 years later and I am finding myself
falling in love with this film all over again while watching
it on Blu-ray. The film has lost none of its charm nor
warmth. To this day [i]Love Actually[/i] remains one of the
most "sellable" romantic comedies to those that would
normally steer clear of such fare.



What works best for this film is its cast that includes
the likes of Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth,
Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and
Keira Knightley. And though what could have easily
been a "stuffy" sort of English comedy has instead
turned into a very modern, fresh take on the trials
and tribulations of falling in love.

Universal has done a knock-out job with the Blu-ray
transfer that not only looks clean and vivid but sports a
punchy soundtrack filled with pop music that will have
you tapping your feet and uplifting orchestration that
will manipulate your feelings. This is certainly a film
that benefits from being played LOUD!



Kudos to Universal for also picking the perfect
window of opportunity to release this film to Blu-ray.
It's the perfect Christmas film for adults -- one of
which I have a feeling may become a perennial
favorite. I'm going to watch it every year just to
lift my spirits.

This one belongs under the tree for that special someone
you really care about this holiday season!

 

[Neil Middlemiss]

Love, Actually is a slice of British joy - and a wonderfully charming film - glad this one looks good on Blu!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Wow. Okay, fellas. Maybe this is one I'll have to remember as I think about films to watch with my wife around the holidays this year.

The expression we have around the office is "taking one for the team" when we've got to sit through a rom-com with the wife. This sounds like it might actually be a good candidate for such duty. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Mike, I promise that this film will surprise you in a
remarkably good way.

Report back will you?

 

[Mike Frezon]

I most certainly will. My wife (who, for some reason, LIKES films with Hugh Grant) knew immediately he was in the cast.

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Agreed, this is the feel-good movie of just about any year. And last week's $13.99 price at Amazon made it a true bargain.

- Steve

 

[Mike Frezon]

Hmmm. It's only $15.99 at amazon right now...

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Last week, Amazon price-matched Best Buy. And it was thanks to your Weekly Roundup that I even knew it was being released on Blu-Ray! I can retire my D-VHS D-Theater tape!

- Steve

 

[Citizen87645]

I blind bought the DVD but have yet to watch it. Since there appears to be some downtime between reviews, this might be the perfect palate cleanser. Thanks for the enthusiastic reminder!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Originally Posted by Steve Tannehill

Last week, Amazon price-matched Best Buy. And it was thanks to your Weekly Roundup that I even knew it was being released on Blu-Ray!

That was very kind of you to report, Steve! Thanks!

I wasn't paying any attention to this title until I read Ron's review here. One of the great things about this forum is how we pick up new information everywhere we turn.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Cameron,

Let us know what you think of it. I am hoping to
open some eyes to this film and expand the fan base.

 

[nolesrule]

This is one of those movies that is inexplicably better than you'd expect. And the cast is really strong. So many excellent actors for a film of this type really sell the stories well. It caught my wife and I by surprise the first time we saw it.

And yeah, the porn actor storyline is a bit weak, but it's funny as hell. My wife's favorite is the one with Colin Firth.

 

[Yumbo]

Got it at the $13.99 price. Arriving today!

 

[Steve Tannehill]

I just finished watching it again, and loved it. Great picture and sound. Next up, the commentary track, which as I recall was an interesting listen.

- Steve

 

[Ted Kontos]

One of my all-time favorite films! I could never watch this too many times. And it is NOT a chick flick, as others above have insinuated! Curtis' latest, "The Boat That Rocked", ("Pirate Radio" in the US) is also marvelous. I've had the UK BD since September and I'll be watching it again with my family Thanksgiving weekend, along with Love Actually of course.

 

[PatW]

This in on my 10 best list of all time favourites. A joy when I first watched it, and still as good with each subsequent viewing. There are so many great scenes, it's hard to pick out a favourite.
I've got the blu-ray on order and I can't wait to enjoy the movie again.

 

[Leo Kerr]

It's a beautiful film, and it looks like they had fun doing it. I think some of my favorite threads were the English writer / Portuguese "maid" (for lack of a better term) -- particularly in the lake.

As for the porn actors -- it's hysterical -- particularly because they AREN'T actors -- they're stand-ins! And watching that thread develop -- wondering if, at first, it's a serious film (who else would have stand-ins?) that progressively get more and more outré... but the whole thing is fantastic. "You mean there was a lobster at the birth of Jesus?" "Duh!"

This is one I'm looking forward to..

Leo

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Originally Posted by Mike Frezon

And I did debate preordering it myself for the $13.99 price before, but decided I'll probably be fine w/ just the old DVD. Maybe it'll show up (possibly cheaper) in another crazy sale before long, eg. BF/CM perhaps considering the holiday theme.

_Man_

 

[Adam_S]

Originally Posted by Leo Kerr

It's a beautiful film, and it looks like they had fun doing it. I think some of my favorite threads were the English writer / Portuguese "maid" (for lack of a better term) -- particularly in the lake.

As for the porn actors -- it's hysterical -- particularly because they AREN'T actors -- they're stand-ins! And watching that thread develop -- wondering if, at first, it's a serious film (who else would have stand-ins?) that progressively get more and more outré... but the whole thing is fantastic. "You mean there was a lobster at the birth of Jesus?" "Duh!"

This is one I'm looking forward to..

Leo

Yup, they're standins, but I always took them to be standins for a feature film shooting a sex scene rather than standins for a porn film. That'd have to be a really high budget porno to have standins and be shooting for the better part of a week (iirc the story takes place over a week, right) whereas a week sounds about right for a feature. :-p

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Thanks for making me aware that "The Boat that Rocked" is already available on Blu-ray through Amazon UK. I was looking forward to seeing "Pirate Radio" this weekend until I found out it's been edited and homogenized for U.S. audiences. I've ordered the UK BD version.

Originally Posted by Ted Kontos

One of my all-time favorite films! I could never watch this too many times. And it is NOT a chick flick, as others above have insinuated! Curtis' latest, "The Boat That Rocked", ("Pirate Radio" in the US) is also marvelous. I've had the UK BD since September and I'll be watching it again with my family Thanksgiving weekend, along with Love Actually of course.