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LOVE ACTUALLY (2003)
20th Anniversary
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital
Label: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: R
Duration: 135 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1), Spanish DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: HDR10 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Richard Curtis
Cast: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley, Martine McCutcheon, Rowan Atkinson, Billy Bob Thornton, Thomas Sangster, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Freeman
Even a jaded horror fan like myself enjoys a heartwarming, love0affirming Christmas tale, and that's what the now 20-year old Love Actually (2003) delivers. The UK flick follows eight couples as they traverse the twisty roads of love around the Christmas holiday, both it's high and lows of being in-love. I found all eight relationships quite engaging, highlights for me include the story of a washed-up former junkie rockstar named Billy Mack (Bill Nighy, Shaun of the Dead) and his put-upon manager Joe attempting to score a number one Christmas single; the recently elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Hugh Grant, The Lair of the White Worm) falling for his catering-director Natalie; down-on-his-luck-in-love Brit travelling to Wisconsin USA to attempt to lure a few birds with his accent; and Liam Neeson (Darkman) as a recently widowed dad trying to help his stepson Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Maze Runner) win the heart of girl at school. Others stories involve Jamie (Colin Firth, Kingsman: The Secret Service) as a novelist who discovers his girlfriend is sleeping with his brother, and a married couple Karen (Emma Thompson, Dead Again) and Harry (Alan Rickman, Dogma) whose seemingly happily if somewhat dull marriage is interrupted by a secretary (Heike Makatsch, Resident Evil) who has set her sights on Harry. Also of note, Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) as a guy who secretly pines for his best friend's new bride (Keira Knightley, Boston Strangler). A terrifically breezy and not terribly deep, but engrossing and absolutely charming on all levels, making it a perfect Christmas treat to watch with your loved one. I love how the myriad storylines are intertwined and come together in various ways, and when it all comes to a close set the sounds of the Beach Boys "God Only Knows" I always have a smile plastered on my face.
Even a jaded horror fan like myself enjoys a heartwarming, love0affirming Christmas tale, and that's what the now 20-year old Love Actually (2003) delivers. The UK flick follows eight couples as they traverse the twisty roads of love around the Christmas holiday, both it's high and lows of being in-love. I found all eight relationships quite engaging, highlights for me include the story of a washed-up former junkie rockstar named Billy Mack (Bill Nighy, Shaun of the Dead) and his put-upon manager Joe attempting to score a number one Christmas single; the recently elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (Hugh Grant, The Lair of the White Worm) falling for his catering-director Natalie; down-on-his-luck-in-love Brit travelling to Wisconsin USA to attempt to lure a few birds with his accent; and Liam Neeson (Darkman) as a recently widowed dad trying to help his stepson Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Maze Runner) win the heart of girl at school. Others stories involve Jamie (Colin Firth, Kingsman: The Secret Service) as a novelist who discovers his girlfriend is sleeping with his brother, and a married couple Karen (Emma Thompson, Dead Again) and Harry (Alan Rickman, Dogma) whose seemingly happily if somewhat dull marriage is interrupted by a secretary (Heike Makatsch, Resident Evil) who has set her sights on Harry. Also of note, Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) as a guy who secretly pines for his best friend's new bride (Keira Knightley, Boston Strangler). A terrifically breezy and not terribly deep, but engrossing and absolutely charming on all levels, making it a perfect Christmas treat to watch with your loved one. I love how the myriad storylines are intertwined and come together in various ways, and when it all comes to a close set the sounds of the Beach Boys "God Only Knows" I always have a smile plastered on my face.
Audio/Video: Love Actually (2003) arrives on 4K Ultra HD framed in 2.39:1 widescreen, presented in 2160p UHD with HDR10. Despite a rich colorful HDR boost this UHD upgrade suffers from an overly digitized looking grain-management pass that looks clumpy. That's a definite minus but it's not so egregious that facial details and textures look overly smooth, this is easily clearer and sharper looking than the 2010 Blu-ray, plus the HDR10 color-grading is quite nice, warming skin tones and infusing the colorful film with a renewed vim and vigor, looking less blown-out than the earlier Blu-ray release. The UHD is a definite improvement, but it's not UHD perfection.
Onto the audio I will say that I was surprised that this rom-com was bestowed with a new Dolby Atmos remix. It certainly doesn't take full advantage of the format's expanded sound stage but it does deliver a rich, textured and nuanced audio experience with clean dialogue, and the score featuring tracks by Otis Redding, The Beach Boys, Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones and others is a highlight.
Extras not only feature the archival bonus features from the past release but also a new half hour making of featuring the director, cast and crew, that gets into the writing and production, as well as discussing the film's more memorable scenes. The 2-disc UHD/BD arrives in a black keepcase with a single-side sleeve of artwork, inside is a redemption code for a digital 4K copy of the film. The first-pressing at least arrives with a slipcover - with an embossed 4K UHD logo. .
Special Features:
- NEW! Making Love Actually (30 min)
- Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Richard Curtis
- The Music of Love Actually with Introductions by Richard Curtis; The Storytellers
- Kelly Clarkson "The Trouble With Love Is" Music Video
- Billy Mack "Christmas is All Around" Music Video
- Audio Commentary with Director Richard Curtis and Actors Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy and Thomas Sangster
Available from www.MovieZyng.com
