Published by Mason Oldridge, 29 December 2023
CONTAINS SPOILERS!
“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport.” Hugh Grant’s charming prime minister opens Richard Curtis’ Christmas classic with a monologue about love before the film delves into several intertwining stories featuring the ensemble cast on the titular theme, as well as heartbreak and loss. The romcom has faced criticism more recently for its lack of diversity, but here we take a look at the cleverly-overlapping plots to see how this London-set production, upon its 20th anniversary, is still some of cinema’s finest storytelling.
Billy Mack and Joe
Ageing and outdated rock star Billy Mack, brilliantly portrayed by Bill Nighy, is aiming for Christmas Number One with his Christmas rendition of Love Is All Around. It is impossible to not laugh at his swearing fit following his failed attempts at remembering the lyrics and it is a sweet moment when his comically outrageous persona that desires a hedonistic lifestyle gives way to appreciation for his manager Joe.
David and Natalie
Upon taking office, the new prime minister is immediately smitten with the ditzy but good-natured Natalie, played by Martine McCutcheon. The bumbling PM is often left embarrassed by his own actions due to his crush reducing him to feel like a lovestruck teen, but the pinnacle is when the maid catches him during his impromptu dance in a now infamous scene. This subplot transcends just a love story though, as when David catches the visiting sleazy US president (Billy Bob Thornton) inflicting unwanted sexual advances on Natalie, he makes an empowering speech about Britain and its strength and position in relation to the rest of the world.
Jamie and Aurélia
Colin Firth plays Jamie, a writer who discovers his partner is cheating on him with his brother. He embarks on a quiet writing retreat in France where he slowly falls in love with Portuguese housekeeper Aurélia. It is a beautiful story of how love can transcend language barriers and culminates in Jamie, now back in England, returning to France to confess his love for her, which is reciprocated during the grand gesture. Each other’s attempts to learn their language results in some hilarious mispronunciations too.
Juliet, Peter, and Mark
Peter and Juliet (a young Keira Knightley) get married and the wedding is recorded by Peter’s best man Mark (pre-Walking Dead Andrew Lincoln), who is distant and unfriendly towards Juliet. It is believed Mark dislikes Juliet, though when she reviews his footage in his presence, we see he predominantly captured her, revealing he is in fact in love with her. He awkwardly explains his coldness was self-restraint and leaves. It may be the cue card scene that became iconic though the scene in which Mark wanders around, frustrated and upset, set to Dido’s Here With Me, is arguably the most emotional piece of film ever and Lincoln’s vulnerable performance deserves the highest praise.
Harry, Karen, and Mia
Another love triangle sees Harry (Alan Rickman), who is married to Karen (Emma Thompson), receive sexual advances from his younger secretary Mia. After resisting temptation, Harry concedes and buys Mia a necklace while out on a shopping trip with his wife. In an iconic scene, shop assistant Rufus (cameo by Rowan Atkinson) pays excessive and time-consuming detail to packaging the item after asking "would you like it... gift-wrapped?" Rickman is hilarious as a stressed Harry rushes him to finish before Karen sees it. In a heartbreaking later scene, Karen, expecting the necklace for herself, struggles to hide her hurt when she instead receives a Joni Mitchell CD, knowing the necklace must be for someone else. No happy ending for this one as the couple consequently separate.
Daniel and Sam
Liam Neeson stars as heartbroken widow Daniel, who is left to care for his stepson Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster). In the funeral scene, a teary-eyed Neeson gives a stellar performance. Sam is mute following his mother’s death and as Daniel attempts to get him to open up, he learns that Sam is lovesick, harbouring a crush on one of his classmates. The two then bond over devising a plan for Sam to woo the girl, culminating in a dramatic airport chase before she leaves for America.
Sarah, Karl, and Michael
In one of the sadder subplots, Sarah, played by Laura Linney, nurses a crush on co-worker Karl. She summons up the courage to ask him on a date, to which he is mutually interested, though they are continuously interrupted as Sarah has to care for her mentally ill brother Michael. There are some hard-hitting scenes that are difficult to watch and hinders the bittersweet feel across the movie.
John and Judy
In a much more upbeat subplot, John and Judy (Martin Freeman and Joanne Page) are stand-in actors, often performing in sex scenes. It is hilarious to see the couple engage in smalltalk while performing such intimate moments, and while they are perfectly fine doing so on camera, they are actually shy off-camera as they are attracted to each other. He eventually asks her out and they begin a relationship. The funniest moment occurs, however, when John thoughtfully warms his hands before touching Judy’s breasts.
Colin
In a minor subplot primarily for comedic value, kindhearted Colin (Kris Marshall), the self-proclaimed “God of Sex”, longing for a girlfriend, hatches a plan to find one in America after several rejections in England. Despite his friend’s scepticism, Colin remains optimistic, believing American girls will be attracted to his English accent. Funnily enough, upon arrival, Colin immediately meets several women in a bar and is invited to their place where they engage in amorous activities.
Through these loosely interwoven tales, romance, drama and comedy is delicately balanced, making for an enchanting and moving end result. Had more diversity been present, the film would have only fallen victim to tokenism instead. This standout romcom proves that not every minority group needs to be represented to tell an array of different stories with a wholesome feel to them. “If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.”