Love Actually (2003)

Love Actually is a genuinely (sometimes too) sweet movie, set around the festive period, and it was the movie I went to see with my ex-wife on our first date, a week before Christmas in 2003. It wasn’t my choice of course, but what the movie lacks in action set pieces and explosions, it more than makes up for with a great ensemble cast of actors and some intricately woven storylines.

Love Actually ticks all the right first date boxes – it’s romantic, funny, and somewhat cheesy in parts – but the lasting impression it left me was how uncomfortable I felt watching the scenes on the set of an adult film. It’s fine on your own, but when you’re sitting next to a girl you’re trying to impress with your maturity level, who you’ve not yet shared a kiss with… it’s a little bit awkward to say the least.

Love Actually is not a movie I’ve gone back to for repeated viewings, but don’t let that put you off if you’ve not seen it. It’s the kind of movie that feelgood Christmas television was designed for.