We’re 13 days from a “Love Actually” reunion. Granted, it’s just a short film — a mini-movie that gets the band briefly back together. And it’s for a good cause: The reunion airs in the U.S. on NBC on May 25 for Red Nose Day, and all proceeds will go to a charity that seeks to end child poverty.
It’s because of this profoundly moving public service that we’ll refrain from doing what we normally do when the subject of “Love Actually” comes up, which is point out that we f—ing hate “Love Actually.” Except for the Bill Nighy and Martin Freeman bits. Some of the Laura Linney stuff is good, too. And Emma Thompson’s excellent. Hell, we’re not immune to Hugh Grant either. Maybe we don’t dislike it. Oh, wait, yes, we do. But we won’t elaborate upon the subject of “Love Actually.” Instead we’ll say that if this horrible movie can literally save lives, then we can easily put our hate on hold.
Anyway, if “Love Actually” is your thing, then the trailer will make you squee, or however people who enjoy “Love Actually” would react to more “Love Actually” being in the world. You see old friends, including people like Andrew Lincoln and Chiwetel Ejiofor, who went on to far greener pastures, and who you might have forgotten were once upon a time in “Love Actually.” You see that Colin Firth and his Portuguese housekeeper-turned-love object are still together, and Liam Neeson is still giving reluctant, weary love advice to now-20-something son Thomas Sangster. Bill Nighy is presently making Kardashian sex jokes and Hugh Grant is still dancing — and is still Prime Minister, which presumably means he was in power when Brexit happened.
You’ll see more of this on May 25 (though the U.K. got to see it back in late March). In the meantime, please ensure “Love Actually” raises gods of dough. We would hate for the creation of more “Love Actually” to have been in vain.
