It’s officially Love Actually season, and another chance to muse over this festive romcom’s unfailing ability to bring the ‘people not things’ message into sharper focus, whilst also negating festive materialism, with a short, sharp shot of ‘love is all you need!’
Granted, there is much about the script that supposedly hasn’t aged well, but if you ask me, these disadvantages are more than outweighed by the return ticket the movie provides, to a simpler, less-connected time.
A time before the ‘death of detail’ (when gift-wrapping was all cinnamon sticks and rose petals), and when platitudes of life being ‘full of interruptions and complications’ weren’t quite so literal, or ubiquitous.
These stark contrasts to the present day are best summed up by the revelation that Oxford University Press’ Word of the Year for 2024 is… ‘brain rot’ (a nod to the mindless scrolling movement.)
This kind of digitally-induced cerebral ‘numbing’ seems, somehow (and speaking from personal experience) to find remedy in the 90’s aesthetic and various sugar-coated incarnations of ‘you’ve got nothing to lose, and you’ll always regret it if you don’t!’ - counsel which Liam Neeson probably never expected would have such potential to transcend time and circumstance.
Beyond the movie, Bill Nighy is actively upholding Love Actually’s reputation as a life-affirming, priority-realigning tonic, by stoking the movie’s time-worn narrative with his infinite words of wisdom.
In his latest ‘Great British Advice’ series, he advocates strongly for ‘de-apping’ (ie. deleting all ones most time-sapping apps) and pursuing the distraction of travel, books and nature instead.
To quote the most memorable line from this interview, ‘If you want to get hip to the social zeitgeist, just open the front door.’
It’s advice that is as simple as it is obvious, and scarcely better actioned, perhaps, than via the medium of a winter seaside break, or so I recently discovered.
Time spent at the beach - it's the opposite of ‘brain rot.’
It's a place for connection and contemplation, and a place where love is palpable.
Love between surfers and waves, humans and hounds, couples, friends...spouses.
Love, as well, for the absence of ‘interruptions and complications’ that always seems to abound in sea air and salty hair.
It's evidence if ever you needed it, that not only was Hugh Grant (or was it Wet Wet Wet?!) spot on with the whole ‘love is all around’ thing, but also, that Love Actually is underrated, both as a movie… and a mindset tool.
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