Christmas in July: Love Actually

"Love Actually plays like a greatest-hits album of modern British comedy, spinning all your favorite tunes in just the right order." - Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

"The film lives up to its hype" - Stina Chyn, Film Threat

"Plenty of entertainment in this well acted ensemble comedy that Robert Altman could easily have put his name on." - Wesley Lovell, Oscar Guy

"Whatever the actors are given to do they make so delightful -- or so delightfully moving -- that Love Actually wins out over its wobbles." - Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic

"... a terrific film" - Richard Roeper

This summer, the Boston Public Library has decided to show Christmas movies and specials throughout July and August. The movies are free and they have a good setup for showing movies, as well as a loyal following of people who show up every Monday for the free film regardless of what it is (probably because it's free).

Love Actually is a romantic comedy from the same people who brought you Notting Hill, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bridget Jones' Diary. The film is set mostly in London and revolves around about a dozen love stories. There are several great actors and actresses in the film including Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney and even Rowan Atkinson.

I know the starting time is a bit on the early side, but I don't think the film will really start until 5:45 or 6, since sometimes the films at the library get a late start and there's a 13 minute short preceding Love, Actually -- Silent Night: The Story of the Christmas Carol, which was filmed in Austria and shows the factors that contributed to the creation of that song. Also, Love, Actually is very long for a romantic comedy (2 hours and 15 minutes, which Ebert and I both think was too long for that film), so you're not going to miss a lot if you get there half an hour into the film.

The film should get out a little after eight, so I was thinking that maybe we could get coffee/tea or Thai appetizers afterwards.