Love Actually Blu-ray

Love Actually

 (2003)

Comedy | Romance



Everywhere you look, love is causing chaos. From the bachelor Prime Minister of the United Kingdom who, on his first day at 10 Downing Street, falls in love with the girl who brings him his tea, to a hopeless sandwich delivery guy who doesn't think he has a chance with the girls in the U.K., so he heads for Wisconsin. From aging rock stars, to a stony headmistress, to a monolingual Portuguese housemaid--love arrives in many forms, shapes and sizes. Here, ten separate--but intertwining--stories of love all lead up to a big climax on Christmas Eve, proving that love is the driving force in all of these people's lives.

For more details about Love Actually on Blu-ray, see the Love Actually Blu-ray Review

Starring: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson
Director: Richard Curtis

Love Actually Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Universal's 1080p/VC-1 transfer isn't particularly flashy or striking, but it is quite impressive, offering romcommers rich colors, natural skintones, deep blacks, and a notable upgrade from its standard DVD counterpart. While the film's scenes bound between starkly lit exteriors and warm interiors, Michael Coulter's ever-evolving Christmas palette is strong and stable throughout. Sure, contrast is a bit hot at times (especially during the first act), but the image remains altogether vibrant and attractive. Detail, though slightly inconsistent on occasion, is satisfying as well, delivering decent textures, revealing delineation, and sharp edges. Discerning videophiles will notice the studio has applied some minor noise reduction -- look to Ejiofor and Knightley's wedding for the most noticeable instances -- but it's thankfully kept to a minimum. A faint grainfield is still present, and there isn't any significant artifacting, crush, banding, print damage, or ringing to muck up the proceedings. Will home theater enthusiasts pop in Love Actually to wow their friends and family? No, nor should they. However, fans will find a competent, reliable, and commendable transfer fine-tuned for their viewing pleasure.

Love Actually Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Can a chatty romantic comedy and its faithful but front-heavy DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track surpass expectation and woo audiophiles? When Love Actually's music kicks in, absolutely. Both the film's orchestral score and pop-infused soundtrack sound wonderful, filling every speaker with rewarding tones and satisfying swells. However, when the music subsides, all that remains are conversations, whispers, laughs, and pithy banter, hardly the makings of a sonic powerhouse. Beyond bass beats, LFE output is subtle and subdued; beyond strings, rear speaker activity is limited to light ambience; beyond horn runs, the soundscape is only punctuated by dialogue. Of course, anything more would undermine the integrity of the original mix, rendering Universal's lossless track a somewhat underwhelming but thoroughly respectful offering. There are moments of note -- Rickman and Thompson's shopping trip drops the listener in the middle of a bustling mall, a children's holiday play features convincing auditorium acoustics, and Neeson and Sangstar airport run is suitably involving -- but prepare yourself for an inherently limited, oft-times two-dimensional experience.

Love Actually Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Today on Blu-ray - November 3rd - November 3, 2009


• Love Actually Coming to Blu-ray - August 11, 2009

Love Actually Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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