[School of Movies 2025]

A major milestone in British cinema, pairing up dramatic director Mike Newell with comedy mainstay Richard Curtis. This one is easy to handwave off as fluffy and light, but it is a favourite of one of our psychology-specialising friends Doctor Hunter Mulcare, who joined us for Love Actually and specifically requested that when we covered this film, we have him on as a guest.

The principle is simple, based on Curtis' own experience of attending dozens of weddings for various friends and acquaintances in a very short space of time, being propositioned by a mysterious lady whom he turned down... the afterimage of that road not taken stuck in his head, forming the anxiety of Hugh Grant's lead character, Charlie. And when it comes to this chap and his gaggle of unmarried friends one thing is certain regarding funerals and weddings... we may not get one, but we'll definitely get the other.

This film is frank, hilarious, often painful and an accurately acerbic portrait of the British people. Certainly it struck home enough to make its budget back fifty times over, back in 1995. It remains special and a favourite of our too.

Next week: We begin Marvel Season

Guest:

Dr Hunter Mulcare @realhuntermmm