Richard Curtis and his love for music

Every year, families, partners, people around the world snuggle up on their sofas and watch history’s most devastating film scene. Emma Thompson gently weeps to the angelic voice of Joni Mitchell after she discovers her husband has had an affair. Mitchell’s words “I really don’t know love at all” hits the viewer hard and lingers in the mind while Thompson composes herself and leaves. So, why is it that this scene has such an impact on us?  

Even if you don’t know his name, you know his films. Richard Curtis has written and directed some of the most timeless British classics - Bridget Jones (2001), Notting Hill (1999), Four Weddings and A Funeral (1994), Love Actually (2003)… For some, his films may be more of a guilty pleasure than something they’d ever reveal in their Letterboxd. However, Curtis isn’t just a talented writer and director… but a conductor too. 

The Boat That Rocked (2009) should definitely be a favourite for anyone who loves the music of the 1960s/70s and the era of rock n roll. Growing up in the 1960s, Curtis was exposed to the new era of pop music and rock and roll. He has recalled childhood memories of listening to his radio under the covers so that his parents wouldn’t find out.

These youthful musical experiences directly inspired his 2009 film, The Boat That Rocked. The movie centers on a group of DJs living on a pirate radio ship in the North Sea, broadcasting the new sounds of pop and rock 24/7. The film is a musical medley, featuring rock classics from The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, to David Bowie and The Who. It’s also a bit of an outlier, being one of Curtis’s few films to not have a romantic focus at its core. He focuses on male friendship and brotherhood, and it’s not romance that connects the characters – it’s music.  

If you’re more into a rom-com with a sci-fi twist, his 2013 romance, About Time, might be more your style. It encompasses so many emotions – from loss to love and incredible optimism. He collaborates with composer Nick Laird-Clowes to create the film’s central theme song. He also had a major part in selecting the existing music he wanted throughout the film. For example, in the first meeting scene of romantic leads Mary and Tim, the song Mid Air (2012), by Paul Buchanan, starts to play. He had had this song picked out for this scene while writing the script and had it playing next to him while filming, ensuring that he would be able to capture that perfect moment.

Another scene takes place solely in Maida Vale tube station and shows a montage of Tim and Mary throughout the first year of their relationship and over it plays a cover of The Waterboys’ How Long Will I Love You . It perfectly encompasses the feeling of the first year being in love and shows the audience how well these two fit together. This film really is a great demonstration of the attention to detail that Curtis pays to his work.  

One of his latest films, Yesterday (2019) is all about a world where The Beatles – the most iconic musicians of all time – never existed. Of course, the film features some of their most legendary tunes from Hey Jude to Let It Be but as covers from Himesh Patel’s character: Jack Malik. In typical Curtis fashion, there is still an underlying love story and the songs chosen also reflect this but at it’s heart, it is a celebration of one of the greatest British bands who ever toured. For any Beatles fanatics – this is a great watch that reminds you of the importance of one of the best bands the UK has produced. 

Curtis, the legendary director he is, understands the kind of emotive reaction he can create in the audience with something as seemingly small as a song. But for Curtis, it isn’t just a strategic move to keep you in your seat longer – music is a passion that goes side-by-side with his love for storytelling. There are definitely two things that man knows – love and music.