2005 / Takashi Minamoto > Until the Lights Come Back revolves around six couples on Christmas Eve, a night where unidentifiable debris from space renders the city of Tokyo without electricity. It is, in short, a smarter, more contemplative and considerably more identifiable take on Love Actually. While it lasts over two hours, the film is very well-paced and succeeds in building up several different characters without having to resort to absolute cliches. It’s beautiful and subtle, and while the strings aren’t blatantly visible, it does end up being somewhat formulaic. But even with such a mold, it leaves an impression of contentedness that is hard to find in film.