Six Degrees of Separation and Excellence.

Rating: Null/10 (6 February 2004)

There has long been a thought that we were all separated by six degrees. In other words, we are only a few people away from knowing more people and then more people and ultimately the entire world is connected as one perfect whole. "Love Actually" is a wonderful, witty, whimsy, funny, dramatic, smart, intelligent, heartbreaking, heartwarming and life-affirming tale by first time director Richard Curtis (who also wrote) that is easily the finest film of its type ever made. In present-day England a seemingly endless cast of characters are all connected in one way or another in a wild and frantic "Pulp Fiction" or "Traffic" style that is truly remarkable. New British Prime Minister Hugh Grant (who could best be described as the anti-Tony Blair) immediately falls in love with curvy secretary Martine McCutcheon. McCutcheon happens to be neighbors with the super-sexy Heike Makatsch, a temp at a company business who is trying to seduce her new boss (the always good Alan Rickman). He may actually take the bait, but the big problem is that he is married to wife Emma Thompson (who is also Grant's little sister). Thompson has not been paying attention to Rickman's change because she has been consoling friend Liam Neeson after his wife passes away of a long illness. Their relationship is strictly platonic, but still loving. Neeson's young stepson (the priceless Thomas Sangster) has his first taste of puppy love with a girl his age (newcomer Olivia Olson) from America who could best be described as a 10-year-old reincarnation of Beyonce Knowles. Still more connections follow as seductress Makatsch is actually dating artist Andrew Lincoln. Lincoln though has no feelings for Makatsch and vice versa as he has shyly fallen in love with Keira Knightley (who has had a breakthrough year if ever there was one). The love is quiet and from afar though as Lincoln just happens to be best friends with Knightley's new husband (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Thus Lincoln acts like he does not like Knightley when she is around to curb his true feelings towards her. One of Knightley's friends (Colin Firth, another constant stand-out) attends her wedding, but is shocked to find his live-in girlfriend (Sienna Guillory) having sex with his brother (Dan Fredenburgh) when he returns home. Firth, a writer, is heartbroken and feels that he must get away for a while. He goes to a French villa that he owns and immediately falls in love with Portuguese house-keeper Lucia Moniz. The only problem is: they have no clue of what the other is saying. Thus Firth has fallen in love with her and she with him, but they do not know the other's true feelings through their words. When Moniz has to return to her homeland, will Firth be able to forget about her and vice versa? Of course we all hope not. And still more goes on. Two adult film stars (Martin Freeman and Joanna Page) have no trouble simulating sex, but have a real issue with intimacy. They both slowly find they have more in common than their jobs and discover a love that is hard for each to express. Freeman also happens to be friends with Ejiofor and thus another connection is created. American Laura Linney, who works for Rickman, has fallen in love with oblivious co-worker Rodrigo Santoro. It actually seems that the duo may find love with one another, but Linney constantly gets phone calls from her mentally unstable brother (the committed Michael Fitzgerald) and feels an obligation to take care of him and let her own wants take a backseat. The fact that their parents have passed away has left Linney lonely and driven Fitzgerald crazy. An under-sexed young adult Kris Marshall (who worked at Knightley's wedding) comes to the conclusion that he is an erotic love machine (even though he has had no luck with women). He gets it in his mind that the problem is not him, but British women. Thus he decides to go to America, to Wisconsin of all places (!?), to find beautiful girls. He surprisingly finds lots of them (Denise Richards, Shannon Elizabeth, January Jones, Elisha Cuthbert and Ivana Milicevic), but it is unclear what their motives with him really are. Everything gets a break with scene-stealer Bill Nighy (in an unforgettably excellent part) as a seemingly washed-up rock musician who has struggled with drug abuse in the past. He gets on the radio and in front of the camera and says anything that is on his wild mind. His thoughts are simply hilarious as well. Nighy about worries long-time manager Gregor Fisher to death with his unrehearsed antics. There is also department store worker Rowan Atkinson (of "Mr. Bean" fame) who continues to quietly play a key role in the happenings. Oh and let's not forget uncomplimentary U.S. presidential caricature Billy Bob Thornton (just imagine the worst things about Bill Clinton and George W. Bush mixed together to form the worst world leader you have ever seen) and his short appearance with prime minister Grant and secretary McCutcheon. Whew. "Love Actually" pushes the envelope on being the smartest screenplay I have ever encountered. Richard Curtis (best known for writing the "Mr. Bean" series and "Four Weddings and a Funeral") is able to go beyond his musings. The reason? Curtis is an amazingly gifted director (I really did not think he would be as successful in this regard). The movie is a lot deeper than it appears on the surface. References to 9-11 early on and the Grant/Thornton characters show Curtis' disgust with British and American affairs today. The film preaches love and not war and ends up being an angry commentary to involvement in Iraq. This movie quietly becomes an anti-war film on par with monumental pictures like "All Quiet on the Western Front", "Apocalypse Now", "Platoon" and "The Thin Red Line". It is no secret that I have been disappointed all year with motion pictures, but "Love Actually" is superior enough to raise the level of 2003 as a whole. This is truly beyond excellence. I love this picture and it touched my heart, mind and soul. There are not many films in a lifetime that will do that to you. 5 stars out of 5.