The best holiday film in years

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 2004)

It's curious that Richard Curtis' `Love Actually' is so good, because it doesn't present anything new to the audience. Pretty much all of the eight or so different love stories have been seen many times before in hundreds, if not thousands of holiday movies. I think the reason for its surprising greatness lies in the writing, the performances and the characters. My point is, `Love Actually' proves that for a holiday romantic comedy, it's okay if the plot is filled to the brim with clichés, as long as the writing, performances and characters are well done.
I'll list all of the plot lines I can think of, though I may miss a few (there are many). First we have the Prime Minister of Britain (where the film is set, by the way), played by Hugh Grant, who falls in love with his secretary (Martine McCutcheon). The prime minister's sister Karen's (Emma Thompson) husband Harry (Alan Rickman), who is drawn to his seductive assistant Mia (Heike Makatsch). Their friend Sarah (Laura Linney), shyly in love with her co-worker Karl (Rodrigo Santoro). Recent widower Daniel (Liam Neeson), trying to help his step-son (Thomas Sangster) confront his school love. A writer (Colin Firth) who found his friend cheating on him and moved to Brazil to fall in love with his maid Aurelia (Lucia Moniz). Mark (Andrew Lincoln), who is in love with his best friend's new wife (Keira Knightley). John (Martin Freeman) and Judy (Joanna Page) meet while they work as stand-ins for an film, and love flourishes. There's also Colin (Kris Marshall), who believes that if he goes to America he'll find a lot quicker and easier than he would in Britain. I think I've tackled them all.
If any of these stories had a movie of their own they would probably be boring and almost impossible to sit through because of how over used the clichés are. For some reason putting them all in the same film helps, most likely because director Curtis knows that he's working with clichés and revels in them. Of course, few of the characters are very well developed, but they're very fun characters so it's hard to notice.
This does present a few flaws though. Like, say, Linney's character isn't very dimensional so it's hard to completely accept her story's sort of sad-end. We don't know why she doesn't do what she should do, but if we got to know her better then, maybe, we would. I think that some of the stories, like that of Linney's, Firth's and the out-of-place satirical story of the Colin character going to America could very well have been left out.
But the other stories are great. Hugh Grant is very charming and witty in his role, reminding all of us of that other Grant from a long time ago, Cary. Liam Neeson's story is sweet, he presents a sort of easy-going, fatherly love to his step-son. Alan Rickman is terrific as the lawyer who acts cynical and tired to hide his obvious affection for his assistant, and Emma Thompson is also great as his wife, slowly catching on to his affair and trying to deal with it with dignity and sense. The smaller parts, like Knightley's and Sangster's, are well played too.
It is mandatory for an ensemble piece like this to have a scene-stealer, and here that part goes to Bill Nighy as the shaky, randy, cynical former rock artist whose trying to make his new Christmas song number one for Christmas. His story is kind of in the background to the others' foreground, but it is the best part of the film. Nighy is hilarious, with perfect timing and mannerisms, effortlessly keeping our attention in every scene. He is perfectly written and perfectly played. The performance is worthy of an Oscar, the same Oscar that went to the undeserving Tim Robbins (boo!).
`Love Actually' is the best holiday film to come out in years, so I think it should've been enjoyed by families. The and some of the swearing could've been easily removed, and the film would be a perfect family gem. But I guess we have everything, it's still great how it is.
Sure, it's fluff, but it's admirable fluff, 8/10.