Love as defined in many, many forms...

Rating: Null/10 (20 October 2003)

Love is actually all around you', as the lyrics keep bursting out through many lips and channels. How true! Yep, this film brings out the concept of what, when and how love exists - in all walks of life. Richard Curtis' love comes in many forms. He also highlights the human goodness in people during crucial times. At the beginning a voice reminds the audience of the love and support given in response to the most devastating of 9/11. The abstractness of love is best captured with the first airport scene and at finale  people, just people, from all walks of life and ethnicity in their acts of love  basically undeterminable love or friendship. The film also suggests that those willing to travel far can find love. Love flourishes in office and work environment, in community gathering, and even at snobbish No. 10 Downing Street. People find love  from strangers, from co-workers, from classmates, between different living classes of individuals, between family members and from different backgrounds. Even language, failing health serves no barrier. It's like getting a learning lesson on love without the concepts being pushed forward in a condescending fashion.
With constant repeats of the lyrics of 'Love Is All Around', this film is fun-filled with characters portrayed by a lovely cast of stellar actors. Each in their unique way allows the audience to look at love in different variations - silent love, body-language love, parental love; foolish love; puppy love, a love fling; friendship, companionship, forgiving love, infatuation, et. al. It's, in reality, just the sort of movie the world needs right now. Hugh Grant clowns his way through this film to offer some very funny moments. He actually boogies away at No. 10! Who says a nation's leader couldn't juggle entertainment talent with his official duties? If he should choose to make a political statement, blurting out the British virtues to Billy Bob Thorton's over-bearing US president for bullying Britain, can't we at least take the humor with a little giggle? Colin Firth is immaculately stunning in his role. Laura Linney and Emma Thompson bring nice touching sides to their love story. Bill Nighy's cranky and senescent character is incredibly corny. The two scenarios, given by Rowan Atkinson's character, drives home the idea that the intentions of a Good Samaritan can often be weighed as positive or negative.
Treated in a portmanteau fashion, this film carries nine sets of loosely linked characters and storylines cutting back and forth five weeks before Christmas (ah, the day to celebrate love and forgiveness?)

A very entertaining film with a fabulous insight to the meaning of love...
My rating: A