a clichéd romantic comedy

Rating: 2/10 (30 April 2006)

Much better movies with the multiple story structure have been made in the recent past; Pulp Fiction and Magnolia come to mind. Love Actually actually owes its framework most to Mexican novellas which tell multiple dramatic stories with one cliché after the next. The eight stories in this film are so cliché ridden it's hard not to grimace, and are only accusingly saved by a clever turn of dialogue. The shy prime minster, the lovelorn writer, the sister with the troubled brother, it all adds up to tripe. Too bad a cast and a writer who have been known to do some good work, came together to make this. For the die-hard romantic comedy fan, Love Actually might suffice, but it's far from an addition to the genre.