the magnum opus of the romantic comedy genre

Rating: 9/10 (13 March 2004)

It is. And I generally don't like romantic comedies because the plots are too contrived and the characters (of which there are usually two, of opposite sexes) fall too easily together. "Love Actually," however, reconstructs and outdoes the genre. It's the "Nashville," or "Magnolia" of romantic comedies; a multi-character, multi-sub-plot, multi-layered and hard-to-describe-without-a-crapload-of-hyphens film. It's pleasant to watch, it tries to be very honest and it's constantly entertaining. The stories intersect through the relations between the 12 (or whatever) characters, and often in a very amusing way. But they also cohere through the common theme: namely, that love is present in one way or another in each of the characters' lives. The movie has several advantages because of its large cast. With many stories, the film has both pay-offs known in romantic comedies (ex: guy declares his undying love for a girl in front of a large crowd) AND romantic disappointments. Still, regardless of what the characters go through, and where fate takes them, "Love Actually" never falters in its warm atmosphere and great sense of humor. It's a pleasure to watch - and it's one of the few comedies that I've walked out of smiling and not feeling cheated by the story. It's a romantic comedy that transgresses the conventions of the genre and does it refreshingly well.