A classic example of the lengths that people will go for Love!

Rating: 8/10 (13 July 2005)

Rarely in a movie do we see several story lines interwoven perfectly with the right amount of balance and complexity as we do in Love Actually. In this magnificent portrayal of real life love we see eight love stories unfold over the festive Christmas season. Never before have I fully seen captured people who are willing to go for the all consuming thing we call love.
Viewers experience these great lengths when they see the love story of Collin, actor Kris Marshall, who is willing to fly across the world to find love. Then there is the endearing story of Sam, actor Thomas Sangster. (Who does a superb job). Sam is willing to learn a new hobby in order to obtain his hearts desire. These seem to be real life stories which are not all fluff and happy ending like we see in many movies such as The wedding singer. The type of realism used makes the audiences sympathize with the ups and downs of obtaining, keeping and losing love.
Director Richard Curtis does a great job in bringing attention to several elements that is pivotal to the plots. Often lust accompanies love. Curtis used the element of color to bring attention to a lustful situation. By making use of the color red throughout the movie, he gives a physical color to seduction. A scene which illustrates the use of the bold color is when Harry, actor Alan Richman, and Karen, actress Emma Thompson, are at Harry's work Christmas party. We see a vixen from Harry's office enter the scene wearing a slinky red dress and red devil horns! The clever minx is trying to seduce Harry in front of his own wife! Curtis also uses clever dialog to get his point across that no price to great at the chance of Love. It is never clearer than in the scene with Liam Neaseon as Daniel, a widower trying to raise his stepson, and Sangster as Sam. Daniel conveys to his son that love is indeed worth all the risk which may come from a broken heart. Sam sums it all up when he says " Okay  lets do it Dad. Let us go get the (crap) kicked out of us for love".
The combination of an award winning cast, great direction and theatrical elements viewers will not have to go great lengths to actually fall in love with this movie.