Too ambitious for its own good, but the cast charms

Rating: 7/10 (23 November 2013)

Love Actually is a film that thinks that it is trying to defy conventions and other generic plot points to tell a poignant and comically rich storyline with memorable characters and various other elements that will make it a Christmas classic. That is a very audacious attempt for a romantic comedy. Regardless, director Richard Curtis is talented, but everything he touches doesn't turn to gold... or silver. The question is: can this film succeed? There are parts when it does and there are parts when it doesn't. It does not mean it does it poorly, but it dwells into the clichés of its genre. Curtis tries to be an overachiever and sets up too many story lines and characters thinking that they will eventually (and cleverly) cross over and meet up at the very end. Like I said, his strategy is very hit and miss. However there are parts where I felt he did things perfectly: the beginning and the ending. These were the parts where it was original, especially the last three minutes of the movie. In my opinion, that was probably one of the best endings Curtis could have thought of given the circumstances. The performances are even better. Richard Curtis has assembled the best character actors in England to make this film. There was really no performance I could complain about, it was done practically. The main payoff for me is that, at the end, Curtis prioritizes. He picks the stories that actually mean something to us and develops them to the best of his ability. Instead of developing something that we dislike and want to turn off if we hear any more about it.