Wanted to embrace it, but couldn't

Rating: 8/10 (1 May 2004)

'Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think of the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere.'
With this monologue by the British Prime Minister (played by Hugh Grant), that wouldn't have been misplaced in The Great Dictator (I mean that as about the highest honour I can give), Love Actually begins. It's the story of about a dozen people (all somehow linked to each other), who are in relationships of some sort. Some fall in love, some cheat, some just don't know what to do with themselves.
Obviously, one story is better than another. For instance, there's this guy going to the USA to 'score some babes', and he actually does, but we couldn't care less. Then there are two 'actors' who hit it off, but that's not really that interesting neither, nor is the romance between a woman (Laura Linney) and a co-worker, with a mentally ill brother standing in the way of things.
Other stories work better, with the Prime Minister falling for a servant of his, and a widowed step-dad (Liam Neeson) explaining his 'new' son how to act towards the most popular girl in school.
The two really interesting stories that remain are that of cheating husband Harry, and how his wife is dealing with that and the romance between writer Jamie (Colin Firth) and his Portuguese cleaning lady. There's a wonderfull scene where Jamie is asking her father for her hand, and the whole town following them to where she works.
But overall, the movie was a bit disappointing. The love-stories were too simple, too flat and one-dimensional. Also, the 'red line' between things (no. 1 hit by 'Billy Mack') turned a bit boring near the end. Too bad as I really wanted to love this movie for it's bright and upbeat message.
Final score: 5/10.