Well Done, Actually.

Rating: 10/10 (6 December 2003)

To to a brief summary, this has been one of the more uplifting, witty and "feel good" films that I've seen this year, if not the most. A combination of solid writing and an incredible cast makes this worth the watch for those who are not completely cynical on the concept of love.
The overall plot follows the life of several couples or wannabe couples, and an aging rock star who could care less about "Christmas spirit" or a quality record. It's all about making a quick buck and a quicker comeback. That particular subplot is hilarious due to "Billy Mack's" blatant and unrestrained candor that his newest "hit single" is utter garbage.
The other plots each have their own charming moments, though my personal favorites had to do with Hugh Grant's, Liam Neeson's, and Colin Firth's subplots. In my opinion, those were the more charming and fun of the stories. But each story each had their own little moments, never really focusing too heavily on anything negative, and everything (generally with the exception of one or two) came to their own little happy ending. This was carefully designed as a "feel good" movie, and it does its job very well. And fortunately, the movie never drags or lingers in pacing, making the overall experience a satisfying one. And very, very funny.
The acting is remarkable. It's amazing that this film would be able to have an ensemble cast of this size and caliber, and be able to utilize them as properly as they were. The writing is clever and witty, with realistic sounding dialogue, and a nice "bookcase" feeling for the beginning and end. The subplot of Colin Frissell is by far the most far-fetched and unrealistic of the stories, but it's genuinely funny because it is so unbelievable. The soundtrack is light and pop music filled, and even helps the story along at points, instead of blaring for you to buy the soundtrack for a "5 minute career Top 40" artist.
As mentioned earlier, this film is designed purely to cheer the audience up, and to cheer on the concept that love can happen for anyone in some form. It plays heavily on the "happy" factor without delving into sickly-sweet sap that you just can't take. All this, and an eccentric cameo by Rowan Atkinson.
It's nice to see a film like this that relies more on well-written humor and solid acting than what a lot of films have been missing lately. I really couldn't get enough of this film, and I look forward to its eventual DVD release.
Recommended if you just want to spend 2 1/2 hours having a movie cheer you up.