Outstanding Christmas comedy.

Rating: 10/10 (10 October 2009)

I confess I've always admired Richard Curtis's typically British sense of humour and shoulder to shoulder story lines ("Four weddings and a funeral" and "Notting Hill", amongst others) . This film is the ultimate finish line in that direction: firstly, because there is not one trace of soppy dialogue; secondly, because the restraints of political correctness are finally let go of, while the film retains a certain air of mischievous courtesy (the US president's visit to London is quite memorable); finally, because Curtis has always been a mastermind in bringing to the screen collective views on rather diverse themes, by allowing each character to have its own voice and portraying each one with the right dose of wit and affection, and, from this point of view, the film holds in perfect balance nine different story lines (ten including the one which was left on the cutting room floor). Some stories are funny, others sad, others happily resolved and all are, in one way or the other, related, heart-warming and memorable. The cast is solid and it includes some rather high profile actors, amongst others Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, Billy Bob Thornton and Rowan Aktinson (watch out for his cameo appearance, it's hilarious). Then of course there is also Hugh Grant, at this point one of Curtis's faithfuls, playing Britain's PM in a more disillusioned and less vacant fashion: his improvised dance inside official quarters, with the beat of Sister Sledge in the background, is outstanding.