Welcome to "Mastercard: Priceless-- The Movie"

Rating: 4/10 (10 November 2003)

I am not sure if I went into this movie with expectations of a formula movie (such as Curtis's well-known writing efforts: Four Weddings and a Funeral; Bridget
Jones's Diary; Notting Hill), but it disappointed me none the less. Although the cast is packed with thespians that have turned out regularly impressive
performances, none of them is given a chance to explore any depth within their characters. Instead, the viewer is expected to watch poorly paced vignettes that never ad up to anything more than cute moments inspired by the universal
Christmas emotions of love and goodwill.
The largest problem of the film lies with its inability to settle down and let the beats of a scene unfold naturally. The first fifteen or twenty minutes of the film is so frenetically edited, jumping among the myriad of storylines, that the viewer is exposed to the most rudimentary aspects of each character (each scene relies
heavily on reaction shots, clever narrative jokes, witty dialogue lacking
emotional subtext, and a memorable physical comedy setup involving
pornography stand-ins). There is a definite interest in getting to know the
characters because they are endearing; but alas, there is no payoff in the end, just a hollowness echoing some jovial laughter.
Much of the problems arise from the oversaturation of characters. Billy Mack, a middle-aged pop star looking for a comeback, is sn interesting character played quite well by Bill Nighy. Many of the funniest scenes (not to mention a nice emotional payoff at the end of the film) involve him and his manager. High
Grant also is charming, but is forced to partake in one of the most superfluous dancing sequences seen in many a year. I cannot fault the actors, they do well with the little of which they have to work. But I would have preferred to see some of the roles excised in order to develop the others more fully. Even
Magnolia (P.T. Anderson's tour de force that relied on the connections between an ensemble of characters) allowed scenes and characters to evolve before
employing its sweeping camera movements and edits.
The intentions behind Love Actually are commendable. The opening VO set
against a nice montage of newly arrived air travelers leads the viewer to believe the complication of relationships of love might be explored. Sadly, that is never realized. The final product is nothing but a collection of cute moments that seem to be selling the idea of love rather than showing the depth of its effects.