A somewhat fun look at love

Rating: Null/10 (10 February 2004)

'Love Actually' a film written and directed by Richard Curtis tells the (love story) of several characters through out, placing them often in funny situations. The main characters are Bill Nighy as an honest burnt out rock star looking to sell his CD, Hugh Grant as the charming, newly elected Prime Minister of England, Colin Firth as an author looking to write a new book, and Liam Neeson as a recently widowed person who's 11 son claims to be in love with a girl at school. Eventually, these stories connect in a way, and it's interesting to see how it happens. The cast here works well, they all turn in believable performances, especially Emma Thompson as a wife who is a bit shocked and saddened by what her husband (Alan Rickman) has done. Laura Linney also comes into play as a worker for Rickman, though she is a bit shy to go after the one she loves. The main idea of the film is that 'love is everywhere'. The audience sees through these stories that, and the film starts on a high note and ends on a high note. Curtis keeps on his idea, something to admire, he doesn't get sidetracked by other things. The film has its moments, there are some funny bits mainly with Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. The film was made with heart, something else to appreciate, Curtis seems to want the audience to genuinely care what happens to these characters, and in a way, he gets the audience to do so. However, at times the film isn't quite the comedy it was made out to be. These moments occur mainly with the characters of Linney and Thompson, whom have problems in their personal lives. These moments painfully stick out, as much the film is supposed to be a realistic reflection on love, the moments don't exactly fit in well with the rest of the film. All in all, 'Love Actually' is an okay film. It has its moments, there is some good work from the cast, though at times the humor gets a bit excessive and the film can't decide which direction it wants to go. 7/10