Delightful romantic comedy

Rating: 8/10 (11 November 2003)

I just recently saw this film and I must admit that, (in as far as this year), this is one of only a handful of films where the pre-release buzz was on target ("Dirty Pretty Things" being another).
Most film enthusiasts would readily admit that the genre, while having notable entries proving otherwise, is full of asinine failures, completely devoid in reality; providing excellent examples of the pop phrase "corny." While "Love..." does ask it's viewers to suspend some reality (e.g. with all due respect, can you actually envision ANY head of government, let alone the Prime Minister, being as relatively young AND good-looking as Hugh Grant, remaining completely unattached, much less the party's leader?), the viewer never has to make a conscience attempt to do so; (s)he is emotionally involved with the characters, and the willingness to see their respective scenarios to conclusion is not laborious.
In addition to my admiration of the film I must compliment the creative forces that be on two particular aspects of plot which, had this been a typical Hollywood production, would have made an unnecessary dive into socio-political commentary: 1. The "makeup" of two of the couples, although one of them is not paired until the end of the film (to reveal more would require spoilers, so see the film to find out). Suffice it to say that a great deal of stereotyping and/or additional social commentary concerning these individuals could have been made, and in the US this would have been the entire focus of the film, despite its multi-faceted plot line. The fact that we see all of these people as "regular" individuals, without any agenda to promote, allows the film to be jovial and keeps true to its theme. 2. The now-infamous "leftist" tirade from Hugh Grant's Prime Minister. Having just seen the film, and in reading several commentaries from other sources about it, I'm compelled to ask, "What 'leftist' tirade?" While political philosophies may differ, nothing mentioned in that scene could be considered anti-American, unless you're a DEVOTED Bush disciple. The message, while definitely pro-British, could not be viewed as anything but unless one is already disposed to viewing anything except the Star Spangled Banner as unpatriotic.
Overall, while not a masterpiece, it is one of the best romantic comedies of all time, and definitely the best one this year. Can't wait for the DVD...