Actually intellectual

Rating: Null/10 (16 January 2004)

Old and new talent abounds in this film. However, there are too many storylines for any actors to lead; Love Actually employs a true ensemble cast. Such a film must be carefully crafted, and Richard Curtis winds the storylines together, at times unexpectedly, as when the plot reveals the surprising relation of two key characters. The net of characters resembles the net of love between family and friends. Love Actually unfolds a philosophical message, which is stated in the opening and endorsed throughout: "Love actually is all around." I did wonder about the character named Colin, who was so sure that American women would adore his British accent and charm and desire his company. Odder than that assumption was Curtis's confirmation of that. What a strange portrayal of American girls! Colin was not an interesting character, and his interactions with the Americans were not interesting. Despite that distraction, and the overwhelmingly large cast that begs you to take notes, I enjoyed Love Actually greatly-I hate to dismiss any film as a romantic comedy, and Love Actually, like Notting Hill, has that unique British flavor that makes the film more an intellectual romance.