One of my favorite movies

Rating: 10/10 (19 April 2005)

I have watched this movie at least ten times and each time I notice nuances that I missed before. The story is a little confusing at the beginning but all the strands come together as the characters' lives intertwine. It is very romantic. One of the most moving love scenes occurs between the Colin Firth character and his Portugese cleaner. They talk to each other without being able to understand the other's language. They don't even touch but the passion is lying just beneath the surface. The movie covers most aspects of love, from unrequited love, selfless love and betrayed love to first love, optimistic love and shy love. The movie is funny but at the same time sad. It's serious but contains moments of farce. The pacing of the action works well, keeping the viewer interested. The musical score adds to the enjoyment. This is a "must see" movie