A charming first-time watch

Rating: 8/10 (30 January 2009)

Love Actually is an out-and-out feel-good movie. It does not try to portray highly believable characters or an intense storyline.....however, it delineates the lives of people from various walks of life searching for love in their own ways, in a sweet, light-hearted and I must say,very enjoyable manner. The opening credits featuring Billy Mack's Christmas song sets the tone for the film.......sweet and funny. And throughout, it never loses that touch.......often producing surprisingly touching moments like the scene where Mark (Andrew Lincoln) expresses his love for Juliet (Keira Knightley) or when Billy Mack acknowledges his feeling for his 'chubby' manager. If you are in a mood for a light-hearted, funny, sweet and romantic musical, in my opinion, not many films can get better. I would not like to speak about the blemishes, because in the end, I believe these kind of movies want you to come out with a good feeling inside you, which this film accomplishes gracefully. Maybe I would never want to watch the entire movie again, but the first time watch was certainly charming and enjoyable.