One of my all-time favourite 'chick-flicks'

Rating: 8/10 (13 July 2006)

You know how most chick-flicks fall under the category of 'guilty pleasures'? Well, Love Actually is not one of them because while it does indeed have chick-flick tendencies, it is a well-made, heartfelt and original film. You never ever need to feel guilty about enjoying it, even as a guy. What sets it apart from the guilty pleasures is its whole approach to love; it doesn't have to be between a young, hot couple but can occur in the unlikeliest of people and in the unlikeliest of times. Here we finally have a romantic comedy that manages to avoid the cheesiest clichés, but is still rich in romance. In Love Actually, we get to follow a multitude of characters in story lines that gradually intertwine. My favourite one was actually between a father (Liam Neeson) and his son.
Without spoiling anything, it must be put forward that not all story lines end happily or even traditionally. There is no grand romantic ending for all couples, nor is there a big heart-breaking finish to any. Love Actually treats its relationship much like reality--sometimes a relationship works out--sometimes it doesn't. It is not completely devoid of cheap romantic moments and in my opinion the Colin Firth storyline should have been omitted altogether as it is richest in these. Still, a very enjoyable Christmas romantic comedy. 8/10