Rating: 
Summary: (4+) Actually Quite Entertaining but Definitely Deserves "R"
Review: My rating is based on my enjoyment of this film. It has both major strengths and serious weaknesses, and as other reviews indicate has fostered very strong reactions, both positive and negative. Its format is somewhat disconcerting if you are not prepared for the methodology of the director. It contains nudity, profanity, sexual situations, and several situations that are very suggestive and some moviegoers may consider to border on the obscene. However, the situations that some people may consider offensive actually serve a purpose in developing the overall theme of the film.Love, in all its manifestations - wonder, joy, pain, happiness, passion, grief... is the theme of the film. A very talented ensemble cast is utilized to tell several somewhat interrelated stories concerning the emotional lives of the various characters. The cast includes Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Kiera Knightley and Alan Rickman. There are also telling cameos by Billy Bob Thornton and Rowan Atkinson. There is one other essential element of the story, it begins five weeks from Christmas and there are several aspects of the various vignettes where the seasonal aspect is a crucial element. One of the more interesting and complex stories involves Liam Neeson and his young stepson preparing for the funeral of his wife, which has been moving scripted by her prior to her death. As he subsequently tries to deal with his grief, he is worried about the fact that the boy is isolating himself in his room. He is surprised to discover that while his son is disconsolate at the loss of his mother, more importantly he is heartsick over his unrequited love for a girl with whom he attends school. As they concentrate on his son's dilemma and develop a plan to attract her attention, the dialog ranges from comic to quite profound. And, as the movie progresses to the time of the school Christmas pageant their story gradually becomes interwoven with several of the others. Some of the most hilarious segments are in another thread of the movie involving Bill Nighy as a washed up pop singer trying to recycle one of his old love songs as a Christmas record. He effectively caricatures the dissolute rockers who abused their bodies for too long with drugs, booze and sex. Yet in the end, the alternate humor and pathos of his situation are resolved in a very effective and quite emotional scene. In yet another thread, a scene with Emma Thompson listening to a Joni Mitchell recording and thinking about the "both sides" of her life and love is a real tearjerker. So this is a roller coaster of laughs and cheap humor combined with real insights about love and the pain that it can cause. If you aren't living in a bubble, you will probably relate to the experiences of at least one of the characters to some degree and knowingly nod in recognition of the similarities of others to people that you know. It is arguable whether the message of the film would be better conveyed with a fewer number of stories examined in somewhat more depth, but I think the result is quite powerful. Lives which seem only tangentially connected turn out to have a profound influence on others, and we really feel that we have come to understand the characters that we have been watching. My first difficulty with the movie is that the complexity of developing so many stories means that it is well over two hours long (with the previews and unconscionable ads we were in the theater for well over two hours). Second, the audience is introduced to a very large number of characters during a very short period of time, since all the stories are interspersed sequentially as the movie proceeds toward Christmas Day. Very few individual segments until the finale are more than three or four minutes in length. However, the disorientation that I felt at first from the constant scene shifts was offset by the fact that this technique was successful in keeping the audience very interested; the film actually seemed shorter than it was because of the constant action. So, it was fun while actually conveying a message at the same time. I also want to see it again, since this is the type of movie that I often enjoy more during subsequent viewings. I find that once I know the basic story line and the relationship of the various characters, I can then pay attention to a lot of the details that went were difficult to appreciate because there was so much constantly happening during the film. (In fact, as I was thinking about the film prior to writing this review a few such instances came to mind.) So, go see this film when you have time to relax and want to laugh and contemplate life for a few hours. Tucker Andersen
Rating: 
Summary: I loved "Love Actually"....
Review: Richard Curtis is a talented screenwriter who proves to many that he can 'deliver the goods' in directing a multi-faceted film for those who love romance. Curtis also wrote the screenplay for 'Love Actually' and he demonstrates his comfort with the material, but also a good eye for the camera. Curtis' work is set in Britain, as were his other phenomenal and scripts ('Four Weddings and a Funeral', 'Notting Hill') and his famous adaptation of 'Bridget Jones' Diary'. Other than in 'About a Boy', it seems that Hugh Grant, Curtis' actor of choice (he also has written much for Rowan Atkinson) has his greatest successes with films where Curtis' lines can invoke the most likeable aspects of Grant's characters. Obviously, others are eager to work with him, and the cast of 'Love Actually' is a director's dream ' amazing actresses Emma Thompson and Laura Linney, backed up by sparkling newcomers Keira Knightley and Martine McCutcheon; who both really light up the screen. On the actors' side, frankly, I'd see anything on screen with either Colin Firth, Alan Rickman or Liam Neeson (imagine all 3!), and here I was treated to a bit part for one of my new favorites, Chiwetal Ejofor of 'Dirty Pretty Things' fame. Thomas Sangster is charming and fresh as the young stepson of broken-hearted Neeson, perhaps the most charismatic youngster on screen since Haley Joel Osment. Lastly, the smaller parts and the cameos are done brilliantly, and with first-rate talent (or faces) such as Bill Nighy (as an aging rocker, discovering before it is too late how much brotherly love he has for his agent), Rowan Atkinson, Billy Bob Thornton, Claudia Schiffer , and some American lovelies such as Denise Richards, Shannon Elizabeth and Elisha Cuthbert. There are 8 (or is it 10) vignettes about all sides of love featured here, from Sam's (Sangster's) puppy love (my favorite story, with Liam Neeson helping his stepson along, and in the process, learning to heal both their hearts), to the desperate love of the long-married, staying together when one has strayed (Emma Thompson/Alan Rickman). Some of the stories are perhaps just fillers for funny bits, such as the British Colin, who emigrates to Wisconsin, where he's proved right ' American girls WILL love him, if only for the accent; and the tale of two porn star stand-ins, where the nudity and oddity of the love story is purely Brit humor. Just about every moment with Nighy (Billy Mack'a really, really old'Rod Stewart?) is exceptional: 'Kids, this is a message from your Uncle Billy. Don't buy drugs. Wait until you're a rock star, and they give them to you for free!' Many of the subtitled exchanges in the Firth romance with a Portuguese housekeeper (newcomer Lucia Moniz as Aurelia) between them, and between Firth and her family are sweet and wildly funny. But, fun and movie stars aside, this is intrinsically a movie about love, and Curtis uniquely captures it in all of its disguises, on film. The sparks are visible between Grant and Natalie, his assistant, as improper as they might be construed. The anguish of betrayal is real and compelling when Karen (Thompson) blunders into the secret relationship between her husband and his secretary. The lingering loneliness and loss for Neeson's character is believable, and you can feel how it touches the loss that Sangster feels for the same woman, his mother. Aside from Thompson's vignette, the Laura Linney tale, of a young woman so devoted to her disabled brother that she cannot have a romance of her own, and the love triangle with Knightley as the centerpiece (the film made by Mark (Andrew Lincoln) of her in the wedding is a true testament to someone who is in love) portray the sad sides of love, but their juxtaposition with the more positive tales prove that Curtis knows whereof he speaks when he writes about love. There are a number of non-cast or writing features of the film that contribute to the overall experience. The settings are a marvel, from the Heathrow airport scenes at the early and late stages of the film, to the warmth/formality of 10 Downing, and to the fact that Curtis has ostensibly made a holiday film, so central to the plot is the Christmastime and seasonal backdrop. And lastly, the score for the film is remarkable, and I've purchased the CD to prove it. A new version of 'Both Sides Now' by Joni Mitchell is featured, as is the poignant 'Songbird' by the amazing Eva Cassidy ' a better version than even the original by Christine McVie. I was caught up in Wyclef Jean's duet of 'Take Me As I Am' with Sharissa, and new group Maroon 5's 'Sunday Morning'. I can forgive the inclusion of 'Jump' by the Pointer Sisters (their worst song) with the need for something similar to back up the funny Hugh Grant scene that appears in the trailer, because the collection also includes the Otis Redding version of 'White Christmas'. Lastly, bluesy 'Turn Me On' by favorite Norah Jones and one of my Kelly Clarkson favorites, 'The Trouble With Love' show both sides of the lovesick blues. Clarkson's 'Miss Independent' was the most unique cut on her album, and earned the praise it got, but her true calling, white girl blues, is demonstrated by the first cut'. 'The trouble with love is'
It doesn't care how fast you fall,
And you can't refuse the call'
You see, you've got no sense at all'' That pretty much sums up all the nuances of love that Curtis so succinctly demonstrates in this fine, romantic film. One of my top 10 films of the year, and a real surprise and pleasure! I'll see it once more in theaters and then patiently await a DVD which I'll probably wear out. Looking forward to more writing and directing by Richard Curtis, he's a gem!
Rating: 
Summary: Just Too Much Sweetness For its Own Good!!!
Review: Let me begin by saying that there are some great actors appearing in this. Maybe that in itself is part of the problem!!! I mean Colin Firth and a love interest would have been sufficient, just as Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson would have been. I know that the director, Richard Curtis, wanted to show the complexities and subtleties of love and he needed a large canvas to do this, but really, this is too much. The mix and mash of stories does pull on the heart strings on occasion but there are too many pieces and the plot is disjointed as a result!!! It also requires that you suspend your disbelief, BIG TIME. I mean some of the situations (Hugh's prime minister and his plot) are just too over the top to be anything other than nauseatingly sweet!!! I was persuaded to go and see this by my girlfriend,( she had seen it once already!!!) and was hoping for a great , modern British comedy, along the lines of BJD. Alas this falls far short of the mark!!
Numerous subplots are also left unresolved and there seems to a lot missing, unexplainably!!! All in all, I suppose it is worth sitting through just once, but I wouldn't want this near my DVD collection. There are far better and more intelligent comedies out there!!!! This is just too sweet, too coy, too immature and too naive.
Rating:
Summary: enjoyed it, i'd buy it....
Review: man, writers are really running out of ideas in the genre of romantic comedies. whats different about this movie and why you should see it? nothing new, but all the characters and storylines intertwine. many complain about this saying theres too much going on at once, but i feel thats what makes the movie charming. touches base on every kind of love. would be a movie i'd watch again.
Rating:
Summary: "Love actually is all around..."
Review: "Love Actually" is just the right mix of romantic comedy and drama to leave you with that warm, fuzzy feeling as you leave the theatre. It's an ideal Christmas movie for moms and dads who want to see something else while the kids venture into more PG films. Writer/director Richard Curtis enlists a plethora of some of the finest British actors (and a few noteworthy Americans) to tell several different love stories. While it seems that there may be a few too many characters at first, the overall flow of the film allows the viewer to keep track quite easily. The cast is led by the ever-so-charming Hugh Grant as the British Prime Minister. While some critics have called this casting unbelievable, Grant actually pulls it off by portraying a more human, but yet stronger PM that we would all love to have leading us. His dance to the Pointer Sisters' "Jump for My Love" borders a bit on ridiculous, but it is nevertheless fun to watch. In the film, the PM is caught between leading his country with a clear head, or giving in to his feelings of attraction to his tea server Natalie (played by musical actress Martine McCutcheon). And then there's Emma Thompson, who plays Karen, sister to Grant's PM and a long-married devoted mother. She suspects that her husband Harry (Alan Rickman) may be cheating with a sexy co-worker. Her performance, simply put, is a revelation. The scene where she is in her bedroom is an example of phenominal acting. Hollywood Foreign Press and Academy members: please take notice! Another strong performance award goes to Bill Nighy, who provides most of the film's comic relief as aging rock star Billy Mack. He puts out a cheesy Christmas record and then publicly bashes it. But in classic Hollywood ending style, he does have an epiphany and realizes his wild musician life has been missing true affection. Liam Neeson shines as widower Daniel who tries to help his young stepson win the heart of a popular school crush. Equally sweet is Colin Firth as Jamie, a man recovering from a broken relationship in France who falls for his monolingual Portuguese maid. You know what? This film is such an abundance of great performances that I will run out of space discussing them all! Everybody shines! My only cast complaint is that Rowan Atkinson should have been given more screen time. What I also love about "Love Actually" is that Curtis doesn't, if you'll pardon the pun, wrap up each story in a happy little Christmas package. There are a few sad, realistic moments, particularly in the Karen/Harry subplot and in Laura Linney's turn as Sarah, an assistant who has waited so long to be with the man she loves. She realizes, in some of the film's key dramatic instances, that family matters are getting in the way. All in all, Curtis has struck gold again, in tradition of movies like "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Bridget Jones' Diary." Yeah, some of the love stories may be a little far-fetched, but aren't they all in fantasy movie world? What matters is that they are sweet and not without their share of obstacles. This film is a nice departure from some of the more disturbing violent films as of late. But be warned: it is a little more adult than most other comedies in theatres. The innuendos, language, and nudity earn the R-rating. So see it without the young kids, but do enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A very heartwarming flick...
Review: Now, how many of us have actually experienced love in real life the way actors and actresses portray it in films? Love actually brings together a very potent mix of comedy and romanticism into its whole state of affairs. You get several situations in this film all of which are connected to love and that of course is the main ingredient. Set in the very English environment you get the best of everything. The characters are excellent on their own, from the prime minister of Britain to the lonely office girl downtown, to the fading rock star, love is simply all around. What makes this movie special is the down to earth element that simply decides to sell well. Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Kiera Knightly, Martine McCutcheon, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, Bill Nighy and Rowan Atkinson all come together to deliver one excellent holiday movie, in a very long time, not to forget the excellent soundtrack to boot.
Rating:
Summary: Great for those disenchanted with Love
Review: I went to see Love Actually three times in the theaters. It was heart-warming and wonderful, sad and depressing, silly and did I say wonderful. It never failed to perk up my depressed heart and reduce me to tears at the same time. The episodic flair of the plot weaves many famous English actors in varying degrees of love. Love that is failing, love enduring, and of course love just starting. Emma Thompson is heartbreaking in her crying scene that threatens to steal the movie in a movie of many great scene stealers. In other words, her scene is awesome.
Rating:
Summary: A little gem
Review: What "Love Actually" is not is great cinema. "Love Actually" is, however, two hours of very enjoyable entertainment. The script is well written with a very appealing cast of characters. It's evident that Richard Curtis' previous screenplays ("Four Weddings and a Funeral", "Notting Hill," and "Bridget Jones' Diary") were no flukes - the guy writes good romantic comedy! And his directorial debut is, as far as I'm concerned, as entertaining as any of the movies listed above. I hadn't heard much about this movie. I pulled it from the rack based solely on the cast, most of whom could be entertaining reading the phone book. None of them disappointed me. Each was enjoyable and believable in his or her role. Curtis says that the original cut ran nearly three hours long. In viewing the deleted scenes on the DVD, you have to believe that a lot of wonderful material ended up on the cutting room floor. I honestly think I could have watched a three hour version and still have been thoroughly entertained (with my posterior intact at the conclusion) because of both the story and the characterizations by the cast. I think "Love Actually" is a little gem. Every once in awhile, a movie strikes a chord with me and I'll watch it two or three times in a row. I watched this movie once, then watched it with the director's commentary, then watched it a third time, and enjoyed it a little more with each viewing. (The last time that happened to me was when I saw "Last Orders" starring Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins, and Helen Mirren. It's also a gem that I highly recommend.) When sitting down in a theater or in front of the TV to watch any movie, you have to check a certain amount of your disbelief at the door. "Love Actually" requires some of that, but it also gives an entertaining look at how important finding, losing, and keeping love is for each of us. In the future, when I see that "Love Actually" is being shown on TV, I'll make a point of watching it again, just as I do with "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Notting Hill." I can't say that about many movies. Oh, I almost forgot. The soundtrack is terrific! Buy it, too. Watch "Love Actually" and enjoy yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Charming and satisfying
Review: Any film that can assemble the breadth of talent that graces this offering AND permit each major actor just enough room to make his or her mark obviously has a lot going for it. The roster reads like a who's who of British film, and the performances are highly polished. In short, this is a great product. Eight different love stories interweave (with Heathrow Airport acting as an anchor-point) and the film makes easy use of the kind of time-compression frequently seen in Shakespeare's plays (e.g. the action takes place over a few weeks but people accomplish tasks that would in reality take months). London itself also makes its presence felt - a glittery, clean London quite unfamiliar to those of us who've spent time there in real life. Many different kinds of love are in evidence: the love of a recently bereaved step-father for his step-son; the unexpected asexual love of an old reprobate rock star for his life's companion (his overweight male manager); the love of a man for his best friend's wife; the love of man for woman, of wife for straying husband.... and yet none of these summaries is really accurate, for each story, though sketched quickly, carries undertones. Although it would be easy to dismiss this film as lightweight, there are enough moments of pathos, of thoughtfulness, and of sheer charm to disarm all but the most curmudgeonly. Seven of the eight love stories work their magic, so it would be churlish to complain that the eighth that fails completely (for those of you wondering, it's the segment where a young Englishman heads to the USA and - quite unconvincingly - finds four beautiful young women who ravish him. This segment led me to suspect the writer had never actually been to the USA, where such behavior is about as likely as Neil Armstrong fining a McDonalds on the moon...). If you want an amusing, heartwarming product that is wonderfully devoid of violence and cynicism - basically the antithesis of vile concoctions like Kill Bill - then this is the movie for you.
Rating:
Summary: A few too many people
Review: This was a fun movie - flawed only by taking on the lives and loves of a few too many people. It's a romantic comedy in which there's a happy ending for about 12 of the 16 people involved as they careen into the stress and chaos of the Christmas holidays.
Another stretch is accepting Hugh Grant as the Prime Minister; I'm sorry, but he just doesn't look the part, nor does his endearing, hesitant, bumbling persona lend itself well to the role of a world leader. HOWEVER, there's a scene in which he thinks he's alone and he's dancing all over #10 Downing to recorded music, and he's really laying on some hotshot moves - - - and suddenly there's a staff member-secretary-middle-aged-woman-person type standing in the doorway with a sheaf of papers. It's terrific. I replayed it 3 times and laughed just as hard the 3rd time as I had the 1st.
Emma Thompson has a scene that's difficult to do justice to in words, and indeed, the scene is wordless. On Christmas morning, she realizes her husband (smarmy Alan Rickman) has a lover, and she leaves her family to go to her bedroom where she quietly, wordlessly, and eloquently regains control of her devastation. Masterful acting.
Good movie. Some wonderful acting. But man, that's a lot of people to keep track of.
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