Love, Actually

Date: 21 November, 2003
AMC Cinema, Manchester
2 Adults, 0 Children
Rating: 6/10
May rent, won’t buy.

This is an ambitious directorial debut from Richard “Four Weddings” Curtis. It examines the love-lives of a set of loosely interconnected characters, from the Prime Minister down to the lowly body double.

It’s hard enough to make a convincing romance with just two lead characters, yet alone an ensemble. While the film has many well-handled touching moments and some reasonable laughs, some scenes are so badly written and heavy-handed that at times it’s painful to watch. My guess is that Curtis, who has had success as a writer, was unaware of the magnifying power of the cinema screen; that which may have appeared on set as suitably exaggerated is comically bad on the silver screen. The performances are of a high standard, but it is the combination of writing and directing that lets the film down.

But for all its faults, Love Actually, is worth seeing, particularly for the more subtle moments. Billed as a RomCom, I hope Curtis will realise that his directorial skill does not lie in that genre, but in touching, well-balanced drama.