Director: Richard Curtis

Starring: Bill Nighy, Hugh Grant, Colin Firsth, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley

Hugh Grant does it again and with aplomb. Take a seat and prepare to let your sides split because ‘Love Actually’ is actually funny with style. In yet another romantic comedy, Grant with his soulfully sad eyes portrays a more human prime minister than any that the movie world has ever shown before.

Yes, this prime minister dances, laughs and sings carol for children when he turns up unannounced on various doorsteps yet maintains his composure. A slight satire at British prime ministers and American presidents, this shows a slightly more human side of these politicians.

But that is all besides the point. ‘Love Actually’ is about love, about falling in love and being in love and falling in love all over again Love actually is all around us, it is more obvious at the airport than anywhere else in the world.

Set in England during the five frantic weeks before Christmas, the briefly related stories of a dozen individuals unfold.

The central character is the new bachelor prime minister David (Hugh Grant) who falls for Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), an employee at 10 Downing Street. The prime minister’s older sister Karen (Emma Thompson) learns about her husband Harry’s (Alan Rickman) flirtation with an office worker named Mia (Heike Makatsch).Karen’s friend Daniel (Liam Neeson) is a recently widowed writer whose 11-year-old son is trying to deal with a serious agony — the agony of love. Then there follows more.

Each character is defined well and all of them have their quirks and funny moments.

Definitely a movie that will leave you feeling happy, ‘Love Actually’ was voted the Best British Film and Emma Thompson, the Best British Actress in the Empire Awards 2004. — HNS