Love actually is probably one of the most positively uplifting films of all time. No one should go into this expecting something bold or novel or profound. It is shallow, trite, naive, and confounding. But it is also charming. Indeed The films strength lies entirely with allowing us suspend our disbelief and be absorbed by its charm. When attempting to judge the film with a disinterested eye, many flaws emerge. The film is too long yet too short- there are too many characters vying for screen time in a 2 and one quarter hour long romcom(most romcoms are 1 and a half hours long). I would have much preferred it if the film were less ambitious and stuck with just 3 characters, maybe the Collin Firth, Hugh Grant, and Keira Knightley characters, for I feel these characters' stories were the most charming of them all. The film also has a tendency to veer towards corniness and sentimentality, and much of the dialogue is terribly average. But I don't care. Especially for the first hour or so, Love actually succeeds in persuading the massive cynic that I am in being absorbed by the film. And that for me is an achievement for any romcom.
Review of Love Actually
