With no fewer than eight couples vying for our attention, Love Actually is like the London Marathon of romantic comedies, and everybody wins. Having mastered the genre as the writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Bridget Jones's Diary, it appears that first-time director Richard Curtis is just like his screenplays: he just wants to be loved, and he'll go to absurdly appealing lengths to win our affection. With Love Actually, Curtis orchestrates a minor miracle of romantic choreography, guiding a brilliant cast of stars and newcomers as they careen toward love and holiday cheer in London, among them the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) who's smitten with his caterer (Martine McCutcheon); a widower (Liam Neeson) whose young son nurses the ultimate schoolboy crush; a writer (Colin Firth) who falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; a devoted wife and mother (Emma Thompson) coping with her potentially unfaithful husband (Alan Rickman); and a lovelorn American (Laura Linney) who's desperately attracted to a colleague. There's more--too much more--as Curtis wraps his Christmas gift with enough happy endings to sweeten a dozen other movies. That he pulls it off so entertainingly is undeniably impressive; that he does it so shamelessly suggests that his writing fares better with other, less ingratiating directors. --Jeff Shannon

Although it doesn't quite work, it's definitely worth watching. Some great performances. Could have cut a few of the stories out completely though. Should have focused on Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant. The rest weren't really worth it although the Laura Linney storyline was moving. I cried a little and laughed a little, and I guess it kept me more engaged than most films I see.
Actually, the absolute best thing about this film is Lynden David Hall singing at the wedding at the beginning. He died a couple of years ago and it was a shock - but a beautiful one - to see him in the film, I had no idea! Beautiful man with a beautiful voice. RIP.

Beautifully shot, with beautiful people, ahhhh, its just so lovely! For some this type of film may have them running for the sick bucket, but for others its just fine to switch off from reality for a couple of hours, and enjoy it!

Hugh Grant, Kiera Knightley, Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson all put in a fine performace to make this another great British offering, and a cracking feel good film.

If you enjoyed the likes of Four Weddings, Notting Hill and About a Boy, then this is right up your street.

I hate films like Pretty Woman, Notting Hill, Sleepless in Seattle, all my mothers favourite romcom crap. I have never seen what attracts women to Hugh Grant. I went to see this film in the cinema to keep a friend company. However, I have been converted!!

This is a lovely, warm, christmas film, perfect for cosying up inside with the fire while its cold outside. It always puts me in the mood for christmas and snow, and to be honest I'm not a big fan of them either! I also think this is Hugh at his peak.

Romcom fans will love it, and for those who dont normally like this sort of film, you could be surprised. Whilst there isn't any real gritty substance to the characters, they all have different stories and there might just be enough 'main' storylines to keep you interested. Cracking cast, big names like Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson and Keira Knightley, the others all put in an excellent performance, including a few of the cast from Channel 4 series 'Teachers', and some of the kids.

Excellent soundtrack too.

The perfect film for people who love being in love and don't care about the reality of love or relationships. For the rest of us, it's a graceless, unsubtle and predictable nightmare full of stereotypes aimed purely at the American market. Unless you're my mum, avoid.

I had the misfortune to see this awful film in the cinema. If you enjoyed Four Weddings and the one with Julia Roberts, then avoid this tripe. It is mindless, twee nonsense. One star because I can't give zero.