Love Actually, written and directed by Richard Curtis

Love Actually, written and directed by Richard Curtis

                Just consider the cast:

Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Martin Freeman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keira Knightley, Bill Nighy, Laura Linney, Alan Rickman, Billy Bob Thornton, Rowan Atkinson and more.

All the actors aforementioned are leading role stars.

Indeed, there are interconnected stories in Love Actually that all have about the same weight in the mosaic.

The point is plainly expressed in the introductory scene where the voice over suggests we should go to an airport.

It sounds preposterous and indeed quite a few moments in this film are, but at an airport one can see

Love Actually

Barbara Fredrikson is the ultimate expert on positivity and she has identified the ingredients in her book:

Positivity

These are: amusement watch comedies, even silly ones like Love Actually- interest, awe, inspiration, hope, gratitude, serenity, joy, pride and the element that is towering over them all is:

Love!

There are some good moments in Love Actually, although this viewer had expected more from such a terrific cast.

Maybe the best, included in the promos for good reason has the Prime Minister aka Hugh Grant…dancing.

Granted, this type of leader would never get office, for the large numbers of British would rather have a later day…communist in the person of the unlikeable, admirer of Hugo Chavez and others like him, the rather stupid Jeremy Corbin- I have lived in a communist regime and understand what this politician preaches.

The other moments that were charming involve two actors that perform in erotic fare and have to maintain a serious face throughout, even when he is told to massage her breasts and they talk about the…traffic.

Another amusing and repellent scene has Emma Thompson as the wife who finds a precious necklace in her husband’s clothes and is very excited, thinking this is the present she gets for Christmas.

However, when the gifts are presented, she opens her present only to find a …music CD that demolishes her.

The late Alan Rickman as the husband has bought that for another woman and this is causing a breakdown.

The splendid Bill Nighy has a more relaxed attitude in the role of a singer who has some outrageous positions.

During a live show, he says the right thing- teenagers; do not buy drugs- only to add: become singers and then you will get them free.

This performer has a song in a competition that he is unlikely to win and promises that, if he does win, he will go naked on live TV.

And he wins…

Collin Firth plays a charming- what else? - Writer who has a Portuguese-speaking house cleaner in a wonderful setting.

One day, almost all the pages of his manuscript are blown away by the wind and the beautiful girl takes her clothes off…well, most of them…and jumps into the lake to get the novel.

The writer falls in love with the woman who does not speak his language and he starts learning…Portuguese.

If farfetched and rather ridiculous, Colin Firth has the appeal to make the love scene in the restaurant somewhat plausible, even if the whole family and half of Lisbon appear to attend.

The conclusion is that there are episodes that you might enjoy in this film and others that will have you cry…

Oh, come on…give me a break!