Love Actually (2004, VHS)

I found myself pleasantly surprised when I saw this rather jumbled tangle of a film about friends, families, and love. I had expected something that was silly, and a bit of a farce, not something that was ranging through the entire spectrum of human experience. Set during the weeks before Christmas, in several families and couples, it's a look at the modern world, and how we manage to still make it, despite our best efforts to mess it up.

Billy Mack (Bill Nighly) is a has-been rock star who's done too many drugs, drank too much booze, and with the aid of his agent, he's trying to make a hit with a christmas song that is a rip-off of one of his earlier hits. Unhappily, he's also a bit of a cynic, and keeps saying what he really thinks. All the time. His agent, Joe (Gregor Fisher) has gone nearly berzerk trying to keep him in line enough and on cue to get the recording finished.

With the song providing a background, we see a writer Jamie Bennett (Colin Firth) kissing his girlfriend in a hurry and dashing off to a wedding -- but he forgets something only to find her happily romancing someone else. And away he goes to the south of France to work on his book and his broken heart.

Not only are these two stories here, but also that of a pair of body-doubles filling in on some provocative footage. Since there is no need for them to learn lines while acting, John (Martin Freeman) and Just Judy (Joanna Page) get to know one another while the film whirls on.

And then there are two families that make up most of the rest of the story -- Harry (Alan Rickman) and Karen (Emma Thompson) have children, careers and lives, and seem to be the happiest of couples. But Harry is getting some serious vibes from Mia (Heike Makatsch), who is inviting him to indulge in some serious adultery. Karen is helping her ex-husband Daniel (Liam Neeson) cope with the death of his wife, and raising his son, Sam (Thomas Sangster). If that wasn't enough, Harry is trying to help his shy office mate Sarah (Laura Linney) make a connection with the handsome Karl (Rodrigo Santoro). Lastly, there is the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) who is drawn to the socially awkward Natalie (Martine McCutcheon).

Are you confused yet? I certainly was trying to follow each of these slight tales. Most remain very slight indeed, especially the ones of the body doubles, Karl and Sarah and what keeps them apart, and that of the PM and Natalie -- we only get to see one or two interactions then the scene shifts once again.

But three of the stories -- that of Jamie and Aurelia, the housekeeper he meets in France and falls in love with despite a terrible language barrier; Daniel and Sam managing to connect over their loss and Sam's falling in love with a fellow student, and lastly, the marriage of Harry and Karen that is on the edge of a meltdown -- managed to keep my interest and I really wanted to know what would happen to them. These stories don't slide into farce at all, the actors are able to convey that the emotions that they are feeling are deepseated and true, but also that they have conflicts within themselves and the outside world that need to be handled.

But despite the shallowness at times, director Richard Curtis knows what makes a good comedy -- mix in just enough tragedy to balance it, and you'll be certain to help the audience connect with the characters on screen. Too, it's no surprise at all that the actors in the more serious bits are damn fine professionals, and know their craft. It was a pleasure to watch them.

Billy Bob Thornton and Rowan Atkinson make notable cameos, and especially Atkinson -- this time he is precise, dry and perfect as a salesclerk.

The music of the film fits in nicely, and I recommend watching the deleted scenes with the director's commentary there to fill in the missing bits. There is also a music video, a featurette on the music, and additional commentary for the film.

Written and directed by Robert Curtis, it's clear from the start that he wanted to say some things about the twists that people get into when they fall into, out of, or discovering love. While the interconnections did appear a bit too contrived, and there wasn't that much story included, there are sections in this that would have made damn fine films on their own, if they had been expanded and carried further. That's a real shame.

Excellent production values. Plenty of profanity and nudity and sex, so this is not for younger viewers at all. Fine fare for a date evening at home, and worth it for some of the stories. Despite some of the clumsiness in spots, it's still a good film.