For a film sure to warm your heart this holiday season, see Love Actually, the directorial debut of screenwriter Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’ Diary). A film billed as “the ultimate romantic comedy” in its production notes, Love weaves together the lives of over 14 different characters at various stages of being in love – everything from crushes to family love to friendship to love lost. The cast is a who’s who of British film, including Hugh Grant as the bachelor Prime Minister of England, Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman as a comfortable married couple, Colin Firth as a broken-hearted writer, Liam Neeson as a just-widowed stepfather, and Keira Knightly as a new bride. Americans Laura Linney (as a lovelorn office worker) and Billy Bob Thornton (as the U.S. President) are also in the mix.

The film is a little over the top and not particularly realistic in its plot, but the emotions portrayed on screen are genuine. The acting is excellent, especially from Thompson and Firth, and the dialogue is priceless. I laughed and cried throughout (both from sadness and joy). An especially funny storyline is the one where Firth falls in love with his Portuguese housekeeper; she doesn’t speak a word of English, and he tries words in just about every language except Portuguese. The translation of his attempts at Portuguese is absolutely hilarious. My only questions are whether some Americans will be offended by the storyline with the PM and the President and whether the film is too “chick flick”ish for guys, but I think it’s worth a try. If you’re looking for a film that actually doesn’t have any blood or Kung Fu, Love Actually is the one for you!