Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen, and though "Love Actually" may have seemed different at first, it is really just many mediocre films rolled into one. It has a star-studded cast including Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney and Liam Neeson, plus up-and-coming Kiera Knightley. Written by Richard Curtis, who worked on "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Bridget Jones's Diary," this is also Curtis' directorial debut.The film is unique in that it tells the stories of nine couples, not just one.

The idea of having so many characters may sound like it would be confusing, and it is. The focus of the movie is constantly changing and on many occasions I was forced to stop and try to remember who the characters were. Some may think that skipping around keeps things interesting, but I think it is just distracting. While I commend the writers for the idea, I think the movie would have been better with fewer subplots.

Like all romantic comedies, "Love Actually" has its share of funny and heartwarming moments, but overall, it fails to live up to my expectations. The talent of the director and actors is wasted. "Love Actually" has all the ingredients of a great romantic comedy, but for some reason, they just don't seem to mix.



This movie is rated R.