Love Actually is smart and witty, loaded with clever little moments and sharp dialogue. The cast is a virtual who's who of impressive talent, including Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Kiera Knightley, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, and Bill Nighy. There isn't a poor performance in the bunch and Curtis does an exceptional job showcasing the talents of each member of the cast. In terms of excellent acting, Love Actually is a real treat.

       Also impressive is the way in which Curtis balances the several storylines, occasionally intersecting them but never giving any of them short shrift. And, there are so many nice little touches in the film, subtle things that might be missed on a first viewing. For example, Liam Neeson's character mentions his crush on Claudia Schiffer several times throughtout the film. Near the end, he bumps into another parent (played by – you guessed it – Claudia Schiffer!) after the Christmas play and is immediately smitten with her. That is just one example of how smart this script is and how fully developed the plot lines are. Each story is followed through to a satisfying ending and Curtis ties up all the loose ends in a heartwarming final act. Perhaps my only real complaint is that the script treats a couple of the sub-plots too predictably, but they were balanced by a couple of surprises in other sub-plots so it was easy to overlook.

       Love Actually is offered on DVD in 2.35:1 widescreen anamorphic and 5.1 Dolby Digital. Extras include wonderful feature commentary from Curtis; several deleted scenes introduced by Curtis that include a hilarious bit about a very unusual Christmas wish; a feature about the music used in the film with introductions by Curtis; Kelly Clarkson's 'The Trouble With Love' music video; and a handful of DVD-ROM features.

       Love Actually is a delightful rom-com with a stellar ensemble cast and an auspicious directorial debut for Curtis.