The horribly presumptuous title �Love Actually� suggests that Richard Curtis is going to spend these 2-something hours reconfiguring one�s mindset to adhere to his patented idea of what love actually is. If you believe that love is a newfound equality and mutual understanding discovered in a bond between two sexes, you have been sadly mistaken. Love, actually, is a plethora of congested romantic subplots that continuously exploit either sex for the enjoyment of the other. The Christmas-centric film is a dishonest representation of love in its blatant disrespect for both sexes and its depiction of love as sloppy fatalism for the sake of conveniently tying up all the loose ends by the end of Richard Curtis� self-entitled sap-fest.

...The single most damaging aspect of the film is that it prides itself in being an authoritative voice on the subject of love without ever fully exploring its inevitable dichotomies and requirements. Love is not something one is inherently prescribed to from birth, meaning no efforts on our part are needed. Love is not a concrete destiny written in stone but a reward we labour towards. Love is not an actuality to be proven by an arrogantly self-entitled director, but an elusive force that drives the human race through a turbulence of emotions, making us work towards our own personal fulfillment.

© Copyright Spencer de C, 2007
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