So drenched in upbeat sentiment that it makes Frank Capra seem emotionally reserved, this ensemble romantic comedy from writer Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) is an unashamedly saccharine proposition. Curtis's opening assertion in his debut behind the camera is that, in these cynical times, "love actually is all around", and to illustrate this he unfurls nine ongoing stories, headed by Hugh Grant's new Prime Minister falling for junior staff member Martine McCutcheon, and writer Colin Firth enchanted by his Portuguese housekeeper (Lucia Moniz). Boasting an attractive cast that includes Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson and Keira Knightley, this deliberately commercial Christmas package may be guilty of spreading its acting talent a bit thin, but even the most cynical of hearts couldn't fail to be lifted by the charm of the characters and their romantic dilemmas. Aside from all the hearts and flowers, though, it's Bill Nighy's uproarious turn as an over-the-hill rocker promoting a novelty record that really delivers the laughs.

Eight very different couples deal with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London.