When it comes to comedy, especially the over-the-top kind, nothing compares to the British. From Dudley Moore and Peter Cook to Monty Python's Flying Circus; from Benny Hill to Mr. Bean. Like the James Bond song goes, "Nobody Does It Better."

"Love Actually" tells the story of different people, dealing with, as the title says, love.......actually. It's a month before Christmas and more than snow is in the air. Grant is the newly-elected Prime Minister who is smitten with one of his new staff members. Thompson is a woman very leery of husband Rickman's attractive secretary. Firth is a man who caught his wife with another man. Neeson is a recent widower whose grade school stepson is just beginning to appreciate the opposite sex. Add to these stories a couple of movie stand-ns (the humor is that they are appearing in an erotic film so they are constantly nude while passing the time of day talking about traffic) and a sex-starved young man convinced that the promised land lies in America and you've got an enjoyable romantic comedy.

Director Curtis, who also wrote the film, is no stranger to mixing humor and romance. He is also responsible for "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Bridget Jones' Diary." That takes care of the romance. His earlier work on British television teamed him often with Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean), creating some of the funniest moments on the tube. As a director, he knows to trust his writer, letting his camera flow with the story. It's an excellent debut. The casting is outstanding. Though the film features many "A" list stars, the film is truly an ensemble piece, with each actor given a chance to shine. Top marks go to Bill Nighy, who plays an old rock star making a comeback with an unlikely Christmas hit and to Thompson, who has an incredible scene that just screams "OSCAR CLIP!" I wouldn't be surprised if both of these actors hear their names announced as nominees next year. Grant and Firth play off their good looks with casual charm and Neeson is fine in a rare non-dramatic role. I will say here that, while the film is an enjoyable comedy, do take the "R" rating seriously. There is some language and plenty of nudity (thanks to the filmmaking couple) that seems to be catching some viewers off guard. Personally, I found the film, and the situations, hilarious. On a scale of zero to four stars, I give "Love Actually"