The producers of Love Actually are hoping there will be enough love in the air this holiday season that moviegoers will pass on bigger than life action flicks in favour of softer feel-good romantic comedies.

The movie is the directorial debut of Richard Curtis, the writer behind some of the biggest romantic comedies in recent memory -- Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Bridget Jones' Diary. He's clearly a romantic at heart, and for Curtis, the holidays are the most love-filled time of year.

"Whenever it comes to Christmas I always want to make some huge gesture towards someone I love and buy them a big red coat or do something like that," Curtis told CTV's etalk.

Actress Laura Linney who plays the role of a junior manager who takes a chance on love with an office crush, agrees with Curtis' sentimentality. "Christmas is a very romantic time," she says.

Which is why Love Actually is set at the perfect time: It intertwines nine stories of love that all culminate on Christmas Eve. The diverse characters of Love Actually are silly, eccentric and chaotic, often elated and disappointed by love.

Along with romantic comedy veteran Hugh Grant and Linney, the ensemble cast of 20 roles features Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton and Rowan Atkinson (Mr.Bean is also the brain child of Curtis).

One story line is about a newly elected and unlikely prime minister (Grant) who on his first day on the job falls for his tea lady (Martine McCutcheon). Another, is about a writer (Firth) who runs away to the south of France to mend his more than once broken heart.

But are the holidays romantic for everybody? It can be a lonely time for those who can't get home to their families.

Grant joked with etalk about his choice of romantic seasons.

"I always think April 14th is a very romantic time … springtime is a good time for me, my sap rises."

Whether the holidays are a romantic time or not, Love Actually has its work cut out for it because of it's risky early release date, November 7.

Movies that try to capitalize on the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday generally lose momentum before Christmas and New Year's -- when the big bucks roll in. This year, movies must also compete with blockbuster franchises including The Lord of the Rings and The Matrix.

But Love Actually is playing it safe by releasing the film in spurts, which could help build word of mouth.

Martin Grove of Hollywood Reporter Online told CTV.ca he thinks the movie stands a good chance at the holiday box office.

"It's a seasonal-looking film, and in fact the climax is set on Christmas Eve -- it'll have very good playability throughout December and … extremely strong playability between Christmas and New Year's," said Grove.

And a bookmaker in England is even betting that Love Actually could beat Bridget Jones' Diary as Britain's highest grossing movie.

That's because the movie also has the huge box-office success of previous Curtis/Grant movie ventures going for it.

This dynamic duo has a proven track record of delivering cupid's arrows and winning over audiences in part because of their complementary talents: Curtis provides clever and colourful scripts for a notoriously charming Hugh Grant to deliver.

This film gives Grant the chance to portray a more serious character -- similar to his role of Edward Ferrars, a sensitive, well-educated bachelor in Sense and Sensibility. As the prime minister of England Grant is more authoritative and less charming.

Regardless, we'll just have to wait and see whether holiday love can actually conquer all.