Erotica...and the holidays...is there any way these two themes can be tied together?

That was the question I asked myself as I sat down to write this December column. And you know what? An answer leapt immediately to mind: "Love Actually." If you've not yet seen this awesome holiday movie, rent it now. I haven't yet met anyone who has seen this film and not loved it.

So why did "Love Actually" seem the answer to my question? Well, first of all, it is just about the most cozy, festive bit of cinema since "It's a Wonderful Life." You get Christmas music, singing kids, snow, Christmas cards, holiday shopping, an office party, the family around the tree, the whole enchilada or should I say yule log.

As for the erotic part, well, the movie is about love in all its forms, and therefore explores a lot of issues about sex. Most obviously, there's the pair of naked stand-ins on the porn movie set, who get to know each other while ignoring their compromised positions. There's the woman with a crush on the hottest co-worker in the history of cinema (Rodrigo Santoro). There's a little boy agonizing over his first love and his stepfather helping him cope. There's a husband and father toying with an illicit affair. There's a homely lout who travels to the U.S. from Britain, certain he can "get some" because of his accent. And there's an aging rock star trying to recapture his sex appeal and career with the cutest lame holiday song ever ("I feel it in my fingers/I feel it in my toes/So if you really love Christmas/come on and let it snow").

Well, there's even more than this, and every plot line is engaging, charming, and moving it its own way. And really, how can you go wrong with a movie that includes, along with Rodrigo, some of the hottest actors on the planet: Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Billy Bob Thornton and Colin Firth. Not to mention the quirkier but equally adorable Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman and Andrew Lincoln. And the actresses are equally wonderful: Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Laura Linney, and a crew of lesser-known (at least in the U.S.) charmers. There's plenty to fall in love with in this movie: around each cinematic corner is another romantic treat.

But what yours truly, erotic romance aficionado that I am, appreciates about "Love Actually" is that it truly does address serious, important issues about sexual love, in a manner that is perfectly appropriate for a Christmas movie. From little Sam, who is just awakening to the joys and trials of sex, to Billy and Karen who are both facing the loss of their sex appeal in different ways, the characters deal with real problems that you and I understand. The film pokes fun at the commercialization of sex, even at Christmas; it deals with sex-as-power-play, lust and infidelity even as holiday plans unfold all around; it is completely adult in point of view, but childlike in spirit.

And that's the key to the wonder of this movie. It meets every issue concerning love head-on, unashamedly, portraying love and sex as they actually are. But meanwhile, it manages to capture all the magic and joy and romance of the season...and the magic, joy and romance of real love. It's one of the few films I've seen that teach the lesson that as hard and complicated and painful as life is, love really does make it all worthwhile.

That's a pretty seasonal message if you ask me.

So this holiday time, my husband and I will watch "Love Actually" as we do every year, and we'll laugh and cry and sing along with this huge cast we have come to love. I hope you and yours will likewise enjoy the season and enjoy the real love in your lives, in all its forms.

Love to you at Christmas!

Diana Laurence is the author of the Soulful Sex anthologies of erotic romance fiction, and released her newest book Bloodchained in September (www.bloodchained.com). Diana's works are published by Living Beyond Reality Press (www.livingbeyondreality.com.) Visit her at www.dianalaurence.com or enjoy her blog at www.eroticawithsoul.blogspot.com.