UIP's Love Actually stormed to number one at the Italian box office, grossing $2,221,520 from 357 screens on its first international opening as it posted an impressive screen average of $6,223.

The Hugh Grant vehicle took the crown from Warner Bros's The Matrix Revolutions, whose earnings tumbled a depressing 51% on its second weekend - although the Keanu Reeves picture can still boast a huge Italian gross of $9,336,184 to date.

Meanwhile, Medusa's Dogville became the only film in the top 15 to see its earnings actually increase. The Lars Von Trier picture's gross shot up an impressive 32% on its second weekend, as its total earnings grew to $1,022,801.

As for local films, Italian director Paolo Virzi's comedy Caterina In The City continued to perform exceptionally well. The box office's seventh highest-grossing film earned a further $384,449 for 01 Distribution on its fourth weekend, bringing its running total to $3,280, 758.