Julia Roberts has returned to her specialty--sad, plucky heroine.
Hugh Grant has returned to his roots--neurotically normal shy guy
with a circle of dear but idiosyncratic pals.
With both adorable stars playing to their strengths, Notting Hill
really can't miss, even if it is never anything but predictable--it's
sweet, sincere, wistful, and delightfully funny.
William (Hugh) is the owner of a travel book shop; Anna (Julia)
is a movie star. They meet cute; they meet messy; they meet
irregularly; they meet with much effort and finangling; and for
all that they still spend far too much time in the movie *not*
meeting. But hell, if people fell in love and got together at the
beginning of a romantic comedy, what sort of movie would it be?
After the attraction of the couple, the most critical aspect of a
movie like this is the device used to keep the couple apart. Is
it believable? Do we care? Notting Hill wisely chooses to make
stardom the device in Anna's life that keeps her away, distant,
distrustful, and remote. It's new, it's different--and it's
completely believable. Given the stars of this movie, both of
whom who've had more than their share of privacy invasions, we
are reminded in every shot about just how unlikely it is that
these two could easily meet and be left alone. If the dual
presence of Grant and Roberts isn't enough, the movie throws in
Alec Baldwin, photographer puncher, to hammer the point home. (Baldwin,
incidentally, now has another kick-ass cameo to add to his list
of accomplishments.)
Notting Hill gives a great deal of detail about of movie stardom--the
tedium of waiting for the next shot, the press conferences, the
press junkets (William pretends to be from Horse and Hound and
assures Anna that she is his magazine's favorite actress. "You
and Black Beauty. Tied."). In one scene, Anna describes just
exactly what her life has been like for the past 10 years and if
it's not the same as Julia's life, it may as well be.
The clan of friends are all delightful. The reaction of one
friend upon learning that he has just made a *complete* ass of
himself in front of Anna Scott is hysterical; the ex-love in a
wheelchair is very nicely done (like Grant's deaf brother in FW&AF,
she is merely a character with a disability, not defined by it).
Grant's roommate (Rhys Ifans) is a dizzy delight; he reminded
very much of my mother--and I liked him anyway. A compliment
indeed.
The screenplay is witty, funny, and knowing. A few false moments,
but nothing catastrophic.
One of the things about Roberts I find quite interesting is her
willingness to portray herself in an unattractive light. In My
Best Friend's Wedding she is scheming and manipulative; in
Notting Hill she loses her temper (under extreme provocation) and
turns on Grant cruelly and unfairly--with nary an excuse for
misunderstanding given.
The movie has one ending too many. Still, one of the better
romantic comedies in a while. Keep it well in mind for those
times when a compromise selection is desperately needed.
