Review: Notting Hill (1999)
SaiTiau
by Fontaine L.
“Surreal, but nice.”
Coincidentally, this key phrase in the movie also sums up the entire
film. The whole thing seems like a surreal dream. A nice, surreal
dream (has the horse been beaten enough yet?). Let’s face it, the
plot is ludicrous. Almost as ludicrous, as, say, a prostitute falling
in love with her client. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
In a season dominated by FX-laden blockbusters like Episode I, “The
Mummy,” and “The Matrix,” “Notting Hill” will provide a
welcome escape into fairy tale romance that the inner girl (okay,
inner boy too) in us all craves. It’s a movie for everyone
who’s ever been starstruck.
Despite its overall success, the film is uneven at places. From the
very beginning, awkward editing and abuse of rock music (a sadly
common event in the MTV era) threaten to eclipse the atmosphere, but
eventually the film picks up its own lighthearted yet slightly
bittersweet pace. The selected soundtrack hits and misses, and the
score is often too cutesy and recycled (not only so, but cued at
similar scenes), but at dramatic intervals the swelling music is quite
effective. The movie moves along at a fairly brisk place, but it does
not escape lagging in a few places (discussed later). The romance
between Anna and William seems forced at first because of the very
rapidity with which it develops, but this becomes more acceptable as
we grow accustomed to the film’s wonderland atmosphere.
While it *is* a romantic comedy (let’s make that Comedy with a
capital C), it does not reduce secondary characters into
two-dimensional cardboard; rather, it puts them into good use. Each
secondary character, from leading man William Thacker’s (what, is
this supposed to allude to Will M. Thackeray?) (played by Hugh Grant)
eccentric circle of family and friends to Alec Baldwin’s suprising
cameo as Roberts’ insensitive boyfriend, has an interesting
characteristic of his own. A standout is Thacker’s grossly (and I
mean that literally) inapproriate roommate spike, whose idiosyncracies
bring comic relief in a bold way (read my lips: butt cheeks) that not
many romantic comedies of this sort dare do. Another form of humor I
rather appreciated were the industry in-jokes (Harrison Ford, Mel
Gibson, Demi Moore). Sadly, they could’ve used this form of humor
in many other places and given the film a real punch.
“Notting Hill” brings back the Julia Roberts of “Pretty
Woman”: the pretty girl with the big grin and infectious laugh.
Roberts has never been an exceptional actress, but she’s more than
perfect (and just a bit self deprecating) in her role as mega movie
star Anna Scott. Glamorous and graceful when she’s in the movie
star mode, Roberts also effectively morphs into the girl-next-door
mode that was her claim to fame in “Pretty Woman” and subsequent
films. What’s interesting about the casting of Roberts is the
apparent parallels between Roberts and the character she plays and
Roberts’ willingness to poke fun at this structure. Roberts and
Scott both became famous at a young age, both are under intense public
scrutiny whenever they do something as mundane as hold hands with a
boyfriend. The irony comes when we see the (un)intentional parallels.
Scott describes herself as a bad actress with a pretty face that
everyone will forget ten years from now, just as critics everywhere
love to proclaim Roberts as just another long-legged beauty who
can’t act. Well I’ll give her this: she does a great job of
acting like a bad actress in the pseudo-film clips.
Speaking of self-deprecation, we come to the master himself, Hugh
Grant, most known for “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” Elizabeth
Hurley, and the Divine Brown scandal. Here again we have evidence of
masterful casting. While Grant may look perpetually lost in other
films, his shy boy stuttering comedy and unaffected charm is perfect
for his role as the everyday man William Thacker. There’s even a
sly reference to his scandal thrown in:
Part of what makes the film different is its poignancy amidst the
lovey-dovey stuff and comedy. There’s just a subtle hint of the
common man versus the unreachable: in this case, the common citizen
versus Hollywood superstar. Thacker’s group often gets together
and laments about their lives, envious of Anna and treating her like a
walking Madonna, try desperately to impress her; while Anna in reality
lead a glamorous but lonely life in the spotlight. Because of the
similarities between Roberts and Anna, we feel as if we’ve been
given a secret peek into Roberts’ private life. It shows the
sometimes inhumane treatment most celebrities have to endure. Its
ingenuity is it simultaneously makes fun of the celebrities’
complaints by placing their troubles alongside a woman bound to a
wheelchair for life, a failed entrepreneur, a fired stockbroker, a
romantic failure, and starving refugees.
The film would have been immensely better if it had been, say, half an
hour shorter; toward the end you keep thinking it’s going to end,
but it just keeps dragging on (the Death Flaw for romantic movies, in
my opinion). It is times like these when the quiet, snippy, decidedly
British banter between the characters seem lifeless and forced. Other
times they are witty and engaging. I suppose this is worth it in a
way since it all builds up to a wonderfully fluffy happy ending that
is bound to send sensitive viewers everywhere looking for their
hankies and Kleenexes. “Notting” made me laugh *and* cry; it
entertained me but it didn’t try too hard to be sweet and
cute. There’s no better way to spend a Friday evening.
“Hello! You’re in a wheelchair!”
Rating: B (First viewing, 5/28/99)
Silver-Screen List Administrator and PVPHS Class of '99
http://members.aol.com/saitiau/welcome.html
Dustin Putman
Directed by Roger Michell.
Cast: Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers, Tim
McInnerny, Gina McKee, Hugh Bonneville.
1999 - 124 minutes
Rated PG-13 (for profanity and sexual situations).
Reviewed May 30, 1999.
The final installment of what I'd like to call the "unrelated bookstore
romance trilogy," director Roger Michell's "Notting Hill" is, for my
money, easily the best (the other two being "You've Got Mail" and "The
Love Letter"). It is a sparkling romantic comedy, full of so much
energy, laughs, and intelligence that it also must go down as one of the
better films of its genre this decade. Taking the overly familiar
formula of "boy-gets-girl/boy-loses-girl/boy-gets-girl-back," Michell
and screenwriters Richard Curtis and Duncan Kenworthy have put an extra
spin on the potentially mundane by having a great deal to say about
fame, and the price celebrities must pay, when most would probably
rather lead a "normal" life.
Set exclusively in the homely England town of Notting Hill, William
Thacker (Hugh Grant) is a lonely 35-year-old divorcee who runs a travel
bookshop and shares a townhouse with the goofy, unsightly Spike (Rhys
Ifans), a scruffy-looking man who is oddly lovable even when he is
revolting. One day while at work, William finds his life suddenly change
before his eyes when Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), the world's most famous
movie star, walks in to do some book-shopping. After a brief encounter,
William then experiences a "Meet-Cute" with Anna when he accidentally
spills orange juice on her while walking along the street. After
stopping by at his home to clean up, it becomes clear that Anna really
likes William, and might even want to further the relationship, but
there are, predicatably, many obstacles in the way. For one, the life of
a movie star is not easy, as they rarely are able to snatch a moment's
time for themselves. And two, Anna knows that their budding romance
might very well lead to life-changing consequences for William and
herself, particularly when the media inevitably catches on to the story.
Watching "Notting Hill," it is clear to see how easily the film could
have been of lesser quality. After all, we've seen this story outline
numerous, practically endless, times before and to mostly ho-hum
results. It is only after the fame aspect is added in that the film
proves it is trying something a little different, as the dialogue always
comes off as nothing less than witty and entertaining. This slyness also
leads to the heavy dose of humor the film has going for it, and I can't
even remember when I've laughed so hard at a romantic comedy before.
Aside from the scripting, the supporting characters are all comic
originals, from Ifans, as William's roomate, Spike, who brightens up
each scene he is in (even if the scenes are already bright), to Emma
Chambers, as William's talkative, lovable sister, Honey, who is
fortunate enough to be given the film's most laugh-inducing line of
dialogue, when she first meets Anna, the movie star. Also effective in
minor roles are Tim McInnerny, as William's brother, and Gina McKee, as
his crippled wife, who share a few nice scenes together, and whose
relationship is believable and touching as a married couple who love
each other with all their hearts, no matter what.
And of course at the center of the film are the star attractions, Hugh
Grant and Julia Roberts. Grant is the character whom we follow
throughout the film, and he gives a memorable performance that more than
adequately displays the full round of emotions William feels when it
looks like his relationship with Anna isn't going to work out after all,
and then when he finds himself given another chance. The question of
should he take the chance or not is cause for some debate, and your
opinion will greatly hinge on if you, like William, have fallen for
Anna. Since she is played by Julia Roberts, of all people, my prediction
is that most people will grow to care and understand her character's
plight, as she has all of the money and success that she could ask for,
but still is burdened with her extreme popularity, the media, and no
privacy. It would be the easy way out to say that Roberts is, in
general, playing herself, but I don't think so. Anna is strictly a
character, but the reason Roberts is so wonderful and right at home here
is because she, no doubt, has taken her own experiences with fame and
put them into the context of this film. Together, Grant and Roberts are
dynamite, and perhaps they could go on to become the next Tom Hanks/Meg
Ryan romantic duo.
One of the pleasures to be had in "Notting Hills" is in its dealing with
Hollywood. One of the best, and most hilarious, on-target, sequences
comes when William drops by the Ritz hotel to see Anna, and finds
himself in the midst of press interviews. Saying that he is from "Horses
& Hounds" magazine, William is forced into a seemingly endless stream of
interviews with Anna Scott's co-stars in her latest film, the sci-fi
epic, "Helix." The sheer accuracy of the interview procedure is one of
the reasons the scene is so successful, and is only aided by William's
utterly benign questions, such as when he asks Anna, "do you wish that
you had added more horses into your film?" "Not really," replies Anna,
"seeing that this particular picture takes place in space." Because of
her fame, Anna knows that she can never have what most people have,
which is a regular life, but still feels frustrated by the fact that she
can't do anything without the media turning it into a major headline
blitz. The treatment of this character element only enhances the film,
and Anna, so that when she grows upset at one point late in the picture,
it is an understandable reaction.
Although not vital to the film's story, one added bonus that should be
pin-pointed is a magical, liberating sequence in which William walks
down a Notting Hill street and right in front of your eyes, we see the
seasons change from summer to rain to snow, and finally, to spring.
Bravo to director Michell for attempting something so fresh and stylish,
and performing it to perfection.
How everything ends up at the conclusion of "Notting Hill" can be more
or less telegraphed before the movie even starts, but getting to that
predictable moment was an unexpected delight, and for the film to have
ended any other way would have seemed like a cheat. "Notting Hill" is
the rare, quintessential Hollywood romance--smart, affectionate,
realistic, and thoroughly likable.
- Copyright 1999 by Dustin Putman
Http://hometown.aol.com/FilmFan16/index.html
Steve Rhodes
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
In an inspired bit of casting, Julia Roberts plays Julia Roberts in a
princess and commoner story titled NOTTING HILL. Actually she uses the
name of Anna Scott, but we all know it's Roberts playing Roberts.
As Anna Scott, Roberts plays an extremely attractive star who spends her
life dodging photographers and making $15,000,000 a picture. Now, that's
a real stretch for her. What's amazing is how likable and vulnerable she
makes this poor little rich girl.
As exquisitely directed by Roger Michell and smartly scripted by Richard
Curtis, the movie easily transcends its highly contrived setup. This is
a comedic romance that makes you fall in love with love. And it's a
romantic comedy that produces huge laughs through dialog that relies on
wry wit rather than crude humor -- the polar opposite of THERE'S
SOMETHING ABOUT MARY.
Starring opposite Roberts is Hugh Grant as William Thacker, the
unassuming owner of a travel bookstore in a working class area of London
known as Notting Hill. Grant is called upon to play an awkward guy who's
shocked at his good fortune in having a movie star take an interest in
him.
For Grant, acting's master of awkwardness, playing Thacker would seem as
natural as it is for Roberts to play Scott. Indeed it is, but both
actors rise above roles in which autopilot performances might have
sufficed. Their chemistry is a joy to behold, and their acting has
wonderful subtlety and grace.
As the movie opens, Thacker commutes his 1,000 yards to the office. A
divorced man, whose wife left him for a bloke who looked like Harrison
Ford, he get his pleasure from his happy, but fairly unsuccessful,
relatives and neighbors.
This day fortune strikes and the famous Anna Scott comes into his store.
Dumbstruck at first, finally he begins to babble and comes up with some
naturally funny little lines. [I once had a similar experience in a
small doctor's office in London in the 1970s, when Diana Rigg, the then
enormously popular star of "The Avengers," sat four feet away from me. I
know how Thacker must have felt.]
Luckily for him, he later rounds a street corner and clumsily spills
orange juice all over her blouse. This causes her to go to his flat to
change. When she leaves for what he assumes will be forever, he doesn't
know quite what to say. "It was nice to meet you," he tells her in a
daze. "Surreal, but nice."
This may already sound like every man's fantasy, and, if you're going to
dream, dream big. When she comes over and plants a big kiss on him, I
thought it might be a daydream sequence, but it wasn't.
"Probably best not to tell anyone about this," she admonishes him when
leaving. "Right, no one," he responds with sad seriousness. "I mean,
I'll tell myself sometime, but I won't believe it."
His irritating flatmate Spike is played in an over-the-top performance
by Rhys Ifans. Spike, with his prominent gold tooth, uncombed hair,
scruffy beard and perpetually dirty feet, supplies much of the movie's
more outlandish humor. A little of Spike can go a long way, which the
editor seems, thankfully, to have realized.
As you can guess, the acting princess does call the bookshop pauper
back. This introduces the problem of where to take her for their first
date. Perhaps something simple like tea at the Ritz?
In a case of mistaken identity, he is assumed to be at her hotel to see
her as part of her movie's press junket. Soon he takes on the identity
of a reporter from "Horse and Hound" magazine. After he speaks to her,
he's forced to ask questions of all of the other stars. [Here in New
York on a press junket myself for TARZAN, this scene hit home as well. I
wonder if I could have used some of his questions?] At any rate, their
meeting is less than perfect as Scott, dressed in a business suit and
tie, apologizes for "that kissing thing."
From this point their romance goes on and off. The players take the
movie to a level that should not be possible given the triteness of the
basic setup. Every scene, including the dinner with his family, comes
across with incredible honesty and warmth. One suspects that if your
brother brought Julia Roberts home to dinner it could well end up just
as it does in the movie.
Still, it is hard having a relationship with someone who has ten-foot
high pictures of her face painted on every bus in town, as they promote
her latest film. Falling in love with someone this famous, Thacker says
is like opening Pandora's Box. Think about it. If you've had a
relationship with Julia Roberts, don't you think you'd have a bit of
trouble trying to find someone else afterwards?
After scenes that are alternately sweet, funny, humorous, romantic and
poignant, the story finally comes to a close. As you realize it's time
for the characters to leave, you begin to miss them. The only question
is how will the writer end the story. Coming up with the movie's most
energetic moments, he ends it with an exhilarating sequence that dazzles
your mind and heart.
One of the key scenes of the movie has Thacker opening the door of his
apartment and being greeted by reporters who stick mikes in front of his
face, shine lights in his eyes, and shove a camera lens in front of him.
This happened to me the second I opened the door to exit the theater. A
reporter wanted my opinion of the film.
Pointing out how similar this real life experience was to the scene in
the movie, I asked where Julia Roberts was. He said she was in the lobby
waiting for me. Life in this case, I am sad to report, did not imitate
art.
NOTTING HILL runs 2:03 but feels much shorter. It is rated PG-13 for
some sexual situations and a little profanity and would be fine for kids
around 11 and up.
My son Jeffrey, aged 10, who saw the film back in California, said he
really enjoyed it and gave it ***. He said he laughed a lot. His only
complaints were that he didn't understand some of the humor, and he
didn't like some of the bad language.
Email: Steve....@InternetReviews.com
Web: www.InternetReviews.com
Eugene Novikov
Reviewed by Eugene Novikov
http://www.ultimate-movie.com
Member: Online Film Critics Society
***1/2 out of four
Starring Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Rhys Ifans. Rated PG-13.
Notting Hill is a movie that plays off a dream. It's a dream many people
have. Imagine, if you will, this scenario: you get a knock on your door
one afternoon. You go to open it, and on your doorstep you see one of
the most famous movie stars in the world, someone you have seen time and
again, someone you admire, perhaps even adore (don't even ask why they
are there, stick with me here). What would you do? What would you say?
How would you conduct yourself? It's quite an interesting thought,
really. One often imagines something like that happening to him, but if
push comes to shove and it actually happens, he is dumbfounded. And what
if that movie star, presumably of the opposite sex, comes up and plants
a big wet kiss on you? That's what Notting Hill is about.
Hugh Grant, whose talents have taken second billing to the 1995 scandal
when he reportedly hired a prostitute to perform undignified sexual acts
on him in the privacy of his car, is actually a damn good actor. He's
got a boyish, often befuddled charm that can only be described as crowd-
pleasing, but it's also effective. Here, he stars as William Thacker, a
struggling travel bookshop owner in a section of London called Notting
Hill. When Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), a female movie star the
equivalent of, well, Julia Roberts, walks into his bookshop one day, he
is understandably amazed but he maintains his composure (even if he does
give her a free book). He remains human even when later that same day he
bumps into Anna on the street and spills some coffee on her. He
excitedly invites her to go clean up at his place, across the street (18
yards away), to clean up. That is where the big wet kiss is planted.
Before long, it's full-fledged love affair, with Anna coming to
William's sister's birthday (complete with exclamations of "Holy F*ck!"
by astounded family members), them climbing over garden walls, and so
on. It's an extraordinarily engaging affair, mainly because Thacker's I-
can't-believe-this-is-happening astonishment is so palpable. For once,
here is the old "ordinary guy in extraordinary circumstances" plot, when
the extraordinary circumstances are actually positive, as is this
relentlessly upbeat, optimistic modern fairly tale.
Notting Hill asks whether fame is a goal or an obstacle; whether one who
is a household name can achieve the happiness that so many "ordinary
people" can arrive at. It is an exhilirating, funny, profound film, full
of smart, realistic dialogue, masterful cinematography and magical
acting. Julia Roberts, whose last romantic comedy was the equally
wonderful My Best Friend's Wedding, is terrific; although
understandably, the role isn't much of a stretch for her, she has the
ailing superstar feel down cold. Hugh Grant is something else again --
the bumbling Brit is an absolute delight, and the scene where he
impersonates a reporter from "Horse and Hound" magazine is a triumph of
understated comedy.
Director Roger Michell, whose only other major motion picture was the
Jane Austen adaptation Persuasion, stages this movie free of any
suspense or particularly pressing conflict; it's a whimsical, airy
production that is part crowd-pleaing and part profound and thoughtful.
Even though William's degenerate roommate (Rhys Ifans) is a bit too
much, the comedy rarely gets in the way of the plot, nor does it spoil
the movie's mood.
This is a perfect example of how good "mainstream" movies can be. It's
hard to remember the last time a romantic comedy worked this well, this
consistently. Grant and Roberts are awesome, in a movie that pulls no
punches and plays no tricks. It would be cliched and disrespectful to
call Notting Hill the "feel-good movie of the year," but that's what it
is; an upbeat, optimistic story of how an ordinary bloke and a superstar
fell in love. Happens every day.
©1999 Eugene Novikov‰
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Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Roger Gerbig
Director: Roger Mitchell
The Thumbs for Sale! review by Roger Gerbig
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In passing, I've heard "Notting Hill"--the new Julia Roberts-Hugh
Grant luxury SUV-type vehicle currently parked at your local
multiplex--shows a lot of "Romantic Comedy 101" influence. After
leaving the theatre with these Thumbs! twitching more rapidly than Mr.
Grant's mug at the precipice of a nervous breakdown, I have to
disagree. I felt more like I'd just sat through a workshop for
"Romantic Comedy 404 - Advanced Studies in the Common Boy/Girl
Dilemma."
Which my ever-twitchy Thumbs! remind me is a good thing each time I
grope for the space bar.
Roberts is Anna Scott, world-wide superstar actress and platinum club
member of the jet set. Grant plays William Thacker, a slightly
impoverished bookstore owner and member of the "my best friend owns a
fast Peugeot wagon" set. While winning the lottery might be the most
appropriate life-changing event for Thacker, instead he is fated with
the experience of literally running into Scott and dousing them
both--enter the miracle of movie magic here--with what appears to be
about a gallon or so of orange juice. As their juice stains dry into
what appears to be mustard (British special effects technicians might
possibly have something to learn from "The Phantom Menace"), she
graciously accepts his offer to duck into his apartment to change
clothes.
And as they say in certain sports circles, "They're off and running!"
But fortunately, never too quickly. While the same writing/producing
team that gave us "Four Weddings and a Funeral" is clearly happy with
mining familiar territory ("Wedding's" director Mike Newell apparently
isn't, as he recently went down with that ship called "Pushing Tin".),
they've managed to make a film that unfolds with a leisurely pace and
treats its characters with remarkable decency.
Early on, there's a birthday party involving Thacker's friends,
family, and that certain movie star. As each character airs his or her
particular quirks (no shortage here), I was amazed at the deft hand
shown by the production team at large. Which is to say, you shouldn't,
as it's that well done. All too often today sparkling, witty dialogue
and blatant over-reaction are mistaken as hallmarks of truly inspired
writing. Here, they aren't, even though Thacker's little sister (Emma
Chambers) goes ballistic in proclaiming her absolute love for actress
Scott's work and persona, and the last brownie at dessert is auctioned
off to the person who tells the most pathetic story about him or
herself. In lesser hands, this scene could have been a disaster.
Since we've now clearly gotten the message that our little lovebirds
are probably going to be heading back to the nest at some point, it
must be time for a musical interlude, which for better or worse
happens. True, these misty-eyed excursions into Bob Seger-land often
send me on a search-and-destroy mission to the kitchen in order to
locate appropriate utensils for my ritual gagging ceremony. But here,
things are kept low-key enough (no Bob on the soundtrack either!) to
perhaps subliminally remind us that during real-life moments like
this, we're probably humming some little soundtrack to ourselves to
help preserve the moment.
I survived, and the eggbeater remained safely stowed in my backpack.
Not that there aren't a few quality moments of cliche (especially
toward the end), but they're more than mitigated by an abundance of
inventive and sometimes touching moments. This is, after all, a film
that successfully manages to pull off two Beavis & Butthead jokes
without the slightest twinge from the audience.
As for performances, I'm proud to say that for the first time I feel
compelled to break out the old "winning performance" moniker to
describe Julia Roberts in this film. Seemingly at all the right
moments, she shows an astounding vulnerability without resorting to
the old quivering lip trick. While she may never win the awards
bestowed on her character, I will say that all too often she's been
asked to carry films that are entirely too insubstantial for any actor
to salvage. That she's managed to take such heapings of negative
criticism and still avoid becoming an alumna of the Betty Ford clinic
certainly counts for something.
Hugh Grant, of course, really is the ultimate poster boy for your
average silver-screen nice guy. He's in perfect form here, having
apparently either sought hypnotherapy for his notorious tics, or
undergone a spiritual reevaluation of his art. Together he and Roberts
generate more than enough of that mythical chemistry to make this
flick work.
To sum it all up, I think it's fair to say since I only spent two out
of roughly 120 minutes biting my critic's lip on account
"questionable" moments, I think "Notting Hill's" a pretty solid value.
Now, if I could just sell my thumbs! for an eighteenth of what Julia
Roberts makes per picture...
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Visit Thumbs For Sale! Online: www.thumbsforsale.com
©1999 Roger Gerbig
Brian Takeshita
A Film Review by Brian Takeshita
Rating: *** out of ****
In Roger Michell's romantic comedy NOTTING HILL, William Thacker (Hugh
Grant) leads a rather dreary life maintaining his flagging travel
bookshop in the quaint section of London which lends it's name to the
film's title. One day, American movie superstar Anna Scott (Julia
Roberts) walks in to purchase a book on Turkey. Quickly enamored of
each other, the two embark upon an on-again, off-again love affair
replete with romance, humor, and the occasional lump in the throat.
The film opens with a non-verbal cue to Anna's stardom as the title
credits appear over a montage of slow motion sequences featuring the
actress's appearances in films and at premieres - coming out of
limousines, walking the red carpets and such. Without words, this
sequence gives us a background to her character. Following, however,
is a set-up narration by William indicating what he does and where he
lives. I don't know why the filmmakers chose to go with a narration
which tells us nothing we couldn't have figured out by watching the
first ten minutes of film, and which never resurfaces after the
movie's beginning, but there it is. If there were ever a clear case
for "less is more," this would be it.
The film is told nearly first person from William's point of view, as
he is in every scene. By nature of this arrangement, we get a very
definite sense of what he is all about, and his nice guy personality
wins us over easily. In fact, much of NOTTING HILL's strength lies in
the great dialog written for this character by Richard Curtis. A
scene where William is still in shock over the fact that he's even
talking to a silver screen goddess is made golden by the way bumbles
through his attempt to offer her some honey-soaked apricots from his
refrigerator. Or take an instance where Anna kisses William and asks
him never to tell anyone for fear of the incident hurting her image.
William assures her he wouldn't say a word, then adds, "Well, I'll
probably tell myself now and then, but I'd never believe it." Great
stuff.
The downside to spending so much time with William is that we don't
get to see enough of Anna to make their relationship whole and
plausible. We're constantly exposed to William's thoughts, feelings,
actions and desires, but don't actually get the sense of how much Anna
really feels for him. There are a couple of instances where she
declares her obvious interest, but they nearly come out of nowhere due
to the fact that we're not sure what she's been thinking all the times
in between. This, combined with the sheer iniquity of screen time
between the two, makes this Hugh Grant's film hands down. He gets the
great scenes (look for one in which he has to portray an interviewer
from Horse and Hound magazine in order to speak with Anna), the great
lines, and gives an overall wonderful performance. Julia Roberts fans
will probably be disappointed by the actress's top billing and
subsequent lack of involvement in the film (ala Sandra Bullock in A
TIME TO KILL) along with her detached performance which is only
worsened by her character's unpredictable behavior. Anna doesn't get
a lot of our compassion.
This romantic comedy leans a little more toward the comedy than the
romance, much of it supplied by Grant himself, but with considerable
help from the supporting cast. Most notable is Rhys Ifans as Spike,
William's eccentric roommate, who is in the film for no other purpose
than to make us laugh. Hugh Bonneville, Emma Chambers, James Dreyfus,
and Gina McKee bring up the guard as William's friends and family,
particularly shining in a scene where William brings Anna to his
sister's birthday dinner, and we get to see how these common folks
react to the presence of a movie star in their midst. It's a scene
most of us will probably think would play out in our own living rooms
were we faced with a similar situation.
Roger Michell's use of visuals doesn't sweep us off our feet, but does
give us more than your typical movie of this type. For example, there
are a couple of instances in this film where large amounts of time
pass. Whereas some films are content to simply put in a caption
saying "eight months later," Michell presents us with more interesting
cues, such as William's walk though his neighborhood while the seasons
change around him. Another memorable shot occurs in a park where the
camera is lifted from ground level to a couple of hundred feet in the
air. We're generally used to scenes where our point of view is lifted
from the earth to treetop level or so, but in this case, the camera
just keeps going up and up until we have a bird's eye view of the
ground below.
Music is used rather glaringly as an enhancement to many of the film's
scenes, and some of this might have been better toned down, but in
other areas it works to full effect. It's kind of a mixed bag, but
still fares better than many of today's lighthearted movies which are
so influenced by the MTV fare that the film becomes one long music
video. At least this film has some pretty good music that for the
most part remains relevant and appropriate.
NOTTING HILL's Grant and Roberts will not go down in history as one of
the all-time greatest film pairings, but the chemistry is decent and
the comedic aspects of the movie more than make up for it. For a
couple of hours, you should expect to laugh more than cry, and that's
not so bad, now is it?
Review posted May 31, 1999
James Brundage
Directed by Roger Mitchell
Written by Richard Curtis
Starring Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, and Rhys Ifans
Cameo by Alec Baldwin
As Reviewed by James Brundage
If there is one genre in Hollywood that is alive and kicking, it would
have to be the Romantic Comedy. Let's face it, ever since its inception,
Hollywood has always strived to make love funny instead of painful. Besides
my standard quote of "so much for realism," this is fine by me. The
romantic comedy formula, trite and tired as it may be, is a sure-fire way to
make up your budget. It's not going to be a hit, but its going to be in the
black.
Goody for them.
Notting Hill is the latest of these low grade Hollywood romances that
only teenagers find romantic, this one setting us in a bizarre universe of
sorts (Notting Hill, London, England) where somewhere along the line Julia
Roberts plays an actress (Anna Scott) who wins an Oscar. Is that a
violation of the by-laws of the universe? Also in the film you have William
Thacker (Hugh Grant), a humble bookkeeper. Of course, when Anna decides
that she's going to get a book on Turkey, a bizarre relationship ensues.
For comic relief we have William's furball of a flatmate Spike (Rhys
Ifans), who steals the show (and the comic performance) with one of the
funniest character acting jobs you will ever see. You come away feeling
sure that Spike is a complete and utter idiot… and has still just played you
for a fool.
Notting Hill is blessed with the British comic wit of Richard Curtis
(Four Weddings and a Funeral), who churns out a screenplay that is decently
funny, somewhat romantic, and has enough twist on the norm to keep me awake.
It has a plot that is formulaic to no end, but keeps an ironic twist on it
as it seems to be on some level a take off of Henry James' "Wings of the
Dove", of which a film version has just wrapped at the end of the movie.
Hugh Grant does a good jump of leaping back into romantic comedies
despite the fact that he still has a reputation for wanting very unromantic
liaisons… in West Hollywood. Julia Roberts sticks to my rule that when an
actress plays an actress, you're only looking for trouble. I think she was
better in the "Law & Order" episode.
The film, decently funny and somewhat romantic, falters when Richard
Curtis tries to add in way too much plot. Let me be clear: the screenplay
has no 3rd act. In place of a third act it spends its time trying to
impress me with how deep it can go into a relationship. It tries to stay
true to who the characters are, and ends up having a bloody, drawn out
battle of a relationship with the duration of Vietnam.
It spends all of its time towards the end going back and forth in a
drawn out romance that could have ended half an hour before it actually did,
a true pain in the but for a film critic like me. In its effort to stay
true to character, it scares away half the audience and cracks no good jokes
in the meantime. But, hey, what does anyone care? By the end, the theatre
is smiling, the girls are clutching boyfriends that really didn't like the
movie, and people like me are groaning.
Yes, the romantic comedy is alive and well and kicking. It is trite,
its fairly funny, and doesn't believe in the concept of plot twist… but its
alive.
Ram Samudrala
Notting Hill
http://www.ram.org/ramblings/movies/notting_hill.html
Picture Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), a famous and beautiful actress,
walking into a small "travel" bookstore in London's Notting Hill,
owned by William Thacker (Hugh Grant), that's not doing too
well. Sparks fly between Anna and William. The same day, he runs into
her and spills orange juice on her dress and they end up kissing.
It's a strong indicator of how contrived this film is. Yet that
doesn't stop it from being an enjoyable time killer.
Of course, the conflict in the film is that William is nobody and Anna
is somebody. While she waxes philosophic about the costs associated
with fame (I find this extremely amusing when famous people in the
real-world do this) the worlds they live in are very different. On
top of this, Anna is insecure, has had her heart hurt in the past, and
has a temper to boot.
All this is played out very well as the girl-meets-boy girl-loses-boy
girl-gets-boy scenarios is iterated a couple of times. There is
chemistry between Grant and Roberts. The eclectic and humourous set of
characters (including William's masturbating Welch house mate Spike
(Rhys Ifans) his best friend Max (Tim McInnerny) and his
wheelchair-bound wife (Gina McKee), and his ditzy little sister Honey
(Emma Chambers)) make the movie interesting and humourous. The acting
is very good and the script is sharp, with several witty parts to it.
Some of the cinematic aspects are done very well, particularly a scene
involving William missing Anna as the seasons change around him.
/Notting Hill/ has a very straight-forward romantic comedy premise,
and it succeeds by providing both the romance and the comedy. A great
date film.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Movie ram-blings: http://www.ram.org/ramblings/movies.html
Steve Kong
A film review by Steve Kong
Edited by Steve Kong
Copyright 1999 Steve Kong
The chances of an ordinary guy like myself bumping into Julia Roberts is
less likely than me winning the lottery. And the chances of me bumping into
her and then getting a kiss? I don’t even want to consider it. It is this
kind of what-if scenario that makes Notting Hill so enjoyable.
William (Hugh Grant) Thacker is an ordinary guy who lives in Notting Hill.
He owns a travel bookstore that is deep in debt, his wife divorced him for
a guy who looks like Harrison Ford and he now lives in the house that they
bought together. He has a flatmate that’s a disgusting, though hilarious,
guy. One day his whole life changes when the world famous actress Anna
(Julia Roberts) Scott walks into his bookstore. The fun and odd romance
starts from this point. Odd in the sense that in Notting Hill the typical
movie gender roles are reversed. Thacker is put into the position of the
person at home waiting and wondering. And Anna is the one off in the world
working.
The best thing about Notting Hill is that the two main actors are doing
parts that they have been doing for a long time. The parts that Grant and
Roberts are attempting in Notting Hill are familiar, both to the viewers
and to the two actors. Which makes a original but familiar feeling movie.
The first hour of Notting Hill is absolutely hilarious. The second hour
keeps some of the humour from the first hour but becomes a bit more
heartbreaking as it continues. The second hour does lose some of the first
hour’s steam, but this isn’t a big deal. My favourite moment of the film is
when Anna and William jump a gate to take advantage of a private park. From
the moment they arrive at the gate, this sequence had me laughing. The
scene ends on a sweet note with Anna discovering a park bench with an
inscription on it.
Julia Roberts is back at the top of her game now that she is doing the
roles that fit her best. Roberts has always been a romantic-comedy type
actress. Her roles in romantic-comedy films have always been hits (Pretty
Woman, My Best Friend’s Wedding), while her roles in dramatic and otherwise
have been lukewarm at best (Mary Reilly). My Best Friend’s Wedding is still
my favourite film of Roberts, but, Notting Hill comes up a close second. No
matter what you think of Hugh Grant, he’s a good actor. His bumbling-guy
act is ingenious and works well in Notting Hill. This bumbling-guy
("Oopsie-daisies") act is what makes us like him in the film and bond with
his character. If it weren’t for this, I don’t think that his character
would have worked out. The two leads share tangible screen chemistry and
this also helps.
Someone worth mentioning is actor Rhys Ifans as William Thacker’s flat-mate
Spike. Ifans is hilarious as Spike. Every time that Ifans is on screen it’s
a laugh-out-loud moment. Look for his performance in the film, he steals
the movie. Another thing worth mentioning is the film score by Trevor
Jones. The score consists mostly of an acoustic guitar and fits the film
like a glove. It’s a shame that the score hasn’t been released on its own
CD, but you can find bits of the score on the Notting Hill soundtrack.
Notting Hill may not be the most original film, but it has all the right
elements to make it a Don’t Miss film. If you’re not planning on seeing
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, or are waiting for the lines to
die down, Notting Hill is the perfect film to catch. Don’t Miss Notting Hill.
---
Steve Kong rev...@boiledmovies.sbay.com
not all film critics are the same.
i'm your hard boiled movie guide.
http://boiledmovies.sbay.com/
Homer Yen
by Homer Yen
(c) 1999
I love a good fairy tale...always have since I was only knee-high.
Why? Because these are stories that you'd always like to see happen in
real life but probably never will. These are dreams that you wish
would somehow come true. These are the kinds of stories 'that can only
happen in the movies.' "Notting Hill" can be called a fairy tale for
at its heart is a romantic comedy about two different types of people
that, in today's frenzied world, could never get together. But in the
world of fairy tales, there's always a wonderful chance that the
impossible might happen.
The majority of us live rather uneventful and ordinary lives. We are
the common folk who go to work every day to make an honest living, not
at all well-informed about happenings beyond our personal borders. The
citizens of Notting Hill are equally 'plain.' Many of us are probably
like unlucky-in-love William (Hugh Grant). His personal life has been
marred by a series of broken hearts while his career lies behind the
counter of a travel bookstore that he owns and operates. For him, the
seasons come and go just like the few customers that actually find
their way into his little store.
One day, he and his store are visited by famous actress Anna Scott
(Julia Roberts). Although somewhat starstruck, he sees her as
surprisingly down-to-earth, much like the proverbial girl next door.
In turn, she finds him charming with a playful smile and a sense of
self-depricating humor. But she really appreciates his life of
normalcy. He's out of the limelight, but special in his own way. This
and their other subsequent chance encounter brings out their attraction
for one another. But being a celebrity has its drawbacks. "Notting
Hill" is a smart film that acknowledges the tremendous obstacles that
these two must overcome. With Anna's popularity, she desparately
protects her privacy while the merciless paparazzi follow her every
step. For William, his fragile heart can barely take her frequent
flights into hiding. It also shows how down-to-earth celebrities can
be. The fame and glory can be daunting. But she's just a normal girl
who wants to accompany William to his little sister's birthday party,
who gets her feelings noticeably hurt at a restaurant when an adjacent
table makes derisive comments about her, and who wants to steal kisses
in the middle of a darkened park. But most of all, she says, "I'm just
a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to love her."
Julia Roberts balances well her vulnerable girl against her own need to
protect herself. She has always done well in fairy tales. But it's
Hugh Grant, who I think, deserves a nod for his great comedy timing and
his charming mannerisms. I especially liked this one scene where the
only way that he could see Anna was to masquerade as a magazine rep on
an interview. He's not too media-savvy, and says that he's from Horse
& Hound. "Are there any horses in your latest movie," he gingerly
asks? Her reply is, "no, the movie was set in outer space." He's at a
complete loss, and this is a very funny moment. With its sunny
disposition, weepy ballad-filled soundtrack, and nice touches of
comedy, everyone can live happily ever after.
Grade: B
_________________________________________________________
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Greg King
(Polygram)
Director: Roger Michell
Stars: Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Rhys Ifans, Hugh Bonneville, Emma
Chambers, Tim McInnerney, Gina
McKee, Lorelei King, James Dreyfus, John Shrapnel, Alec Baldwin
(uncredited)
Running time: 122 minutes.
Notting Hill may well be the best romantic comedy of the year!
The very successful and hugely enjoyable Four Weddings And A
Funeral was always going to be a hard act to follow. However, writer
Richard Curtis does a superb job of recapturing its charm and winning
humour with this classy, funny and delightfully entertaining follow
up. Curtis brings genuine charm and wit to what has become an
increasingly familiar and disappointingly unadventurous formula-
driven genre.
This romantic comedy is set in Notting Hill, the colourful and
idiosyncratic London suburb that also provided the backdrop for the
recent If Only. In the type of role that perfectly suits his relaxed
screen persona, Hugh Grant plays William Thacker, who owns a small
travel book shop in Notting Hill's main shopping strip. He is
nonplussed when his shop is visited by Anna Scott (Julia Roberts), the
most famous film star in the world, in town to promote her latest
movie. She is struck by the way he seems unfazed by her fame.
Another chance encounter with Anna, in which William spills
coffee over her, leads to the pair developing a friendship. She
attends a private birthday dinner with him, enjoying the rare
opportunity to escape the publicity treadmill and the media spotlight
and experience a quiet moment. William's friends look on in
bemusement as he romances a high profile personality. However,
numerous problems quickly develop, not the least of which is the
sudden arrival of her actor boyfriend (an uncredited Alec Baldwin).
When that relationship falls apart amid some torrid headlines, Anna
turns to William for comfort.
But can the relationship between the world's most celebrated
movie star and an unassuming book seller survive amid the pressures of
intense media scrutiny and the demands of her glamorous career?
Notting Hill explores these questions, and provides some surprisingly
satisfying answers. One of Curtis' strengths as a writer is his
ability to create memorable characters - after all, he gave us Mr
Bean, Blackadder and The Vicar Of Dibley. He injects life into the
eccentric peripheral characters, and the ensemble cast give them
personalities of their own. One of the more interesting creations is
William's unwashed, dishevelled and offbeat flat mate Spike, (played
in wonderful fashion by Rhys Ifans, from Twin Town), who proves
unexpectedly sympathetic and romantic at heart.
Notting Hill benefits enormously from the inspired teaming of
Roberts and Grant, who develop a wonderful rapport together. Grant's
easy going presence is a major part of the film's charm, while Roberts
essentially plays herself in a tailor made role.
Director Roger Michell (Persuasion, etc) handles the material
with a perfectly judged light touch, and the unhurried pace suits the
film's tone. While Notting Hill may not quite reach the same heights
as Four Weddings And A Funeral, it will certainly please audiences.
For the creators here though, in this instance close enough is
definitely good enough.
****
greg king
http://www.netau.com.au/gregking
Akiva Gottlieb
rated PG-13
Universal Pictures
starring Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Emma Chambers,
James Dreyfus, Rhys Ifans, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, Richard McCabe,
Alec Baldwin
written by Richard Curtis
directed by Roger Mitchell
The topic of celebrity is one of much debate in this
entertainment-obsessed decade. Should celebrities recieve different
treatment than "regular" people? Well, regardless of whether they
should or shouldn't, they do, and Roger Mitchell's "Notting Hill"
examines the relationship between the world's most famous actress and
a "normal" bookshop owner in a section of London called Notting Hill.
Living in Los Angeles, I have had many celebrity encounters, and my
experiences have usually been somehwat similar. When you first see the
celebrity, you feel a rush that leaves you breathless for a couple
seconds. As you talk to the person, the newness will wear off; the
speed depending on how down-to-earth the celebrity is. However, when
the person leaves, you end up regretting either asking too much or
asking too little. Therefore, a romance between a celebrity and an
everyman can be a whirlwind.
In "Notting Hill", William Thacker(Hugh Grant) first meets Anna
Scott(Julia Roberts) when she visits his travel bookshop, arguably the
least successful store in Notting Hill. A series of coincidences leads
her to his flat, where they share a passionate kiss. William isn't
sure what to make of the kiss, since Anna had, at first, come off as
arrogant and selfish.
From that moment on, their relationship has its ups and downs, as
William learns that dating a celebrity is tough work. She loves him
only for the fact that he is something ordinary in a hectic
lifestyle. He loves her because, well...she's the world's biggest
movie star.
"Notting Hill" is well-written for the most part(despite its
predictability), but it is the acting that keeps everything real. Hugh
Grant once again perfects his charming loser act, and Julia Roberts
was born to play this role; a role that isn't much different than her
real life. The supporting cast is wondrous, led by Rhys Ifans("Dancing
At Lughnasa") as William's roommate and newcomer Emma Chambers as
William's sister. The acting more than makes up for the very
conventional wedding.
"Notting Hill" is the first film after Woody Allen's "Celebrity" to
accurately examine the celebrity lifestyle, and it's a topic that
deserves to be looked at in cinema, even if the film is being done by
the people it is examining. I'd like to see a film that(a la "The
Player") looks at celebrity life with sardonic wit and a cynical point
of view. "Notting Hill" isn't that kind of film, but it's a charming,
funny romantic-comedy.
a review by Akiva Gottlieb, The Teenage Movie Critic
ak...@excite.com
http://www.angelfire.com/mo/film
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Mark R Leeper
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
Capsule: Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, two
actors who tread the line between over-abundant
charm and the cloying saccharine star in a
princess-commoner love story from England. Can the
most popular actress in the world find happiness
with a handsome but modest bookstore owner with
Hugh Grant's callow good looks? The film has a few
nice sparks of wit but never really catches on
fire. Rating: 5 (0 to 10), high 0 (-4 to +4).
The plot of NOTTING HILL is simple enough. William Thacker
(played by Hugh Grant) is the handsome owner of a small and failing
travel bookstore. He had a marriage that failed. And now he lives
with a self-absorbed troglodyte of a housemate named Spike (Rhys
Ifans). Spike is rude, stupid, and completely impossible to live with.
Into William's shop one day comes Anne Scott (Julia Roberts). Scott is
sort of a combination of Meryl Streep, Gwyneth Paltrow, Emma Thompson,
and, yes, even Julia Roberts. Her face is plastered on double-decker
busses all over London. After the requisite shaky start, Anne and
William begin to date and go through some predictable comedic
situations. What happens when a luckless bachelor comes to dinner at a
friend's house with his date of the evening, one of the world's most
glamorous movie stars? (There is a somewhat similar and considerably
funnier sequence in MY FAVORITE YEAR.) What happens when a man
thinking that he is going on a date finds that it really is a press
publicity junket for a film and for some reason he pretends he is there
to interview the star? The latter sequence goes on much longer than
need be and eventually outstays its welcome.
I have liked my share of romantic comedies, but NOTTING HILL just
never really catches on for me. Perhaps the two leads seem just too
charming and empty. Hugh Grant's boyish stuttering as he finds almost
the right words is growing tiresome. And Julia Roberts has such a wide
infectious smile from back molar to shining back molar. I wonder if
she needed surgery to stretch that grin. Their dialog ranges from
serious to cute to attempted cute. The film could have had a
perceptive look contrasting how the super-famous and the unknown see
the world differently, but NOTTING HILL rarely rises to that occasion.
Much of the humorous dialog seems borrowed from "Seinfeld" with Spike
standing in for Kramer. ("I once saw Ringo Starr. Or it might have
been Topol." "But they don't look even remotely alike." "Well, he was
standing too far away.") There are certainly places the film just does
not ring true. The giant film that actress Anne Scott is currently
starring in appears to be on the level of GALAXINA, a film that would
be unlikely to have a big $15,000,000 star. The script is by Richard
Curtis who has mostly written scripts for Rowan Atkinson playing either
Blackadder or Bean. Curtis did write FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and
now has returned to Hugh Grant territory. But FOUR WEDDINGS had much
more human drama mixed in with the comedy.
Director Roger Michell is probably best known for PURSUASION.
Here he seems to be depending a bit much on the star power of his two
major actors. Too frequently he allows the camera to lovingly just
take in Julia Roberts while she just stands with a wide smile. He is
apparently hoping that her magic and allure will just effortlessly win
over the audience. Even Roberts does not look that good. Just a
little cuter is Hugh Grant as he boyishly stammers and says the
unexpected while he tries too hard to express himself. But really as
is often the case, many of the background characters are of greater
interest than those in the foreground. William's circle of friends are
more interesting characters with a more real set of problems than the
principals. (How frequently are major characters in American films
bound to wheelchairs?) The film has one sequence in which William
visits Anne on a production set and just to see the circus that is
required to make a film makes this the most interesting sequence in the
film.
NOTTING HILL tries to return to the territory of FOUR WEDDINGS AND
A FUNERAL, but never manages to capture the same romantic spark. I
would give it a 5 on the 0 to 10 scale and a high 0 on the -4 to +4
scale.
Mark R. Leeper
mle...@lucent.com
Copyright 1999 Mark R. Leeper
David Sunga
Rating: 2.5 stars (out of 4.0)
********************************
Key to rating system:
2.0 stars - Debatable
2.5 stars - Some people may like it
3.0 stars - I liked it
3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie
4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact personally or it stood out
*********************************
A Movie Review by David Sunga
Directed by: Roger Michell
Written by: Richard Curtis
Starring: Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant
Synopsis:
Rich and famous actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) is walking down the
street when she bumps into William Thacker (Hugh Grant), the chatty,
handsome and humble owner of a tiny London bookstore barely making ends
meet. Of course he accidentally spills a drink on her, and it's love at
first sight. Thacker's underachieving, eccentric friends are thrilled for
him, but can a relationship between glitzy Hollywood royalty and a British
commoner really work out?
Opinion:
We all know the romance formula. Cute meeting. Girl meets boy. Girl loses
boy. Fate draws them together for the big resolution. NOTTING HILL is no
different. The twist is that SHE is a celebrity and HE is a commoner, so
the situation makes for a fantasy relationship that any theatergoer or fan
can identify with. Meanwhile comic relief is provided by an underachieving
roommate.
Julia Roberts does an excellent job playing Anna Scott, an overpaid and
indulged celebrity who admits she has very limited acting ability and that
her "acting" is merely good looks and body doubles. Anna is rotten at
relationships and carries a lot of petty emotional baggage. Roberts is
absolutely believable as the inept Anna.
NOTTING HILL, however, must be considered a chick flick rather than a guy
flick. Women may thrill to a cute guy such as Hugh Grant's William Thacker,
but men are sure to abhor Thacker as someone from the legendary Neville
Chamberlain school of appeasement. Thacker humbly "understands" when Anna
sleeps around with other men. He kowtows and submits and indulges when Anna
throws cheap verbal abuse and directs mean-spirited tirades at him. His
answer to Anna's persistent bullying is, "Can I get you more tea, dear?"
Thacker needs a backbone, and fast.
Male or female, if you continually are disrespected in a real relationship
and don't stick up for yourself the union won't last long. But we can
fantasize in NOTTING HILL, can't we?
Reviewed by David Sunga
June 7, 1999
Copyright © 1999 by David Sunga
This review and others like it can be found at
THE CRITIC ZOO: http://www.criticzoo.com
email: zook...@criticzoo.com
Walter Frith
A movie review by Walter Frith
Member of the 'Online Film Critics Society'
http://www.ofcs.org
Like most movie fans, every once in a while I enjoy something light to take
the sting out of all the bad movies that crop up every so often, and so far,
1999 has had its share of real clunkers. So now that the summer season has
arrived, can things get better or worse? That depends on who you ask. Last
summer brought 'Saving Private Ryan' but it also brought 'Godzilla' which
was disliked by most. Romantic comedies have the dubious distinction of all
looking alike so what's so interesting about 'Notting Hill'? Aside from the
fact that it's a quiet, well written and cleverly conceived comedy, it also
has many scenes of brisk drama about how bad people think their lives are
and finding out that the rich and famous sometimes don't have it much
easier.
In 'Notting Hill' Julia Roberts plays Anna Scott, the most famous female
movie star in the world (that must have been a stretch for her to play).
While visiting London to promote her new film, she browses the little
neighbourhood shops in the Notting Hill district and enters a little travel
book store owned and operated by William Thacker (Hugh Grant). After making
a purchase she leaves the store and has an accident later with Grant and
gets covered in orange juice. He offers to let her come to his flat and get
cleaned up and the two of them later strike up a romantic relationship.
Thacker has a problem with women that makes him say some things in a rather
tongue tied fashion, a perfect contrast to Roberts' character who says
little, listens while looking directly her subject and knows exactly how to
respond. William takes Anna to meet his best friends and his sister. There
is Max and Bella (Tim McInnerny and Gina McKee). She is in a wheel chair
from a tragic domestic accident and Max takes care of her. William's sister
Honey (Emma Chambers), works in a record store and is rather goofy around
her own kind, let alone meeting a rich and famous movie star. The most
hilarious but yet somewhat out of place character is Spike (Rhys Ifans).
He's the scruffy, slow witted room mate to William and provides some of the
film's funniest site gags.
The film reminds us in wake of the Princess Diana tragedy of 1997 that the
media is ruthlessly obsessed with celebrity fed only by the will of the
public. There is one startling scene where the media find out that Anna is
staying at William's flat and they take pictures of all parties concern in
rapid fashion that will haunt Anna's career once the gossip starts.
I suppose what struck me as most whimsical about 'Notting Hill' is the fact
that those involved make the film work with straight, no-nonsense dialogue.
The film has very little music score and relies on romance to make it all
sing. There is one intimate little night time date that William and Anna
embark on where they trespass on to private property and enjoy the pleasures
of a garden ladled setting to further their romance.
Another plus the film offers are the scenes where we see ordinary people
going about their lives and the audience can relate to this and the audience
isn't consumed by the trappings of a rich movie star's life but rather she
is brought down to the ordinary lifestyle and this is a fresh and proper
perspective the film takes in making it more appealing than any other
direction it could have taken.
Director Roger Michell makes it all unfold attractively like a play and
screenwriter Richard Curtis ('Bean', 'Four Weddings and a Funeral') writes
some inventive lines and injects just enough humour and drama to find a
perfect balance and 'Notting Hill' has an ending that is not really expected
but fate plays a hand in the plot all along and some will envy the outcome
of this film while other's will like their present lives just fine the way
they are.
OUT OF 5 > * * * 1/2
Visit FILM FOLLOW-UP by Walter Frith
http://www.cgocable.net/~wfrith/movies.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * - a must see
* * * * 1/2 - don't miss it
* * * * - an excellent film
* * * 1/2 - a marginal recommendation
* * * - can't quite recommend it
* * 1/2 - don't recommend it
* * - avoid it
* 1/2 - avoid it seriously
* - avoid it AT ALL COSTS
1/2 - see it at your own risk
zero - may be hazardous to your health