Review of Notting Hill (1999) by Blake P — 12 Aug 2013

Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant owned movies in the '90s.  Well, most likely the rom-com genre, but either way, they rocked the genre.  "Notting Hill" is a reminder that it's perfectly okay to have two megastars as a couple without everything getting too mushy.  This is a very good movie; not only is it likable and entertaining, but it's intelligent and witty.  It mirrors the charisma of its stars in a way that makes every scene flattering and important.  Sure, the ending is predictable, but the ride up is so much sharp that it doesn't deserve an eye-roll.

The man of the couple is William (Grant), a British, average-Joe sort of guy who spends his life working in a dead-end bookstore. The woman of the couple is Anna (Roberts), a gigantically famous actress (a parallel to the woman who's playing her perhaps?) who's in Britain for press on her latest film. While on a break one day, Anna stops by Will's bookstore, and she's charmed by how well he deals with a would-be shoplifter. The relationship should end there, but it doesn't.

A few minutes later, the two run into each other once again in the street, after Will accidentally spills juice all over her. He invites her to his apartment across the street to get cleaned up, and they end up kissing (big surprise). They become entranced with each other quickly, and they go on a few dates. But then he finds out she has a boyfriend. Which sucks.

But we all know this movie isn't going to showcase the fact that his has Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant and do nothing about it, right? Right. There are so many little conflicts in the mix that we laugh, because we all know they eventually won't matter. Yet despite all the clichés, it takes nearly no time to get sucked into it all.

You could say that "Notting Hill" is basically a modern version of "Roman Holiday," except Roberts doesn't play a princess and Grant isn't as smooth as Gregory Peck.  But it works.  Roberts is an actress that's so extraordinary in her abilities that it only makes sense for her to play such a famous person; Grant, in the meantime, puts good use to his charms.  Which basically, consist of being British, and mumbling around funny lines that circle around a nervousness that somehow makes us like him more.  Nevertheless, they're a great pair.  And let's face it, the "forbidden romance" genre often works better than the "two ordinary people" situation.  It all goes back to Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, after all.

Scenes don't revolve around its main couple making out or spitting out gooey lines like "You're the most beautiful woman I've seen it my life" or "I've never been so in love before".  Lucky for us, many of them wrap around conversations, ones that are interesting and well-written.  There's a good focus too, on Will's group of friends, an interesting but relatable bunch that reminds us that Roberts and Grant are just regular people too, maybe a little better looking, but human all the same.  The film as a whole boasts an infectious warmness and romantic comedies should, but it's never overbearing or unwanted.

The second I hear a movie is "feel-good" or a "fairy-tale," I tend to get annoyed, because they always end up being drawn out and dumb.  But "Notting Hill" is a perfect example of a crowd pleaser that pleases the crowd but never treats it like a moron.  And that's a compliment in itself.