Review of Notting Hill (1999) by Lubna A — 22 Apr 2011

Notting Hill is a wonderful romantic-comedy following a sorrowful William Thacker trough a fairy tale romance after his wife leaves him. Looking for love he by chance runs into one of the biggest movie stars on the planet, Anna Scott. Through many trials together and much hurt on his end, they find themselves captivated by each other's devotional love that is of the moving kind, captivating the audience. The combination of acting, direction and the written script make this one of the best romantic-comedies a viewer can watch.

The direction by Roger Michell (Titanic Town) was very good. He was able to captivate the audience by using the strengths of his veteran actors to solidify the true emotions of the characters. The filming of the project was very well done and did a good job of getting the most out of the characterization needed in the emotional times. The ability to do this in a romantic comedy is rare because of the subject matter and the fact it is so hard to find actors with the ability to do this. It was truly remarkable, but with his cast it was almost assuredly a breeze.

The writing was also a great feature. Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral) did a very good job that really came to grow on the audience. In light of an old subject with very little fresh material left, it was quite new despite its basic storyline bones. In the long run it was truly all the same but the way in which it was presented proved that there still is a chance for a new spin on even fairy tale stories that, though cliché in essence, represents much more. This fresh idea really captivated the audience with love and the added laughter amongst which aided to make it a greatly appreciated and fresh new idea.

The acting goes without saying. Hugh Grant (Mickey Blue eyes) at the helm of any romantic comedy has a chance to be a successful one due to his charming personality that wins it over with all ladies. The accent also aids in his comedic flair that he presents to the film with stunning ease. Julia Roberts (Runaway Bride) plays the same charming American girl and will never be able to grow out of this role no matter how hard she tries. She is the American sweetheart for as long as she wants the role and it appears she won't let it go for some years yet. The supporting cast of the film was very good. It truly accented the film's main characters and aided the ability for the film to flow instead of clump along as in most romantic comedies. The true hero of the supporting cast was Rhys Ifans (Twin Town) as he played the grotesque yet truthful and good natured roommate of William. His filthiness and brutal honesty pulled the most laughs out of the film and made the script's character come to life. The rest of the cast, though serious in nature, aided the two main characters into their roles that made for a better fit and aided them in solidifying their characterization. The entire cast had a great chemistry and truth about them. They were seemingly at ease and comfortable in their roles as if it almost came from the heart and were true to the people they actually are in person. The transition must have come easy or the cast is just phenomenal at their ability to make it seem that way.

The entire film was a new, fresh way of the romantic comedy genre that has gone stale due to the over production of its kind in the film industry. The script must have really been able to capture the actors because there were no small names attached to it and the acting proved to be above and beyond what was to be expected from its genre. The acting enhanced a solid script and made for a more pleasurable view for the audience. The direction was good and it made for a well rounded and great film. Though this kind of film has become stale and cliché, this new perspective, despite its similar skin and bones, was simply wonderful.