Review of Two Weeks Notice (2002) by Rebecca H — 04 Nov 2008

A plastic-looking Sandra Bullock plays the same character as always, the lonely, frigid, frumpy woman, this time out to fight for the rights of poor people and old buildings, and manages to be very irritating. Meanwhile Hugh Grant is hilarious and utterly watchable as her selfish boss. She agrees to work for him to save a building she loves, he uses her and drives her crazy so she quits, which means there's only two weeks left for them to realise they are in love.

This relationship is the crux of the rom-com and the romance is nicely underplayed and mildly tragic and the comedy is very witty, and perfect for Grant.

But this isn't a particularly great film. So why? Other than Bullock's character Lucy being very boring and quite annoyingly pathetic? The extraordinarily boring music underscores serious moments, turning them to saccharin. While the romance works because both characters are aware of it without the need to talk about it, and any third parties getting in the way are suitably hateable just for getting in the way, the big realisation moment at the end destroys the subtlety. It's easy and out of place, and a lame cliche.

So, a light rom-com, with no real watchability if it wasn't for a brilliantly funny Grant, who saves every scene he's in.