NOTTING HILL
A movie review by Joe Barlow
(c) Copyright 1999
STARRING: Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Alec Baldwin, Rhys Ifans DIRECTOR: Roger Michell WRITER: Richard Curtis RATED: PG-13 RELEASED: 1999
"Notting Hill," the new romantic comedy from director
Roger
Michell ("Four Weddings and a Funeral"), is the cinematic
equivalent
of a hot fudge sundae: it has no nutritional value whatsoever,
but
tastes so good going down that you simply don't care. And like
our
metaphoric sundae, it leaves behind such a sweet aftertaste
that
you can't help wanting just a little more. Tooth decay be
damned.
Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) is the world's most beloved actress. While in London to promote her latest film, she wanders into a dilapidated bookstore run by Will Thacker (Hugh Grant), the even more dilapidated owner. Anna is charmed by Will's amiable personality, and the fact that he treats her like a person as opposed to a celebrity. A second accidental meeting later on sets the amour wheels in motion... as well as the inevitable complications stemming from their vastly different backgrounds.
There's nothing new about the structure of "Notting Hill"; the "rich girl falls for poor boy" scenario is well-established, having been employed in movies ranging from "Titanic" to Disney's "Lady and the Tramp," and the delights of the film certainly owe nothing to the formulaic way in which the story devlops. Still, the movie does offer some pleasant surprises along its journey to Happily Ever After-ville. The biggest one: the performances. Although the lead actors are fine (and Hugh Grant is significantly more than that), the show is stolen by the strong supporting cast, which include a wheelchair-bound woman that Will has always loved... despite the fact that she's married to his best friend. Will's little sister is pleasantly freaky, stuck working in London's worst record store to make ends meet. Comic relief is provided by Will's sleezy roommate Spike (Rhys Ifans), the Jar Jar Binks of the story. I was quite frankly more interested in learning more about these folks than I was in seeing the outcome of the tale itself, primarily because they were all so interesting and unusual.
Visual grace is not Roger Michell's strong point. Most of the time he chooses to simply point the camera at his cast and turn it on, allowing the sweet chemistry between his two lead actors and the clever screenplay from Richard Curtis to carry the momentum. Much has been made of the fact that the movie was actually shot in the Notting Hill region of London, but we never get to see very much of it, and that's a little disappointing. Too much of the film plays like a montage of talking heads: there's a lot of dialogue, and not much else. There are, however, two amazing shots that I must make mention of. The first is the impressive pullback of Anna and Will sitting alone on a park bench, enjoying a rare moment of privacy together. Through the pullback, the camera not only allows them a much-deserved moment of solitude, but also foreshadows a later discussion on perspective, a scene upon which the whole movie hinges. There's also a great weather montage: Michell shows the passage of several months by having Will walk down the street, through bright sunlight, into rain, then snow, and back into the sunlight again, all in one continuous shot, while Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" plays softly in the background.
"Notting Hill" isn't really a film about relationships so much as the concept of 'celebrity.' We're given a glimpse into the claustrophobic life of a big-name movie star, watching as her personal life is basically irradicated before our very eyes. It's undeniably interesting... but surprisingly, it's not really involving on an emotional level. Although Grant and Roberts look great together, I had trouble believing their relationship. The script flings them together much too quickly-- the first kiss occurs after they've been together only a handful of minutes. Nor did I understand why Grant's character, so charming and intelligent, was utterly smitten with a woman who treats him so horribly. It's probably not a good sign when, while watching a romantic comedy, you're hoping the guy will dump the girl and find someone who actually deserves his affections. I can understand the lure and appeal of Hollywood glitz and fairy dust, but they should not be a key factor in deciding whether or not to pursue a relationship with a person.
There are some problems with the film--and significant ones-- but in the end I was won over by the movie's utter sweetness and great comedy. I don't often laugh out loud at the theater, but "Notting Hill" got me on at least five occasions, and had the rest of the audience rolling in the aisles as well. It's that beloved rarity: a romantic comedy in which the humor is actually given the same amount of attention as the love story. The touching but hilarious scene in which Will poses as a reporter for "Horse and Hound" magazine simply so he can be near his beloved shows both the absurdity of love, and the lengths to which people will go to keep it. The entire movie is full of gems like this.
"Notting Hill" is a paint-by-numbers story, completely predictable from start to finish... but since the ride was an entertaining one, I have absolutely no problem with that.
RATING: *** (out of a possible ****)
("Notting Hill" sweetens the deal on Friday, May 28th.)
E-Mail: jbarlow@earthling.net Joe Barlow on Film: http://www.ipass.net/~jbarlow/film.htm
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