Notting Hill 3 Stars (out of 4) Reviewed by Mac VerStandig critic@moviereviews.org http://www.moviereviews.org
The old saying is that you "shouldn't judge a book by its cover." Perhaps that is true in the field of fictional literature, and perhaps it is not. But it certainly doesn't hold true in Hollywood. Notting Hill, the first major motion picture from director Roger Michell, may not be overtly obvious from its title, but you needn't look much farther to discover what the production really is. The movie is a combination of the oldest, most proven plot in cinema, a love story; premium character humor; and top quality acting from two household names. This combination brings forth a brilliantly fun and beguiling film, that ranks among the best date films of the 90's. However, to quote the work itself, Notting Hill is "no Jane Austin."
Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) is an American actress at the top of her field. She is considered to be one of the movie business' top leading ladies, and is even on the cover of Newsweek. With all of her fame has come financial success as well. For her latest film she was compensated $15 million. But Anna is forlorn. Much as Woody Allen demonstrated in Celebrity, fame has certain aspects that are not so glorious. And as a sexual icon, Anna experiences them all. The tabloids prey on her like an eagle on its dinner, and privacy is the rarest of things. She even resorts to checking into hotels under cartoon characters' names.
William Thacker (Hugh Grant) is a prosaic British man. He lives in Notting Hill, England, where his largest claim to fame is probably his blue house. He has the absolutely mundane job of running a travel book store so small that for a celebrity to enter would be an extraordinary, unprecedented event.
Keeping with the tradition of nearly every romance in the history of cinema, the two protagonists meet via an unusual set of circumstances and fall madly in love. In this case, the events include spilled orange juice, a poorly written travel book, and a shoplifter who uses his trousers for assistance. However, unlike most films of this genre, the great obstacle standing between William and Anna for the two hours that the film occupies, is not someone else, or something else, but themselves. Notting Hill is the story of opposites attracting, then being forced to deal with the opposites and still create a nirvanic state. In this sense the production goes one step further than, and actually deals with the realities that follow.
Aside from being a wonderful romance, Notting Hill is a hilarious film. The humor is largely based on character traits, not punch line jokes, although some do find their way into the script. A good example is William's house maid, Spike (Rhys Ifans). His scraggly appearance mixed with the character's lack of responsibility make for a light, enjoyable moment every time he is on screen.
In order for a film of this nature to be successful, the acting must be stellar. Roberts and Grant make for an absolutely enchanting on screen duo. The two are different actors, one sporting an English accent and the other a perfect typecast for the pretty-girl-in-bad-industry role, as she displayed in Pretty Woman. The contrast makes their job of being opposites very simple. Everything from the looks they exchange before kissing to their use of the English language works perfectly for their roles. Although they have both done better work before, the two actors certainly don't slouch here.
A love story is a love story. Whether it be Bogart and Bergman, Grant and Roberts or the leads in a 3rd grade play, the plot is always the same. But with the finite amount of variance allowed, Notting Hill does stand out. Between the characters, the acting and the man-meet-woman plot, this film is a solid work. I promise Jane Austin is nowhere to be found here, and this is one that you can judge by its cover.
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