# Notting Hill (1999)

### reviewed by
Dennis Schwartz

NOTTING HILL (director: Roger Michell; screenwriter: Richard Curtis; cinematographer: Michael Coulter; editor: Nick Moore; cast: Julia Roberts (Anna Scott), Hugh Grant (William Thacker), Rhys Ifans (Spike), Gina McKee (Bella), Tim McInnerny (Max), Hugh Bonneville (Bernie), James Dreyfus (Martin), Emma Chambers (Honey, Thacker's Sister); Runtime: 123; Universal; 1999-UK)

    Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

The same old romantic comedy formula story that has become a Hollywood trademark is revived here, only this time its formula involves 'Beverly Hills conveniently meeting Notting Hill.' This film asks the question, "Can the most famous film star in the world fall for the man on the street?" Give me a break, who in their right mind is seriously asking that question. The answer lies in the shekels found in the box office over the years, as this trite story line, the romance between opposites and the cute obstacles layed before them, seems to draw its fateful audience ever since Hollywood was a hill that filmmakers put up a lettered sign on.

Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) is a world-famous actress, who unexpectedly meets the proprietor of a small, unprofitable travel bookshop, William Thacker (Grant), and both are bitten by the love bug. She is the sure-fire American, he is the bumbling English man. What the film is 'banking' on, is the star personalities will continue to do their trick and milk their charms for mucho profit. Roberts will fill the screen with her innocent and bountiful smile and Grant will exploit that hangdog stereotype look he has cornered the market on, of one who is naturally shy but is persistent. They ape playing themselves as parodies, though who knows what they are really like, which is irrelevant, anyway. What is added to this often tried and tested screen formula, is PG-13 safe humor and a mild story where love blossoms in the way Hollywood wills it to. Think of any Cary Grant screwball comedy vehicle and you will know that this plot has been perfected in a much better way in other films. Unfortunateley this film is not on the same level of Cary's films. Screenwriter Richard Curtis' dull workmanlike script seems to have the knack in getting to Hugh Grant's screen presence, the one that brings the paying audience in, as he previously did for him in "Four Weddings And A Funeral," but can't go further than that. Roger Michell's direction is predictable and lackluster, and the film itself is simply old stuff served again, dried out except for those who still find these superficial stars charming enough to think that this plot is viable again. There is no accounting for taste and who has taste, and no one's taste is better than your own, so if you like the stars then you will probably like the film no matter what.

When superstar Anna comes into humble William's bookstore and gets a book on Turkey, you can guess the direction the rest of the film will travel to. They will meet for real when he accidently spills orange juice on her on Portobello Road and offers to let her clean up in his nearby flat. There are no surprises here, unless you consider her soul kiss of William as she hurriedly leaves to be a surprise. It's a puff piece hiding behind the reality of the Notting Hill location and the quirky humor expected of the British eccentrics who are cast in the film, as either William's friends or as his sister Honey. They pop up all through the story to give the film its kooky British flavor and homey feeling. Seemingly, their main purpose in life is to make sure that William is a happy camper. Reality is blended so finely into the story that it never gets in the way of the fantasy romantic comedy happenings. It does what Hollywood always does, give hope to those in the audience that fantasies can come true. You can bet your fairy tale book collection, that after Hugh Grant will go through all the obligatory obstacle courses required in the formula story, he will prevail and get Julia Roberts.

The highlight of the film, before it overloads itself with its vacuous plot and tacked on sub-plots, has Grant bringing Roberts on a date to meet the ordinary folks he hangs out with, at his sister's birthday party. The comedy unfolds as we watch how gracious the self-absorbed Roberts is to the plebians, even confessing to them about her perpetual diet and that she's a bad actress making $15 million a picture, and we also see how nice and whacky the ordinary Brits are, fawning over the American screenstar. It is her craving for this simpleness, to be away from the spotlight for a brief time, and that Grant didn't make a rush at her, that attracts her toward him. While he's star-struck at first, but finds that even though they are complete opposites and there's little chance of him being with her, his heart is racing when he's with her.

Since Julia is not a blushing innocent in this film, she takes on the role of the one calling the shots, the film will go through all the formula tested tribulations in their relationship, with her looking less attractive to me than looking like she's a hardened woman with an empty soul. But Grant is stuck on her and to get her, he will have to jump through the hoops as they keep running into obstacles. It starts when in order to meet her he has to pretend that he's a magazine writer for Horse and Hound in a crowded room with other magazine writers. When he goes to her hotel room to spill his heart out to her, who should be there but Alex Baldwin, in a cameo role, as her boorish boyfriend from America who popped in on her unexpectedly, as Grant gets humiliated by him when he has to pose as the bellboy. The big mix-up comes when she splits from Grant, after she spends the night at his flat, hiding out from the press after nude pictures from her past surfaced and in the morning his place is surrounded by the media with the paparazzi's flashing cameras pointed at her and him.

The only one in the film that had any fun in him that was sometimes funny, was Grant's slob Welsh flatmate, Spike (Rhys), who spreads his goofiness around like it was manna from heaven, until even his dressed-down comic efforts feel forced. But, without his presence, even if his role was also a stereotype one, this asinine film would have been even more unbearable than it was.

This film was pure and unadulterated balderdash...opium for the masses to get hooked on when they can't face reality. "Notting Hill" takes you to a low point on the movie making hill, where you can step on horseshit and curse out loud or pretend that it is not horseshit or be a man about it and say you fell into it, just like the filmmaker expected you to, and honestly say you like horseshit and don't care what anyone else thinks. This is the kind of film Hollywood makes best...it's so easy to make and the romance is so painless. It ends fittingly in a cliché, as Roberts recites her love ode to Grant, "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a guy, asking him to love her." Give me a bloody break...!

    REVIEWED ON 11/29/2000     GRADE: C-

Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews"

    http://www.sover.net/~ozus

    ozus@sover.net

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