Notting Hill

There is a moment in Notting Hill when Julia Roberts, playing movie star Anna Scott, having found herself in the home of travel bookshop owner William Thacker (Hugh Grant) suddenly kisses him. And this is a hell of a kiss, folks, we're not taking a little peck here. Every time I saw this movie in the theatres, or have shown it on DVD to someone who hadn't seen it before, there's always been the same instant reaction: "Oh come ON." That just seems unbelievable to people. I bought it. Completely and in an instant. I guess that means I'm this movie's perfect audience.Admittedly this moment occurs early-on in the film, we don't yet have a sense of who Anna is. But as the movie progresses, we discover this sort of behavior is completely in line with Anna's personality. One of her notable traits, arguably her defining characteristic, is that she has very little self-control, she is ruled almost entirely by her emotions. There is, essentially, no gap between emotion and action, between emotion and speaking. As she said in a different movie, "I fly pretty much by the seat of my pants."We see this in Notting Hill when she hears two guys in a restaurant insulting her, then they insult William, and her instant reaction is to confront, embarrass, belittle and humiliate them. We see it when she discovers reporters surrounding William's flat after she's spent the night, and her instant reaction is to rip into him verbally, even when that is obviously, blatantly unfair.So, do I have any problem believing that this woman, finding herself alone with a man she felt like kissing, would just suddenly kiss him? I do not.I've heard the attitude from numerous people, "Oh, Julia Roberts plays the biggest female movie star in the world. What a stretch. She's just playing herself." They do her a disservice. Frankly I'm amazed Julia's performance in Notting Hill didn't get an least an Academy Award nomination. But then crowd pleasing romantic comedies aren't good Oscar bait. Or is it that this woman has given us so much extraordinary work over the years we take her for granted? Watch the scene where Anna's talking to William in his bookshop, late in the film, trying to convince him to give her one more chance. Julia's totally believable as a woman hoping against hope she can salvage the best thing she's ever had in her life, even as she sees it slipping away. Admire the dignity, the barely concealed pain, as she realizes it's not going to happen. Truly, this is the work of a master actress at the height of her powers. During this scene Julia Roberts as Anna pulls you in, you're just dying inside right along with her.Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant have immense onscreen chemistry. William is such a thoroughly decent guy, sweet and witty and charming though slightly bumbling, it's utterly believable Anna would respond to his genuineness. He's everything she's ever wanted in a man but never had. Not since Julia's turn in Pretty Woman with Richard Gere has she had a male co-star with whom she's shared such perfect chemistry. Yeah, this is a mass appeal romantic comedy. And it does it very, very well. Notting Hill is on the short list of films I never tire of watching.And in the end - as in Pretty Woman - the girl gets the guy for a wholly satisfying payoff.

I found this movie by accident and I'm very glad I did as it is truly wonderful.Julia Roberts plays Anna Scott, the most famous film star in the world. Initially Anna is buried deep within her armor which she uses to insulate her from the rest of the world.Hugh Grant plays William Thaker, the owner of a tiny bookstore that only sells travel books. It is obvious from the beginning that William really has no direction in life other than to move from day to day.The magic begins to happen when Anna walks into the bookstore one. If you look for it you can see that she is attracted to William, but is unwilling to open herself up and take a chance. William on his part can't believe that the very famous Anna walked into his store.There are several more encounters including a dinner out and William taking Anna to his sisters birthday party. Little by little Anna is dropping her defenses for William, but I think he is having a hard time accepting that this is really happening.I don't want to ruin the film for anyone so I just say that the process of getting to the end is sad and wonderful at the same time. There are some major stumbling blocks along way but what relationship hasn't encountered any of those.This film is highly recommended and has a high re-watch quotient. Enjoy!

I'm a romantic myself, so hey, what can I say?I don't believe Julia Roberts is the prettiest actress I have ever seen, but she's certainly one of the best and the chemistry between her and Hugh Grant is perfect. You get the feeling the parts were written with them in mind (which, from reading the notes on the DVD, I have found is actually the case with Hugh Grant).In a world full of madness and cruelty, every heart seeks peace, love, tenderness and stability. World-famous actress Anna Scott (portrayed by Julia Roberts) finds all this and more in William Thacker (Hugh Grant), the simple, kind-hearted owner of a travel-book shop on Notting Hill, London. But how is their relationship to progress in the frenzy that makes up the life of a multi-million dollar a film movie-star? Do they even stand a chance? You bet they do! Love overcomes all, and that's exactly what we want, yes, even need to see and believe in, isn't it?There are not just moments of tenderness between Will and Anna, but also between Will's friends, who stick by him through all the turbulent waters of this not so simple relationship. For instance, the scenes where Max carries his lovely but crippled wife Bella up the stairs to bed or insists that she takes part in the wild car race to the Ritz are full of warmth. If you like romantic comedies, see this movie!The DVD itself is excellently manufactured and full of goodies. Get it!

One of my favorite Hugh Grant movies thus far, Notting Hill is very nearly an artful example of a romantic comedy. Julia Roberts, who could have easily overpowered her part, balanced sheepish and commanding in a way that brought back visions of Pretty Woman, quite a feat for a veteran actress in a movie whose slowed tempo lies outside her normal rolls. Which is something to keep in mind, this movie has a much slower pace than the typical romantic comedy. If you enjoy British humor and cinema, for which I believe this movie was intended, you're likely aware of this and will love Notting Hill all the more for it. If not, sit back, relax and enjoy Hugh and Julia's pensive relationship, the lively and entertaining supporting cast, excellent cinematography, and the movies superb writing, as this is one of only a few films that proves not every romantic comedy has to follow the same tempo.