Notting Hill

Cast: Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Richard McCabe

Director: Roger Michell

Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant brings a unique spin on the romantic comedy, between an actress and a bookkeeper, two people worlds apart. While this is one of their famous works (when romantic comedies were still solid gold with actors like them), I couldn’t help but play a bitter card as I had a question mark hovering over my head from the start. This wasn’t a love story that was technically supposed to happen, as 1. He did not introduce himself, and 2. They never exchanged numbers.

William Thacker, an innocent shop owner becomes a ‘victim’ of the relationship that started with a kiss. He crossed paths with Anna Scott, a famous actress, who enters his shop in search of a book. A tiny mishap happens, eventually causing the couple to have a moment, followed by the initial pursuance of Anna. Soon the two embark on a relationship, along with getting to know each other, spending time together and eventually falling for each other. As romantic comedies go, they need a source of conflict, which is brought by Anna’s profession. But we all know how these things go. 

There were two things I liked about this movie even though there were a lot of plot holes from the start. First would have to be the sound track. The whole ploy of the movie was quite romantic, and perfect for the hopeless romantic. The sound track aided the effect of the atmosphere. It’s a perfect romantic list for a movie that was sappy. 

Hugh Grant really is the face of romantic comedies, this one included. While he always came off as some smarmy, confident person in similar movies, I like how he was confused. He was just a quiet shop keeper, then all of the sudden his whole life becomes publicized. He was coming off from a heartache and all of the sudden, he was finding love again. He stood there in confusion, until he figured out what he wanted. I liked his portrayal because he was careful, he exuded the aura of someone who was uncertain, and was taking a risk. 

Even if it had obvious flaws, it still managed to convey the romanticism that it attempted to. Not to mention, it shows a fictionalized glimpse of how it is like to be with a celebrity, something that we all might have dreamed off at one point in time. A good choice for a Valentine flick.