Wonderful comedy about love and belonging

Rating: 10/10 (27 January 2013)

This is a movie I never expected to like, being a romantic comedy and all. But now I've seen the movie four times, and it is still growing on me. Every time I see it I begin to cry (which I seldom do). This is one of the very few movies that has stuck with me. I have it with me, in the back of my head, whenever I try to work out love, when I'm thinking about life, etc. It's one of the very few movies that has had this effect on me (to name some of the others: The Iron Giant, Hannah and her Sisters, Fanny and Alexander, We all loved each other so much, My night at Maud's...). I know I am not the only one who feels this way about this movie. Some of my closest friends absolutely adore it, like me, and have seen it ten times or more. Others, however, think that is merely a nice romantic comedy, that's pacing along sometimes too slow. Why do people react so differently? I'll try to explain what I think is so amazing about it.
The love story: First thing, of course, is the love story. It's based on the very old story about people who can 't have each other because of difficult circumstances (think Romeo and Juliet). Here it is about social class - a normal bloke from London and a Hollywood film star. But it is also about much more. What made me see this movie in the first place was that it was mentioned in a book about introversion that I was reading (myself being a kind of sociable introvert that has experienced difficulties in relationships because girls didn't give me enough space). Both Anna (Julia Roberts) and William (Hugh Grant) are introverts. Both have a hard time just expressing their feelings or immediately doing what they feel like. But still, from the first moment there is a spark between them that they can't deny. I guess that people who love this movie identify with either Anna, William or both. It's a major part of the movie: Seeing their faces, their expressions, their conversation... if you identify with them and intensely hope them to find love, you get drawn in. If not, you will find it boring.
For me, I have found that I identify with both Anna and William. Anna, of course, is every man's dream: The star and beauty that shows up from nowhere and becomes a part of your life. So far, as a guy, I'm all with William. But in terms of how they interact... I know that I'm more like Anna. She is afraid of getting hurt, she's afraid of giving away her heart, she has a temper. She is difficult. William, on the other hand, is the good guy. He knows that he loves her all from the start, and he never shies away from saying it. Some lines are especially poignant. Once, when she comes to his house in a state of confusion, he just says: "This is the place". This line always gives me the shivers. So simple. So moving. And it says so much: No matter how difficult circumstances are, his place is the right place for her. I know that I, unfortunately being a bit Anna-like when it comes to being afraid of letting go and giving away my heart, long to meet a girl who will be like William: Who will just love me, in spite of my quirks and fears, and just be there, and not give up on me.
The humor: This movie is not just about love, it is also very funny. Spike, the outspoken and vulgar roomie of William, provides constant comic relief. The humor is very British - dry, self- depreciating, semi-intellectual, at times surreal (but nice). The dialogue is sparkling all through the movie. love it. But I suspect that this is also a part of the film that some people will love, and others not so much.
Place, friendship and belonging: Ultimately, however, i believe that the reason I and so many others see this movie time and time again is because it is about more than romantic love. It is about friendship, and ultimately about belonging. About finding a place in the world that is YOUR place, and then staying there. William's friends are always around, supporting him (and making fun of each other). The love between William's best friend Max and his wheel-chair bound wife Bella is very moving. And not to forget: The whole movie is called Notting Hill (an area in London). It 's not called "William and Anna", or something like that. Simply: Notting Hill. The area. The opening scene is about this area: William goes around explains that this is where he lives, and will continue to spend "his hours and years", and why he loves it so much. This is where William and his friends are grounded. It is their life, their area, their place in the world. And, the whole movie is about Anna coming to this place, and seeing the beauty in it, compared to the superficial world of Hollywood. Notting Hill/Williams's circle vs. Holllywood: 1-0.
Summing it up, I guess this is why I keep coming back to this movie. If I feel lost, not sure about my place in the world, or wondering if I will ever find a girl to love who will love me back and that we'll be able to make it work - then I see this movie. It reminds me that life is ultimately about belonging somewhere, about having friends and family, and to dare to love. Not bad for a romantic comedy, eh? (and, of course - the acting of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts is superb. The filming is beautiful. The only annoying and dated thing is the music. But even that can't ruin a perfect movie)
Highly recommended.