This is what romantic comedy looks like!

Rating: 8/10 (27 June 2008)

Notting Hill (1999), directed by Roger Michell, is a showpiece for Julia Roberts and for London. (Hugh Grant is pretty good too.)
The movie is undoubtedly formulaic. From the moment Julia Roberts--Anna Scott, the most famous woman in Hollywood--steps into Hugh Grant's bookstore, we can pretty much predict how the rest of the movie will turn out. My comment about this is, "So what?" No one wants a romantic comedy with a sad ending, and no one wants to think about whether "the most famous actress in the world" could really enjoy life with a kind and gentle man who lives and works in Notting Hill.
The movie has some real strengths: William Thacker (Grant) has a loving, lovable sister (Emma Chambers), and some great friends. The Portobello Road market and the Notting Hill section of London look colorful and authentic. London gleams in the sunshine, and the posh hotels look, well, posh.
Most important, Julia Roberts is perfect for the part. The clichÃ© is that the camera loves Julia Roberts. I would say instead that WE love Julia Roberts. The camera just transmits her beauty and charm so that we can appreciate it.
Note: Watch for the lovely Emily Mortimer who plays "Perfect Girl." That is, she and William are brought together after Anna breaks his heart, and she would, indeed be perfect for him. However, who wants to see a romantic comedy where the hero says, "Sure, who needs Anna Scott when Perfect Girl is around?" It just wouldn't be romantic, and it wouldn't be comedy.