Carried Largely by Two Very Charming Leads

Rating: 7/10 (11 February 2016)

Watching Notting Hill I came to the realization that it's been a while since I have seen a movie that is so unabashedly romantic. Today's romantic comedies tend to add layers of cynicism in lieu of two people, on screen who actually have chemistry. It's like half of the rom-com industry has decided to pander to the eye-rolling, smartphone scrolling, shrugging indignation crowd. The other half cater to those who like their romance overcooked, contrived, and unbearably overwrought as to render them offensively outdated upon arrival.
Thankfully Notting Hill falls into the latter category without wholly reaching Nicholas Sparks territory. Our protagonist William Thacker (Grant) is a normal, good-humored Brit who has a chance encounter with American darling of the screen Anna Scott (Roberts). Despite being consistently befuddled around the constantly on-guard ingenue, William manages to endear himself to her and they begin a charming little courtship away from the flashes of paparazzi cameras.
Grant's character manages a struggling bookstore because in the late nineties and early two thousands screenwriters wanted to let us know how unfashionable books were. His shaggy-dog normalcy, quick yet harmless wit and his social circle of close-knit friends, endears him to the audience within the first few minutes of the movie. This is important because with the arrival of Robert's character it's as if a draft of arctic wind had assailed his life. Take away the moments where bit characters do a double take when she enters the room and you're left with a very cagey actress who Grant at first seems to admire because of her celebrity. She doesn't come across as endearing at first but slowly gains your trust throughout. As she slowly un-spools to a level the audience can commit to her struggles, Grant also begins to grow and change in unexpected ways. In the hands of other actors this movie might have been relegated to rom-com purgatory. Yet so much audience goodwill can be made with Roberts's winning smile and Grant's signature stutter.
The secret to Notting Hill's success is its ability to play out the scene in a meaningful way and earn the audience's respect with well- formed characters. The central gaggle of friends played by Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, Hugh Bonneville and Emma Chambers all have interesting backstories and aren't the one-dimensional boors we always see. The movie goes into a bit of a third act stumble culminating in that frantic "mad dash to your lover" sequence we've seen in every romantic comedy since Manhattan (1979). It's a shame too because everything leading up to that moment was organic and fun while not being too sweet.
I didn't love Notting Hill but then again the film is not for me. Much like William's bookstore, the movie is for a special class of people who don't know or care that the world has left them behind. It's a piece of well glossed fantasy that has the ability to harken back to older movies such as Roman Holiday (1953) and The Shop Around the Corner (1940) only with updated stars and risqué humor. It's obviously a winning formula as proved by the film's enduring popularity. Give it a try if you're not completely callused by the prospect of love; otherwise there are other fish in the sea.