The ultimate feel-good movie, with that X factor there all the way!

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 1999)

Any movie that can make you walk out of the cinema with a megawatt smile on your face to rival Julia Roberts' has to be worth seeing. This one has it all - the story line is fascinating and easy to identify with - who hasn't wondered what would happen if a celebrity waltzed into their life? I know I have. The leads are absolutely brilliant - my faith in Hugh Grant has been restored a thousand times over - (my faith in Julia Roberts hadn't wavered since her best career move ever, My Best Friend's Wedding. If you haven't seen it, see it.) The special thing (just one of many) about Notting Hill is that there are no weak links in the acting. With the ensemble cast it is, hmmm, a case of "which superlative should I use?" Gina Mckee, especially is a stand out as William's (Grant's) wheelchair bound, quietly serene friend. She adds a great deal to the already super-strong line-up. The humour had us in absolute stitches (you know, that feeling you get when you just CAN'T stop laughing and you're choking!) (especially my father!) But aside from everything else, there's something, another component to this film that I just can't put my finger on. It's the thing that will have me going back to see it again, and maybe again.....and have me recommending it to everyone I see. It's the thing that has you coming home from the film happy, going to bed happy, and still thinking about it in the morning - and you're still happy. When it comes down to it, it may only be pure, light entertainment, but isn't that what it's meant to be? Any film that can make me feel that good gets my vote. Eleven out of ten.