A charming London romance

Rating: Null/10 (31 March 2004)

Notting Hill is a romantic film by Roger Michell. It was written by Richard Curtis (one of the top screenwriters in the UK) in 1999. As regards the plot, if we summarize it, we can say that a very famous Hollywood movie star, Anna Scott, falls in love with the owner of a bookshop, a normal fellow, in the charming London district Notting Hill. Apart from the fact that I like the actors very much, Julia Roberts (Anna Scott), and overall Hugh Grant (William Thacker), I think that this is a good film, because I also like comedies, and Notting Hill has, in particular, an original plot, and it's a very entertaining film. There are quite humourous notes, among them the way in which Anna and William meet, because he spills orange juice on her T-shirt. William's flatmate, Spike (Rhys Ifans), provides comic gags for the film. He's absurd, funny and indiscreet, but he also tries to help his friend. Even though the love at first sight between Anna and William is immediate, when the ending is close, he rejects her because he heard her speaking dismissively of him to her co-star. So, the excitement is kept until the end, when he realises his mistake and runs after her. The leading role in the film is shared between the main actors and the Notting Hill district itself. It is the centre where a lot of cultures and people from different worlds come together. This film poses a very current problem: the relentless pursuit that famous people suffer from the paparazzi. Moreover, Anna Scott sees how some suggestive photos of her that were taken some years ago are publicized. Finally, if you want, you can enjoy its soundtrack, which is wonderful. In particular, it has a nice song by Ronan Keating titled `When You Say Nothing At All'.