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Starring Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Emma Chambers, Rhys Ifans, Tim McInnerney,
Gina McKee, Alec Baldwin. Written by Richard Curtis. Directed by Roger Mitchell.
William Thacker (Grant) owns a small, barely-surviving travel book store in the Notting Hill district of London. One day, the most famous actress in the world, Anna Scott (Roberts) arrives at his store to pick up a book about Turkey, in town to promote her latest movie project, a 2001 ripoff called Helix. He soon meets her again by spilling orange juice on her, and invites her to clean up at his apartment. A few days later, William's goofball roommate Spike (Ifans) suddenly recalls an American named Anna called, and William phones her just in time to see her at a press junket, where he has to fake being a reporter from Horse and Hound magazine to have a chance to speak with her. William invites her out, and she eventually accepts, but then he remembers he has to go to his sister Honey's (Chambers) birthday. Anna suggests that she be his date, and they go to the home of his best friend (McInnerney) and former girlfriend (McKee) who are now married. After the initial shock of who Anna is, she is warmly accepted into the party, and they have a great time. She brings him up to her Ritz Hotel room for some intimate goings on, but who should be there but her obnoxious actor boyfriend (Baldwin). Months later, she arrives back in London for another couple of days, in the midst of a scandal about nude photographs taken as a youth. She seeks refuge with the only friend she knows, and they spend a quiet and relaxed day (and romantic night) at his apartment. But somehow, the press finds her whereabouts and William opens his door to find a phalanx of reporters and photographers. Anna is furious, and storms out of the apartment, and William's life. But William can't get Anna out of his mind. Will he be able to forget her, or will he get another final chance with her? The whole thing is not particularly believable. I mean, the supposed most famous actress in the world can walk the streets of London, do a little shopping, and eat out in a mainstream busy restaurant without being recognized or hounded is not very likely. But it doesn't much matter. Notting Hill works because of the writing, and the balance in the story between the lead couple and the eccentric supporting characters. Written by the writer of the very funny Four Weddings and a Funeral, the story follows the standard romantic comedy formula where two characters from opposite sides of the world meet, fall in love, but must overcome obstacles thrown in their way before they can eventually reach the satisfying romantic coupling and living happily ever after. But the strength of the movie is the often low key wit and humour injected into it, and the often subtle surprises. For example, Anna meets William's friends and family, they all vie for a brownie for whomever can best recite the most pathetic things about their life. Anna lists abusive boyfriends, unrelenting fame and dieting, and the inability to lead a normal life. The whole group goes silent and we expect sympathy for her story, when Bernie says "Nah, that's not enough", and the rest of the table joins in dismissing her story as not near pathetic enough. An interesting feature of the film is how Anna Scott experiences things, and has characteristics like that of the real Julia Roberts. The huge film salaries, the poor quality of her projects, the questioning of her acting talent, the long list of bad boyfriend choices and the occasionally explosive and defensive temper Anna exhibits mirror a lot of Julia's own reported life. That is, If you can believe everything you read, which you can't. But even though Julia is largely playing herself, she is quite good, and often very sympathetic, even when Anna displays her quick temper. Grant delivers another of his low key charmers, and is effective, although more than once I was wishing he could speed up the delivery just a little. The best performances are delivered by the supporting cast. Particularly good is Ifans, consistently hilarious as the clueless roommate who doesn't mean any harm, but has no concept about women, cleanliness or any social niceties. McInnerney and McKee both deliver a degree of depth and realism not usually found in these types of movies. Although this is essentially aimed at women, the notion that a ordinary man can meet a famous movie star like Julia Roberts, and after having a chance to really get to know our charming selves, she would fall for us, makes this a relationship movie men can fully appreciate too. And as such, if Winona Ryder is in the Toronto area, please look me up. A movie marketer's dream vehicle. Fortunately, the movie is entertaining, nicely paced, and rarely (until the end) sappy, and worth taking your favourite date to.   
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