Notting Hill

      

Starring:  Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Rhys Ifans

Year: 1999

Running Time:  124 minutes

On my recent visit to Stratford-upon-Avon, I popped into a little Hospice shop, selling second hand books, CDs, vinyl and DVDs.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that everything in the store was 50% off.  I came across a copy of Notting Hill on DVD which turned out to be 50p.  It had been years since I'd watched it so, in addition to the price, my endearing British surroundings and a sense of nostalgia prompted me to purchase it.

It's a classic tale of boy meets famous actress, boy spills orange juice on famous actress, famous actress stands in front of boy, asking him to love her.  Having rewatched it, I realized that the main characters are not particularly likeable:  selfish Anna (Julia Roberts) is a bit of a bitch (though we are supposed to feel sorry for her because famous people have it so tough) and bumbling, self-effacing William (Hugh Grant) is pretty annoying (especially when he says things like "shittity-brickety" and "whoopsie daisies").  Yet, one can't help rooting for the couple, perhaps because we want to believe the cliché that true love really can overcome any obstacle.

The film starts with a montage of Anna Scott's life in the public eye: a parade of 90s hairdos and red carpet appearances, set to Elvis Costello's She.  This glamorous lifestyle is contrasted with that of plain William Thatcher, who lives in Notting Hill, where he runs a travel bookstore with Martin (James Dreyfus aka Tom from Gimme Gimme Gimme) and shares a messy flat with a dirty lodger named Spike - who somehow turns out to be the most likeable character in the film.

Anna pops into the bookstore, wearing a pretentious beret, where she meets William.  Later, he accidentally bumps into her on the street, spilling his orange juice on her.  He then invites her to his place to get cleaned up so she can get back on the street - "in a non-prostitute sense".  There is an unexpected kiss, initiated by Anna, which leads to a follow-up meeting at The Ritz, where Anna is meeting the press to promote her new film.  William is mistaken for a reporter from Horse & Hound magazine (which he blurts out in a moment of panic).

It's clear that there is chemistry between the two.  Anna invites herself to his sister's birthday dinner, much to the surprise of his family and friends (one of whom is a young Lord Grantham from Downtown Abbey aka Hugh Bonneville).  While Ronan Keating sings When You Say Nothing At All, Anna enjoys a glimpse into what a "normal", authentic life looks like as the friends share anecdotes and tease one another.  

A somewhat predictable plot twist:  Anna hasn't told Will that she has a boyfriend, Jeff (Alec Baldwin), nor that he is obnoxious, leading to a humiliating encounter between Will and Jeff, who surprises her at her hotel.  It seems as though there is no option but for Will and Anna to go their separate ways (cue How Can You Mend A Broken Heart).  That is, until Anna shows up on his doorstep to cry on his shoulder about some leaked risqué photos of her.  Just when it seems that the couple are going to make it after all, she loses her shit when a bunch of paparazzi show up, causing her to leave in a cloud of despair and regret.  

Do they stand a chance of a happy life when one of them cannot escape the scrutiny of the public?  Are their worlds, Beverly Hills and Notting Hill, just too different?  Since it is a romcom, I think the answer is pretty obvious.  Despite my initial misgivings about the main characters, it is a light and witty film with great performances, an enjoyable soundtrack (including Shania Twain, Texas, Ronan Keating, Elvis Costello and Lighthouse Family) and some beautiful shots of Notting Hill and London.