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Posted : 8 years ago on 15 April 2016 08:18
To be honest, it has been a while since I have seen this movie and I should probably re-watch it at some point. Anyway, I think it must be one of my wife’s favorite romantic-comedies but, personally, I always had some mixed feelings towards the damned thing. I mean, I have to admit it, as a concept, it was really smart. Basically, 4 years after ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ (which is far more superior in my opinion), Richard Curtis came up with a new rom-com, once again starring Hugh Grant who was at the top of his game, and to be his love interest, they chose Julia Roberts who was the biggest female movie star in the world at the time. So, obviously, with such a mix, it wasn’t really surprising that it turned out to be a box-office hit but I didn’t care much for the whole thing. I mean, sure, I have to admit it, it was fairly entertaining, Hugh Grant was really charming and Rhys Ifans was quite hilarious but, at the end of the day, the story was rather pedestrian and predictable. Above all, I thought there was barely any chemistry between Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts. To conclude, in spite of its flaws, I still think it is a decent watch though and it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.
Notting Hill Reviews
Decent at best
Posted : 9 years, 2 months ago on 20 February 2015 11:55
Eh. I originally rated 'Notting Hill' with two-and-a-half-stars (5/10); but I've since docked a half-star because I didn't think 'Notting Hill' was all that great to begin with -- and it's one of those movies that, reflecting upon it afterward, I liked a little bit LESS, not more.
But for a Julia Roberts movie (most of the time, I don't care for those) 'Notting Hill' isn't TOO bad, either. I enjoyed the London setting, and (although I didn't "fall in love" with him) Hugh Grant is fine as the low-key, down-to-earth bookstore owner who just happens to meet and form a relationship with a famous movie star (Roberts) after she wanders into his shop one day.
Speaking of Roberts -- she's okay in her performance (I guess), but her character leaves a LOT to be desired! What exactly did "Will" see in "Anna"? (I'm sure she's supposed to be just stunning, but beyond her appearance?) Throughout the movie, Anna comes across as self-oriented, dishonest, inconsiderate, and barely tolerable. (If she'd been played as cutesy or "wacky", I would have absolutely loathed her.)
Still -- without giving away the ending (not that it would matter if I did, considering this movie is pushing 20 years old), I'll just say that it's a predictable one, and will probably satisfy any viewer who likes a "fairy tale" ending. (Personally, I thought the ending was rather dumb myself.)
Despite all of my gripes, I wasn't as bored by 'Notting Hill' as I expected to be. I doubt that I'll ever re-watch it, but (except for the stupid ending) it's a pleasant enough film -- in a Hollywood blockbuster (via London) sort of way. (4.5/10)
But for a Julia Roberts movie (most of the time, I don't care for those) 'Notting Hill' isn't TOO bad, either. I enjoyed the London setting, and (although I didn't "fall in love" with him) Hugh Grant is fine as the low-key, down-to-earth bookstore owner who just happens to meet and form a relationship with a famous movie star (Roberts) after she wanders into his shop one day.
Speaking of Roberts -- she's okay in her performance (I guess), but her character leaves a LOT to be desired! What exactly did "Will" see in "Anna"? (I'm sure she's supposed to be just stunning, but beyond her appearance?) Throughout the movie, Anna comes across as self-oriented, dishonest, inconsiderate, and barely tolerable. (If she'd been played as cutesy or "wacky", I would have absolutely loathed her.)
Still -- without giving away the ending (not that it would matter if I did, considering this movie is pushing 20 years old), I'll just say that it's a predictable one, and will probably satisfy any viewer who likes a "fairy tale" ending. (Personally, I thought the ending was rather dumb myself.)
Despite all of my gripes, I wasn't as bored by 'Notting Hill' as I expected to be. I doubt that I'll ever re-watch it, but (except for the stupid ending) it's a pleasant enough film -- in a Hollywood blockbuster (via London) sort of way. (4.5/10)
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Amazing romantic comedy!!
Posted : 14 years, 1 month ago on 11 March 2010 08:23
I was so desperate to watch this film over a year ago and I am now ever so glad I did watch it because it is one of my all-time favourite comedies as well as romantic films of all time. It is a beautiful film that kept me gripped to it from the opening credits up until the ending credits. I have to say that Notting Hill is a hilarious film that I think is absolutely typical from the British. I think that the comedy within it is the exact kind of humour that the British would use. In my opinion, Notting Hill is one of the best British films ever made and it totally deserves to be!
Julia Roberts is one of my all-time favourite actresses mostly because of her pure beauty as well as her amazing acting talent! Notting Hill is one of Julia's best films because Anna was an absolutely perfect character for Julia. I like to consider Julia Roberts as "the actress of romantic-comedies" because she pulls a great performance in almost every single character she plays in a romantic-comedy especially in Pretty Woman which is why Pretty Woman and Notting Hill are my favourite Julia Roberts films. I am nota big fan of Hugh Grant but I like him a lot in this film, Love Actually and Four Weddings And A Funeral. No, Hugh isn't one of my favourite actors ever but he is in my opinion "the actor of romantic-comedies". I really could see the love between the two actors in real-life as well as the characters because both actors were playing their characters with such energy that makes it sound so real.
The directing was absolutely brilliant! Notting Hill, Love Actually and Four Weddings And A Funeral are three completely different kinds of romantic comedies but they all have the same producer. I think that this film showed how powerful love is and what people would do to keep the love of their life and how to show them how much they love them. The script was very original by it being a romantic-comedy.
Overall, Notting Hill is one of the best romantic comedies ever made that features two great performances and rightly deserving to be one of my favourite British films of all time.
Julia Roberts is one of my all-time favourite actresses mostly because of her pure beauty as well as her amazing acting talent! Notting Hill is one of Julia's best films because Anna was an absolutely perfect character for Julia. I like to consider Julia Roberts as "the actress of romantic-comedies" because she pulls a great performance in almost every single character she plays in a romantic-comedy especially in Pretty Woman which is why Pretty Woman and Notting Hill are my favourite Julia Roberts films. I am nota big fan of Hugh Grant but I like him a lot in this film, Love Actually and Four Weddings And A Funeral. No, Hugh isn't one of my favourite actors ever but he is in my opinion "the actor of romantic-comedies". I really could see the love between the two actors in real-life as well as the characters because both actors were playing their characters with such energy that makes it sound so real.
The directing was absolutely brilliant! Notting Hill, Love Actually and Four Weddings And A Funeral are three completely different kinds of romantic comedies but they all have the same producer. I think that this film showed how powerful love is and what people would do to keep the love of their life and how to show them how much they love them. The script was very original by it being a romantic-comedy.
Overall, Notting Hill is one of the best romantic comedies ever made that features two great performances and rightly deserving to be one of my favourite British films of all time.
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typical yet satisfying
Posted : 16 years, 2 months ago on 10 February 2008 01:27
Anna is a famous actress who makes (concidentially or not) 15 million dollars a film. Always surrounded by nosy reporters, she goes to London to promote her most recent film. One day, she goes to Notting Hill and enters in a bookstore owned by William (Hugh Grant) a man who had just gone through a divorce and whose room mate is a Welsh who apparentely, makes a living doing strange performances on the city streets. Although he recognized immeadetely the actress, William, with typical British discretion, behaves like she's just another costumer, which pleases her a lot. Moments later, the two meet again when he, by chance, spills orange juice on the clothes of the star and convinces her to go to his apartment to change clothes. From then on, begins a complicated romance, as they both live in completely different realities.
Clichés, clichés, clichés. Notting Hill is full of them, from the 'convenient' second encounter of the two (is there anything more common-ground than the old scene where thr good guy spills something on the clothes of the good girl?) to the scene where the film ends (again, I won't spoil it). But the fact is that those things doesn't bother at all. Actually, this is one of those stories that everyone knows how it is going to end, but it's fun to see how things are going to get there.
The script, written by Richard Curtis, reuses a lot of the elements of another of his work, Four Weddings and a Funeral. All of Hugh Grant's strange friends are there, and that's not all, Curtis also seems to reuse whole scenes, like the one which all squeeze inside a car and another one that William gets all his friends together to give advices to one another. Still, this 'lack of originality' doesn't bother either, the film can get good laughs.
Hugh Grant, as the insecure bookstore owner does the same job that he did on 'Four Weddings'. But let's be fair, the actor is equally fun and captivating in his so very typical British way. And his chemistry with Julia Roberts is essential for the film to work, we (the spectators) really hope that they end up together. And also Rhys Ifans, who plays the repulsive yet funny room mate Spike, has many of the best moments of the story.
Roger Michell's direction, is quite irregular though, becoming unbearably slow and predictable in some occasions. A great example is the scene where William loses his glasses just before going to the cinema with Anna. When he's leaving, Spike asks him if he found them, and he answers "kind of". Next, the camera slides through the interior of the theater for way too long, giving us enough time to predict the upcoming joke. On the other hand, there's a wonderful sequence where William walks through the streets of Notting Hill as we see time going by: fall, winter, spring and summer. The most incredible is that Michell does that in practically one cut.
The soundtrack is hand picked, giving the proper pace to the film, either it is a happy or a sad moment.
The fact is that this romantic comedy does its deed, the main couple has a beautiful, funny, difficult and believable love story, as laughs are strategically placed throughout the plot. For a film whose flaws and virtues are simply balanced, the final result is above average.
Clichés, clichés, clichés. Notting Hill is full of them, from the 'convenient' second encounter of the two (is there anything more common-ground than the old scene where thr good guy spills something on the clothes of the good girl?) to the scene where the film ends (again, I won't spoil it). But the fact is that those things doesn't bother at all. Actually, this is one of those stories that everyone knows how it is going to end, but it's fun to see how things are going to get there.
The script, written by Richard Curtis, reuses a lot of the elements of another of his work, Four Weddings and a Funeral. All of Hugh Grant's strange friends are there, and that's not all, Curtis also seems to reuse whole scenes, like the one which all squeeze inside a car and another one that William gets all his friends together to give advices to one another. Still, this 'lack of originality' doesn't bother either, the film can get good laughs.
Hugh Grant, as the insecure bookstore owner does the same job that he did on 'Four Weddings'. But let's be fair, the actor is equally fun and captivating in his so very typical British way. And his chemistry with Julia Roberts is essential for the film to work, we (the spectators) really hope that they end up together. And also Rhys Ifans, who plays the repulsive yet funny room mate Spike, has many of the best moments of the story.
Roger Michell's direction, is quite irregular though, becoming unbearably slow and predictable in some occasions. A great example is the scene where William loses his glasses just before going to the cinema with Anna. When he's leaving, Spike asks him if he found them, and he answers "kind of". Next, the camera slides through the interior of the theater for way too long, giving us enough time to predict the upcoming joke. On the other hand, there's a wonderful sequence where William walks through the streets of Notting Hill as we see time going by: fall, winter, spring and summer. The most incredible is that Michell does that in practically one cut.
The soundtrack is hand picked, giving the proper pace to the film, either it is a happy or a sad moment.
The fact is that this romantic comedy does its deed, the main couple has a beautiful, funny, difficult and believable love story, as laughs are strategically placed throughout the plot. For a film whose flaws and virtues are simply balanced, the final result is above average.
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