The One About Notting Hill.

Yesterday afternoon was my first time watching Notting Hill (1999). I always used to walk past it in my mother's DVD collection and I've been meaning to watch it but I never got around to it. But I figured since I'm now on my 6 week holidays, I thought I would watch it for a bit of fun. I enjoy watching Hugh Grant and I absolutely love most of what Julia Roberts did in the 90's so I believed it would be rather good.

Directed by: Roger Michell
Written by: Richard Curtis

This film centers around Hugh Grant's character; William Thacker. He is an ordinary man who works in a travel bookstore. One day, Anna Scott (Roberts), the biggest film superstar in the world, visits his store and it "changes his life". This film is a love story between William and Anna, and it is a very bumpy love story indeed. These two kids just can't work it out most of the film. This is mainly due to their very different backgrounds. But their on-off relationship is real. This is somewhat of a delightful British romantic comedy. The setting is beautiful, the characters are great and it is hilarious in some parts.

Hugh Grant is very believable as William Thacker and Julia Roberts makes a fine Anna Scott. I really loved their characters because are very charming and just generally likable. Other mentionable characters are William's flatmate; Spike and William's sister; Honey. Apart from William and Anna, Spike and Honey are my favourite characters.
Spike is simply brilliant. He absolutely cracked me up in all of his scenes. My favourite Spike moment is when he asks William his advice on what to wear for his date and all the shirts he picks out have a crude or stupid slogan on them. For example:

Isn't he brilliant?! :)

William's sister, Honey, is so adorable! When Anna visits William's family's house, she becomes so starstruck and follows Anna into the bathroom and forgets to step out and continuously apologises to Anna for it. Also she says this,

"Oh God, this is one of those key moments in life, when it's possible you can be really, genuinely cool - and I'm failing 100%. I absolutely and totally and utterly adore you and I think you're the most beautiful woman in the world and more importantly I genuinely believe and have believed for some time now that we can be best friends. What do YOU think?"

My favourite moment of the entire film is when William goes to visit Anna in the hotel she's staying at while there is many writers waiting in line to interview her about her latest film. Anna is keeping their relationship a secret so William has to say that he's from a magazine. When asked, he looks around for any inspiration for a name he can find. He notices a "Horse and Hound" magazine on the coffee table and says he's from that particular magazine. They let him through. Because there is always somebody else in the room, William is required to ask questions about her film and because he's from "Horse and Hound", William asks questions related to horses such as:

• "I enjoyed the movie very much. I was just wondering, did you ever consider having more horses in it?

• [about Anna's new film project] "Any horses in that one? Or hounds for that matter; our readers are intrigued by both species."
  
  And finally, my personal favourite;

• ''Thank you. You are Horse and Hound's favorite actress. You and Black Beauty. Tied.''

And, of course, there is the part where Anna and William go to the cinemas and William forgets his glasses. He then has to wear his prescription goggles instead:

Hilarious :)

Overall, this film was funny & enjoyable but went a little too long. It is warm and delightful but I would be in no such rush to see it again any time soon, maybe just the Horse and Hound parts.

I give it 2.5 out of 4 stars. I give it this rating because 2 is too low, and 3 just seemed too much.

Watch the trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNBXHp2qbRo

Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 124 mins.

Taysha. x