ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BOB WADE
?Notting Hill.? Rated Pg-13. I give it a 4 out of a possible 5.
Once I got past all of Hugh Grant?s floppy mop of hair and into
the
plot, I must say I rather enjoyed ?Notting Hill.?
Yeah, it was a bit of a chick flick, and it was hopelessly
romantic
and a trifle long at two hours, but the writing was more than
adequate, and I now seem to write with a British accent. At least
I
fancy I do.
Grant plays William Hacker, a simple seller of travel books in a
small
shop he owns in London?s Notting Hill district.
He lives with the strangest of flatmates, an off-the-wall
character
named Spike (Rhys Ifans).
One day, famous movie actress Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) happens
into
his store. Though he does not completely go to pieces in her
presence,
William is not known around the Hill as a ladies? man. He bungles
his
way through an inane conversation with the star, then moments
later
runs headlong into her on the street corner, spilling his orange
juice
all over her.
The pair retreats to his flat, where, after getting herself
cleaned up
as only Julia Roberts can, she inexplicably and shockingly gives
him a
juicy kiss. Right on the lips.
The improbable romance that follows certainly has its ups and
downs.
For starters, when William returns Anna?s call and goes to meet
her at
her hotel, he is mistaken by her staff as the representative of a
British magazine.
Thinking quickly, he announces that he is a writer for ?Horse and
Hound.? He does get his five minutes with the star anyway, and
Anna
agrees to be his date for his quirky sister?s birthday party later
that night. It seems the movie star is a bit fed up with her
current
life in the spotlight, and is looking to hobnob with the locals
for a
spell.
William?s friends and sister immediately recognize Anna, but his
brother has a spot more trouble. In the course of their
get-acquainted
chat, he asks what she does for a living. She tells him she is an
actress.
He proceeds to ask how much she was paid for her last film,
obviously
believing her to be your typical superstar wannabe. Her reply?
?Fifteen million dollars.? He only discovers her true identity
after
firmly placing his foot in his mouth.
But, that?s the charm of this Universal Studios story. It?s all so
innocent; well, at least until the press gets wind of what Anna
has
been up to.
Turns out she has a famous actor-boyfriend. And, when the London
tabloids show up on William?s doorstep, Anna turns on him. It is
only
then that William realizes the absurdity of their relationship. He
tries his best to forget the whole thing. But, of course, he
can?t. We
are, after all, talking about Julia Roberts.
?Notting Hill? has a sentimental candy coating, but the plot is
interesting enough. The film is rated PG-13 due to some mild
sensuality and some crude sexual references, mostly centered on
Spike?s behavior. He is one wild and crazy guy and almost steals
the
film from the big stars.
The characters are engaging, and if the viewer is in the proper
mood,
the movie will leave him or her with a warm, fuzzy feeling.
The ladies, I am told, find Hugh Grant cute.
And, guys, we are talking about Julia Roberts here.
Bob Wade is a local video enthusiast. The videos he reviews come
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