Notting Hill (1999) – Encore Review

“Bugger this for a bunch of bananas. ” – Spike

Number of Times Seen – at least 5 times (Theater in 99, DVD, 23 Nov 2013 and 24 Dec 2020)

Link to original review – Here

Brief Synopsis – A British travel book store owner encounters a movie star one day and it changes his life in ways he never imagined.

My Take on it – This is a romantic comedy that I have always enjoyed ever since I first saw it in the theater over twenty years ago.

Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts are both perfectly cast in the lead roles and help make things feel so much more realistic and fun to watch.

The pacing of the story is great and constantly allows us to a much better understanding of the characters and the challenges that they encounter along the way.

The story does a great job of presenting a very complex issue which helps us see how famous people deal with their fame and how those who are with them also must find ways to deal with this new kind of lifestyle.

The film has a great supporting cast that add so much to things.

Rhys Ifan is superb in such a quirky role and steals every scene that he is in here..

The film has great dialogue that is quite witty and poignant at the same time and helps make things feel so much more real and genuine.

The soundtrack is superb and enhances the story so much.

Here are two of the best ones that have become so iconic over the years.

Bottom Line – Great rom-com that works so well largely due to the performances of Grant and Roberts. The story moves along at a great pace and allows us to really get a better understanding of the characters as things progress. They present such a great dilemma for the characters that helps us see the issues dealing with fame and those close to them. The supporting characters are lots of fun to watch and Rhys Ifan steals every scene that he appears in. The dialogue is witty and fun and helps make things feel so realistic. The music is superb and there are some great songs that enhance the story even more along the way. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – The decision to cast Hugh Grant was unanimous, as he and Richard Curtis had a “writer/actor marriage made in heaven”. Roger Michell said that “Hugh does Richard better than anyone else, and Richard writes Hugh better than anyone else”, and that Grant is “one of the only actors who can speak Richard’s lines perfectly”. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10) (no change from original review)