 |
 |
| Directed by Richard Michell; Starring Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Emma Chambers, James Dreyfus, Rhys Ifans, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, and Richard McCabe |
The team that brought us Four Weddings and a Funeral has struck again. The writer-producers-actor team of Four Weddings has been reunited for the first time since the 1994 film (though the producers worked together last year on Elizabeth). Their new film is Notting Hill and plays off the fame found by both of the leads in the film.
The story sets off when a small travel book store owner (Grant) sells a book to a movie star (Roberts) trying to keep a low profile. When he spills a drink on her and she is forced to change in his house, one thing leads to another and next thing you know, they are having a casual affair, while trying to keep the press hidden from what is happening. The only people that are in on the relationship are the mad cap friends and family of Grant (characters in the vein of Four Weddings).
The film veers between British humour and American humor throughout (staying away from a debit many pointed out about the highly British Four Weddings). I liked the film in a marginal sense because I thought it was funny at points. Sure it was not perfect (trying to paint a “let’s feel bad for the poor movie star” strategy falls a little flat). I especially liked Grant in it. He showed both compassion and likability in a well written character. I actually think he is the main asset of the entire film. Roberts is nice, but her character just does not seem to work for her. I would recommend this to anyone who does not have the ability to see eXistenZ despite a poor 2001 homage (or was it a spoof?).
