#Rewatching: Notting Hill, romanticism and Hugh Grant at their best.

 

Notting Hill

Direction: Roger Michell

Screenplay: Richard Curtis

Actors: Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Rhys Ifans, Emma Chambers, Hugh Bonneville, Gina McKee

This year is the anniversary of the release of a modern cinema classic (or at least considered that way by many people, including this one writter). Notting Hill premiered on May 21, 1999 and featured not only Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts - who were some of the biggest rising movie stars of the period - as the lead couple, but also a great supporting team.

Rhys Ifans was hilarious playing Spike, the bloke with whom William Thacker (Grant's character) shares his apartment. And Hugh Bonneville, best known for his role in Downtown Abbey. Emma Chambers as William's younger sister Honey is also great, as is Gina McKee with her Bella.

A few factors besides the actors and the talented and sensitive direction of Roger Michell or the script by Richard Curtis made it such a beloved and adored feature film.

Small subversions:

The subversion of our expectation by having a kissing scene early on (at 15:56 minutes more specifically) is one of the things that contributed to my greater interest than usual in this genre of film.

Another small subversion: both in the restaurant scene and at Thacker's sister's birthday dinner (and in other more obvious moments) Anna's vulnerabilities, masterfully played by Julia, are evident, as she is insecure in her career and in her appearance, thanks to the machismo/sexism of the environment in which he works.

Comedy with Romanticism:

Although it sounds redundant, it isn't. Often, romantic comedies only do one or the other correctly and in many cases they don't hit on what is to cause laughter, nor what is to give that warmth to the heart, that sigh even in the most insensitive. Here there is a guarantee of both laughter, especially when Rhys Ifans enters the scene, and smiles satisfied by the intense but sweet chemistry of the characters so well played by Roberts and Grant.

                                                              Spike, best person

Dramas and social discussions:

Although at no point does the script want to "slap the face of society", some questions are naturally raised and you find yourself thinking about them organically. There is no "woke message" because I consider it when there is a flag being hoisted and waved against the wind. What demands effort and embarrassment arises from the speeches or situations presented. In this case, neither happens.

It's simply a result of how realistic everything in production is. Machismo/Sexism in Hollywood is the most flagrant example, but I also saw a reflection over classicism and the extent to which it is lawful to expose people to public scrutiny with the justification that they are already public. There are other matters as well, but I'll let you figure them out for yourself should you decide to watch the movie.

Soundtrack and incidental music:

She, (which is basically a most emotional declaration of love) music composed by Herbert Kretzmer and Charles Aznavour (if you thought it was authored by singer Elvis Costello, we're together in the cold water bucket) has become something of a code for all lovers or - even more - lonely lovers at that time. Any adult person devoid of romanticism at heart who had friends or relatives in relationships (or, with some platonic passion) suffered from the track's incessant replays everywhere and anywhere.

The same goes for When You Say Nothing At All, written by Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet, sung by Ronan Keating, this one listened more by the younger audience, although the older ones also liked it. With other big names, like Al Green and Shania Twain, it was one of the best-selling soundtracks at the time.

During the film, the songs fit perfectly into the scenes in which they are inserted.

The incidental music, which accompanies the characters in the course of events, is no less impactful than the "sung" soundtrack, let's say. It underscores what those involved are feeling and helps shape the production's progress in a sublime way.

One more thing (very tiny and personal) that caught me right now when I watched it again, for the umpteenth time, after many years to be able to do this article: Thacker's apartment door, the facade of his bookstore and the revolving door of the place where the final press conference is held, they are in the shade of blue I've come to call the TARDIS blue, as it's the same shade as the booth in Doctor Who. Is it a silly thing? Certainly, but it made me like the movie even more.

In short: it's a story even a little cliché in some points, but told in such a warm and natural way that you can't help but cling to the characters (all of them) and feel part of that dear and sensitive core. I would recommend it in 1999 - as if one would listen to movie recommendations from an 11-year-old child - and I still recommend it now.

                                                                                                              Grade: 8.6

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