Hugh Grant plays the divorced owner of a bookstore in London’s Notting Hill neighborhood. Julia Roberts plays a glamorous movie star who walks into his store one day and takes a liking to him. Can they find romance with each other when they live in such different worlds?
Since this is a romantic comedy that sticks closely to the genre, you probably know the answer. It’s the characters that make this movie enjoyable and not its by-the-numbers plot. Grant is charming in a nervous way, playing basically his character from Four Weddings and a Funeral (which had the same screenwriter and producer as this movie).
The supporting cast, especially Rhys Ifans as Grant’s flatmate, also adds life to the story. Notting Hill may be fluff, but the characters and witty dialogue make it an enjoyable diversion.