While waiting in the Star Wars line the other day I decided to kill a few idle hours with a Sneak Preview of NOTTING HILL.
When I announced my intentions, Copernicus roared, "No fucking waaa... aaaay, maan!"
Yes way man...
You see I'm a huge fan of the Romantic Comedy genre. In fact, it's darn near my favorite type of movie. Going way way waaaay back to the likes of THE THIN MAN, SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT, UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (not the Dudley Moore one).... on up to modern films like YOU 'VE GOT MAIL, AMERICAN PRESIDENT, SABRINA (both of them) and so on...
I devour these films... I love watching them.
When I go see these movies I like to go alone. When I'm watching the films, when I let myself get caught up, I don't like to think of someone 'judging' my reaction.... Watching to see if I cry, or if I sniffle a bit here and there.
Or.... at least that's the way I once was. The machismo male in me that wanted to.... 'Be a Man' until I realized that if something 'spoke' to me, whatever that reaction creates in me is.... me. And I'm secure. Just like... Robogeek.
Beginning in High School I really began to fall in love with these funny love sonnets, and I didn't mind if they were in Black and White or starred Patrick Swayze or Jennifer Grey.
One of those films was PRETTY WOMAN, and unlike a lot of folks nowadays that I talk to, I loved the film.... Even though I don't care for Mr Hamster, for whatever reason... I liked Julia Roberts.
You know... she was never one of those Masturbation Movie Stars. I never really had fantasies about her... Instead she objectified 'someone to fall in love with'. Not her... specifically. BUT rather.... The idea of someone to fall in love with.
That's who Julia Roberts is for me. The conceptulation of love. Not necessarily my 'perfect woman', she's probably living up in Oklahoma working on teeth or some other demeaning activity of utter funkiness.
Well, ya know... I've grown into adulthood with Julia Roberts. She's been around for a while now. I've been both happy and disappointed in her... but usually... Whenever she does the romantic comedies like MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING well... I'm happy.
I liked her in that John Grisham/Denzel Washington movie, but really... I thought the movie as a whole just didn't do it.
So, when I walked into this film I expected to be happy. I did. Really. And... I was.
For the first time, I think what I've seen is the real Julia Roberts on camera. Or at least to a certain degree.
Can you imagine how awkward it has to be to BE famous?
I mean, I've just had a taste of it, and while it definately has it's perks there are plenty of drawbacks.
For example, whilst I've been in this line... the camera crews seem to gravitate towards me. I sat way back in line, no signs saying, "THIS WAY TO HARRY" but still... MSNBC, and three local affiliates, as well as various radio stations all came up trying to get me to do interviews. I did them... I kinda have to, lest I be considered RUDE, but quite frankly... I wanted to just be a PART of the line, I didn't want to 'embody' it... ya know?
SO, since I'm in this state, where I wake up to see cameras poking into my tent, catching me waking up... I began to really sympathize with Julia Roberts. I mean, while she was married to Lyle Lovett and was seen all over Austin... Well, I began seeing the local radio and press keeping tabs on their every movement. Where they ate, any incidents that occurred... this stuff would be picked up by various tabloids and as a result I began to think....
"God, It'd suck to be them."
Imagine, you're out on a date with the woman you believe you love, but folks... mind you nice folks, keep coming up interrupting your conversation. For all they know, you could've just asked the woman across from you for her hand in marriage, but there is this compulsion to... be nice, small talk and be gracious.
So you decide to go to a park, but some damn snoopy reporter sees you leave the restaurant. They follow you. You're holding hands, walking in the moonlight, from time to time you see a couple and a blanket laying there... perhaps kissing.. perhaps just holding hands... Not a bad idea, you decide... sure... why not....
Then the next day some hack like Michael Coldcockring is running a big ol article about it in your local paper.
I mean... seriously where does this little rat bastard get off? But imagine if this was simply the state of being for you and your life. It's the mold that's put around you when you enter into the limelight that casts you into a cynic. And it is that part of the story that I love.
You see, how calculating having a relationship with a famous person can be. The 5 minute intervals between entries into hotels, the fake names, the sunglasses and large hats... Suddenly you realize that... ya know... you kinda have to give up being normal.
Or do you? You could, just not care what the press thinks. You could choose to be normal. I mean, really how much negative personal press does Harrison Ford get? Or how about Tom Hanks? Fairly regular Joes... right?
Robert Rodriguez is just a normal family man, three normal kids, normal wife, and all are happy. It can be done, but only if you really want it.
And ultimately the 'happily ever after' bit is attainable but only if you work for it. You have to be able to not care about the 'outside', and focus on your personally reality and not what others perceive your reality is.
Those are the issues that are dealt with in the film. Well... not quite.
There is also the issue of dating a famous person while being a 'normal' person. What's it like to break up with a star... Someone that's face lay across the sides of public transportation. Someone who appears during commercial breaks and that exists in a theater near you.
I mean, seriously... breaking up is pretty damn painful. Suddenly favorite restaurants can become echoes of heartache, but imagine if in addition to all of that... Everytime you went to checkout at the grocery store you saw the cover of some magazine or some tabloid that told you who your ex-lover is seeing now.
Everybody likes to laugh at folks like Larry Fortensky, but really.... Boil it down, what would that be like? I mean, you marry Liz Taylor... You look into those eyes, you love that woman. Then, when you break up... well, you get publicly executed as being 'Just a Gigolo, and everywhere you go... people know the part you're playing...' as ol Louie Prima would sing.
Ya know... I just don't know. Would it be worth it? I just don't know. I mean, breaking up is hard enough... division of friends, division of property, waking up alone, walking into your kitchen, making breakfast for two out of instinct, then you realize that... Well... you have to feed half the breakfast to the dog.
It sucks man. It does. But to turn on Jay Leno or David Letterman and then be torn asunder. To drive to work the next day and hear Howard Stern rip you a new one.... Gosh... ain't life hard enough?
ALRIGHT HARRY, I GET THE POINT.
Yeah, I know, but this movie brought alot of this type of things up for me. But I'll move along.
The actors in the film do a wonderful job, the ending is a bit... well, you know... but hey... what do ya want... really?
The 'local' British color is wonderful, and the Notting Hill area reminded me a bit of Rotterdam as well as London, and I enjoyed the memories.
I love Hugh Grant in this sort of role. He can play Cary Grant in his sleep, but here... well, I'm not sure but to me, he feels a bit Gary Cooper-esque. And it suits him. He looks worn. He looks like the perfect candidate to be smitten ya know?
And Julia Roberts is just dead on here. You kinda get the idea that she's too much trouble to pursue, but at the same time... She is.. just another girl. And when she allows herself that reality, you can see who Grant falls in love with. She's someone who desperately needs to be loved, honestly loved.
Then the various relatives and friends of Hugh Grant's... well... I love them. What a great group. High marks all the way around. I especially love the quirky sister and roommate. They're great.
Then there is Alec Baldwin. Why on earth did he accept this part? I mean seriously, my God he comes across as being an A Number One asshole. Great work Alec!
How does this film stack up to FOUR WEDDINGS? Well, I liked it a bit more, but hey... I'm often times accused of having a lack of taste.... So go take a nibble yourself and you tell me.
I'm anxious to see RUNAWAY BRIDE later this summer but I seriously doubt it'll be as strong as this one, if only because I really dislike Richard Gere as an actor... but... I'll give him a shot. Sheesh...
