William Thacker (Hugh Grant) is the charmingly sarcastic owner of a travel bookshop in London’s Notting Hill neighborhood while Anna Scott (Julia Roberts) is the world’s most famous movie star. When these two unexpectedly meet sparks can’t help but fly. But the question is, can romance between a normal Brit and celebrity Yank blossom while conducted under the glare of the international spotlight with the whole world watching each of their every moves?

CRITIQUE

I’ve always been a fan of the 1999 box office hit Notting Hill. Sweet, charming and featuring two stars bubbling over with chemistry, the film was a winner both critics and audiences alike. As a follow-up to their Oscar-nominated sensation Four Weddings and a Funeral, director Roger Michell, writer Richard Curtis and star Grant proved to be at the very top of their game, this romantic comedy a genre gem proving each of them were far more than a one-hit flash in the pan.

All that said, while I do own a copy of the film’s original DVD release I can’t exactly say I’ve gone back and watched it in quite some time. This is a movie I remember fondly but seldom choose to watch, so what that says about it in the long run I can’t quite say.

What I can say is that while viewing Universal’s new HD DVD disc of Notting Hill I was once again struck at just how effortless the performances of both Grant and Roberts appear to be here. They are as smooth as silk in this, both of them gobbling up Curtis’ razor-sharp dialogue with relish while giving the picture an old-fashioned movie star sparkle reminding me of Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby or Holiday. While neither could be accused of giving their best performances these are certainly two of their most self-assured and deliciously intoxicating, spending time with the film again a breezy joy I can’t say I was readily anticipating.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have some relatively minor complaints. For one thing, at over two hours the thing is just too darn long, while Michell does tend to settle for a couple too many cliché music video montages to showcase the couple’s blossoming love affair. The frantic finale is also still a bit much, the whole car-stuffing bit feeling like a needless excuse to make sure the film’s appealing supporting cast gets one last moment to make an impression upon the audience.

But thankfully these don’t derail things too much, Notting Hill wrapping up in a coda that feels heartfelt, character-driven and pricelessly genuine. This is a solid romance and a sometimes priceless entertainment, and for the life of me after watching it again I can’t remotely figure out why it took me so long to do so in the first place.

THE VIDEO

While Universal has been spurting out HD DVD titles with remarkable speed without losing nary a thing to quality, I admit with Notting Hill to not really being able to see much of a difference. The 2.35:1/1080p widescreen transfer is nice and clean, with more detail and sharpness, but after putting in the standard DVD release in my player I kind of felt they looked almost exactly the same. The upgrade on the video side is, to my eyes at least, minimal.

THE AUDIO

Audio is presented in English Dolby Digital TrueHD 5.1 Surround Sound (which is spectacular) and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound as well as a French Dolby Stereo Plus track and features optional English and French subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

Remember the special features from the original release? Guess what, all of them are back.

Thankfully they’re pretty good, and when combined with the interactive tools of an HD DVD player they’re all even easier to access. Included on the disc are:

Audio Commentary With director Roger Michell, producer Duncan Kenworthy and writer Richard Curtis (very good and at times even highly informative, but still a bit dry with the threesome prone to allowing long periods of silence between comments)

Deleted Scenes (none of which are very good and probably should remain deleted just in case anyone is hungering – which I doubt – for some sort of new director’s cut)

“Spotlight on Location” featurette (standard making-of piece)

“Seasonal Walk On Portobello Road” featurette (engaging short taking a look at the renowned British avenue)

“Hugh Grant's Movie Tips” featurette (an extremely silly and riotously funny short featuring the actor discussing many of the lessons he’s supposedly learned while working on the picture)

Elvis Costello's “She” and Shania Twain's “You've Got A Way” music videos (nothing special, but that floral dress Shania is wearing in her video is absolutely to die for – I want it)

Photo Montage (exactly what it says it is, and for the life of me I can never quite figure out why they keep including these as an extra)

Notting Hill Travel Book (an fun feature allowing you to explore the London world the characters of the film inhabit – I played with this one for a good hour without growing tired of it)

Trailers (I seriously hope I don’t have to explain what this one is)

On their own none of these features are going to blow you away, but taken in as a whole they are actually quite wonderful. They’re reasonably fun to explore and watch, and if you haven’t seen the film for a while they prove to be not near as tiresome as you would probably expect.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Notting Hill is never going to be remembered as one of the great romantic comedies of all time, but it is a very good one and as such is incredibly easy to recommend. Grant and Roberts make a winning pair, Curtis’ screenplay crackles with authoritative romantic majesty and Michell’s direction is confidently solid without ever calling too much attention to itself.

It is a blissful joyride of human frailty and burgeoning love, all of it wrapped together in a bright red bow of entertainment bliss impossible to resist. I like it, and for those wanting to add a good example of the genre to their HD DVD libraries I think they will, too.