Analysing the opening to 'Notting Hill'

Notting Hill is a British Romantic Comedy (1999) directed by Roger Mitchell, set in Notting Hill, London, starring Julia Roberts as Anna Scott and Hugh Grant as Will Thacker, the film was released 21st May 1999 with a budget of $ 43 million and box office of $ 393,889,700.

William- Will- lives in Notting Hill; he lives in a small house ‘with a blue door’ which he and his wife picked out before she divorced him. He shares it with a very unconventional Welsh lodger named spike. Will owns his own small Travel book shop, where he encounters the very lovely Hollywood actress Anna Scott. He later collides with her in the street and spills orange juice down her, he then offers for Anna to wash herself and change at his house, shortly after they share a kiss.

William Thacker is the typical male British stereotype, Lacks confidence and is a bit of a hopeless romantic. His wife left him for a celeb look-alike Harrison Ford, he kept the house they picked out while together.

Spike is the comedy view on the film; he is an odd Welsh man who doesn’t take life seriously. He has a very rude nature about him.
They contrast as Spike is a very comic, crude man whereas Will is shy and nervous. However, They have a good friendly relationship, as Spike feels trusting with him as he asks him about which shirt to wear, even though Will is embarrassed by him he still makes time for him which adds the humour to the audience as they can relate as everyone has the one friend who is very rude and easily be embarrassed around.
Anna Scott is a buoyant, outgoing woman; she is used to being on the spot and being introduced to new people. However, from the way she was trying to hide her indent could show that she likes her time alone and in the collage of her shows that she likes to read- which could link to how she went into Will’s Book shop.
The next scene shows our protagonist and the location of a street market of Notting Hill. This shows the audience the everyday life of the protagonist and of the people around him, giving them that sense of realism. The over-voice monologue gives the audience the brief story of his life up the point to show them what has happened that could have affected his position at the present moment.
The meeting Of Anna Scott, A close-up combined with a zoom on Wills face shows the emotion and expressions used to show the person who came in. The Prop of the hat and glasses show protection as she feels that she must hide her identity from anyone that may recognise her out in a public place, this may have been what drawn her to Will’s shop as not many people were there. Will’s sincere nature gives Anna that bit of peace as he doesn't expose her or even ask for her auto-graph, un-like the drunken man that Will asks to return a book with later in the scene, that also creates that bit of humour as Will is calm and patient rather than going mad and shouting.
With Will being the weaker character, it opposes stereotypes of the man being a stronger person in relationships. There relationship is not a normal romance, they have done this to make it stand out and exaggerate it out for the audience this brings the comedy side to the story.
I think is a Rom-Com the most effective effect is the close-ups as they show the audience the emotion behind the face that you couldn't get from another shot. This could show the emotion on the face to create the romantic or comic side of the story.
I think is a Rom-Com the most effective effect is the close-ups as they show the audience the emotion behind the face that you couldn't get from another shot. This could show the emotion on the face to create the romantic or comic side of the story.

The title sequence starts with diegetic sounds of applause that goes over with the company logo to the cut into edited dissolves cuts of collages of Anna Scott’s success and life. The dissolves show the more kind and flowing nature of the film to make it seem more loving and calm towards the audience. The use of the non- diegetic song ‘She’ shows the expectation of a Romantic film as it is a soulful and meaningful song.