It may look and sound British. It may even have a cast made up of mostly British actors. But "Notting Hill" is very much a Hollywood motion picture.
Not that that's a bad thing. In fact, one reason the film succeeds is that it so deftly combines elements from sappy U.S. romantic comedies and the much more caustic British satires. And when that experiment works here, it works well.
It shouldn't be all that surprising, however, considering that "Notting Hill" comes from the screenwriter and producer of "Four Weddings and a Funeral," a similarly ambitious and successful movie hybrid.
However, at 123 minutes, "Notting Hill" feels at least 15 minutes too long. And like "Four Weddings and a Funeral," it's surprisingly foul-mouthed, with some cursing that will likely offend some viewers' sensibilities.
(Most of the foul language comes from one character, played by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans, whose one-note performance is the film's biggest weakness.)
Another problem is the at-times-drippy, at-other-times-bombastic musical score, which almost makes the film's romantic elements seem clunky and forced.
Still, the movie works, due largely to smart writing and warm performances from the lead actors, Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.
Grant plays William Thacker, owner of a travel-book store in London's eclectic Notting Hill neighborhood. Business hasn't been too good at his shop lately, and neither has his love life.
The latter situation changes, however, when movie star Anna Scott (Roberts) wanders into the store one day. Charmed to a certain degree by William's clumsy flirtations, Anna actually kisses the naive business owner, which sets off a tumultuous romance of sorts.
But there are quite a few obstacles along the way. Not only is Anna being hounded by tabloid photographers, she's still seeing her movie-star boyfriend.
Needless to say, William isn't confident that their relationship is more than a simple fling or whether Anna has genuine feelings for him.
It's true that Roberts is essentially playing herself. But she does it well, and there's a surprising amount of chemistry between Roberts and Grant. And Grant hasn't really been this charming since . . . well . . . "Four Weddings and a Funeral."
Of course, it helps to have ace scripter Richard Curtis putting lines in their mouths. His very funny screenplay includes subplots that parody real-life events in both stars' lives, as well as some specific entertainment in-jokes that critics in particular are sure to enjoy.
And director Roger Michell ("Persuasion") does a good job of keeping the pacing brisk, and he uses his talented supporting cast (which includes British sitcom actors Hugh Bonneville, Tim McInnerny and Gina McKee) quite nicely.
"Notting Hill" is rated PG-13 for profanity (including a couple of uses of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), vulgar sexual references and use of some sexual slang and male partial nudity.