Humbug to it all, actually Nov 14, 2009
Nor is the Working Title device of giving the protagonist a wackily different friend who may be gay or have pink hair (Four Weddings), wheelchair-bound (Notting Hill), or Bill Nighy (Love Actually), which gives the film a veneer of arch, funky Brit Grit. But these characters are always thrown into the sort of cosy and contrived scenarios that only happen in Connecticut looking as if they've been art-directed by Martha Stewart for a Pottery Barn catalogue. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Opinion)
Review: Tuning into 'Pirate Radio' Nov 14, 2009
Curtis, who has written a string of superior movies, including "Notting Hill" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral," does something quite clever with the story. Essentially, he structures the scenes of life on the boat as a series of disparate incidents. (San Francisco Chronicle)
'Pirate Radio' Nov 13, 2009
Curtis, the writer-director of "Love Actually" and writer of "Notting Hill" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral," infuses "Pirate Radio" with obvious, enormous affection for the time, the music and the real players who inspired the fictional ones. He's always seemed like the director version of a party host who doesn't want the fun to end, accounting for the length of "Love Actually." Curtis makes Dormandy a cookie-cutter villain whose version of a black hat is short, Brylcreemed hair and horrid... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Pirate Radio just rolls when it should rock Nov 12, 2009
Ifans (the batty roommate of "Notting Hill") is even more restrained, downright dull with his self-satisfied mugging as a swell-headed super deejay. Some of this gang inflict the sort of hurt and betrayal on comrades that could have broken up the unbreakable Rolling Stones at their zenith. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Director Richard Curtis' pirate's life Nov 9, 2009
The creative mind that came up with wedding guests who click in "Four Weddings and a Funeral"; a bookstore owner and movie star who, unlikely as it may seem, fall in love in "Notting Hill"; and the "Tall Guy" character for the film of that name has outdone himself this time ... " Besides Nighy, there's Rhys Ifans, whose breakout performance was in "Notting Hill" and who plays an infamous disc jockey in the new film, and Emma Thompson, who has a hilarious cameo as a glamorous ex-groupie. "Maybe... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Hindus hit out at Julia Roberts over ashram closure Sep 24, 2009
The scale of Roberts's security detail and her intrusion into a sacred Hindu ritual has caused wider ill-feeling towards the star of Notting Hill and Pretty Woman. Until her arrival in India, Roberts had been considered one of the West's most "Hindu-friendly" celebrities. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
'Pretty Woman' in India temple upset Sep 24, 2009
Up until now, the star of Erin Brockovich and Notting Hill has been seen as one of the West's most "Hindu-friendly" actors, even sporting a bindi spot during a visit to India earlier this year. In Eat, Pray, Love, Ms Roberts plays a woman hoping to find herself in Hindu spirituality after experiencing a traumatic divorce. (BBC News -- South Asia)
What friends are for Sep 13, 2009
Ellie puts her life in Boston on hold to stay in their Notting Hill home and try to help Sophie. This is about me wanting to, needing to, be here for Sophie, she tells Philip, her husband, who doesn t understand and wants her to come home. (Boston Globe)
Fall movies not to miss Sep 7, 2009
Pirate Radio British writer-director Richard Curtis has a reputation on this side of the Atlantic for his romantic films like "Four Weddings and a Funeral," "Notting Hill" and "Love Actually." But don't expect any smooching in his latest feature, the true story of a group of rogue disc jockeys in the 1960s who broadcast the best of rock 'n' roll from an old tanker in the middle of the North Sea, resisting government attempts to shut them down. "This film is about a young man finding something... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Bonus good for Australia, even better for NZ Sep 5, 2009
Hundreds of thousands of people turn out for the Notting Hill Carnival in London. Readers' most viewed. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
'Mystic Pizza' still winner for Roberts Sep 4, 2009
Ten years later -- after winning over audiences in "Sleeping with the Enemy," "My Best Friend's Wedding," "The Pelican Brief" and "Notting Hill" -- Roberts' price tag was $20 million when she took on the role of a lifetime in "Erin Brockovich." The result: a landslide win on Oscar night for best actress. Roberts, now 41, has continued to crank out good roles in great movies, from "Ocean's Eleven" and "Closer" to "Charlie Wilson's War" and now "Duplicity.". (Erie Times-News, PA)
Infotainment Sep 2, 2009
Hundreds of thousands of people turned out for the Notting Hill Carnival in west London on Monday, a celebration of Caribbean culture that has become Europes biggest street party. Revellers gathered to dance, drink and eat jerk chicken as samba and reggae beats blasted out over the suburb, turning. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
WWII ceremonies begin in Poland Sep 1, 2009
Page last updated at 04:48 GMT, Tuesday, 1 September 2009 05:48 UK. Please turn on JavaScript. (BBC News -- Europe)
Is this the worst day of the year to be born? Sep 1, 2009
Page last updated at 08:58 GMT, Monday, 31 August 2009 09:58 UK. Is this the worst day of the year to be born. (BBC News -- UK)
Under scrutiny Sep 1, 2009
Page last updated at 23:52 GMT, Monday, 31 August 2009 00:52 UK. Sam Wanamaker 'monitored by MI5. (BBC News -- UK)
Lost in space Aug 15, 2009
Hawkwind are to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their debut gig - played at the All Saints Hall in London's Notting Hill - by performing in two all-day events at the end of this month ... Hawkwind's anniversary shows at the Porchester Hall in Notting Hill, London, are on 28 and 29 August. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Queen of hearts Aug 9, 2009
" A shy and retiring child, Blunt had a stutter that was cured by adopting an accent in a high school drama class. She went on to study acting and first made her mark on the stage, winning the Evening Standard's best newcomer award for The Royal Family alongside Judi Dench. Her movie break came with My Summer of Love. After living in Vancouver with Buble, Blunt now calls Notting Hill home. However, s 00004000 he does spend a lot of time in the US, or wherever her films are being made. "I have... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
MORE: Brush up on your Sienna Miller trivia Aug 7, 2009
at her Notting Hill apartment, with a 35,000 diamond engagement ring: nine diamonds in a platinum circle set in gold. She accepts. (USA Today -- Life)
In the Loop: Stinging Strangelovean Satire Jul 26, 2009
When Simon's assistant Judy (Gina McKee) says that certain classified information "falls well within my purview," Malcolm explodes: "Within your purview? Where do you think you are, some f---in Regency costume drama? This is a government department, not some f---in Jane f---in Austen novel!" And the movie is not one of those genial Brit rom-coms like Notting Hill or Four Weddings and a Funeral. It's closer to the high-IQ ranting in plays by John Osborne and TV dramas by Dennis Potter. (Time.com)
My Friends, My Loves Jul 20, 2009
Nonetheless, you can detect certain traces of Curtis's script for the Hugh Grant-Julia Roberts hit Notting Hill. For a start, the weather is always fine, the scenery picturesque and Mathias (Vincent Lindon), the hero, is a bookseller. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Newsweek: The end of the 20-something love story? Jul 18, 2009
I'm talking about the year I was a junior in high school, when Julia Roberts faced Hugh Grant in Notting Hill, and had the guts to say: "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.". 2009. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Celebrity birthdays for the week of July 19-25 Jul 16, 2009
Quinn, Medicine Woman") is 81. Actress Louise Fletcher is 75. Singer Chuck Jackson is 72. Actor Terence Stamp is 71. Game show host Alex Trebek is 69. Singer George Clinton is 68. Singer-actor Bobby Sherman is 66. Writer-director Paul Schrader is 63. Singer Don Henley is 62. Actor Danny Glover is 62. Actor-comedian-director Albert Brooks is 62. Composer Alan Menken ("Little Mermaid,""Little Shop of Horrors") is 60. Musician Al Di Meola is 55. Actor Willem Dafoe is 54. Singer Keith Sweat is 48.... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Rolando 2: The Quest for the Golden Orchid Review Jul 6, 2009
June 30, 2009 - Hand Circus struck gold with the original Rolando, a crazy-cool puzzle-platformer with all the style of a LocoRoco wearing a Paul Frank t-shirt while rolling through Notting Hill. But it wasn't just panache that made it so smashing. (IGN Wireless Games)
The Proposal Jun 19, 2009
SECTIONS MOVIES CHANNELS ; GET GAMES. We propose you stay away. (IGN FilmForce)
Universal Pictures and Working Title Films Announce All-Star Cast for Upcoming Comedy Adventure Paul May 28, 2009
Among their commercial and critical hits are Atonement; Pride & Prejudice; United 93; Nanny McPhee; The Interpreter; About a Boy; Notting Hill; Elizabeth; Fargo; Dead Man Walking; Bean; High Fidelity; Johnny English; Billy Elliot; Four Weddings and a Funeral; Bridget Jones's Diary; Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason; O Brother Where Art Thou. Love Actually; Mr. Bean's Holiday; Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Burn After Reading; Frost/Nixon; State of Play and The Soloist. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
F1 boss Mosley's son found dead May 7, 2009
Alexander Mosley, 39, was discovered dead at a property in Notting Hill on Tuesday. A Metropolitan Police (Met) spokesman said they are treating the death as "non-suspicious" and that officers were in the process of informing the family. (BBC News)
The Wire gives a lift to many gifted black actors Apr 28, 2009
Pierce appeared briefly in Malcolm X, Bulworth and on the series Third Watch; while Peters played roles like Homeless Vet in K-PAX, and Helix Actor in one of Julia Roberts's films-within-the-film Notting Hill. Now they're co-starring in a much-buzzed-about new HBO series called Treme (pronounced Treh-may), about life in post-Hurricane-Katrina New Orleans. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Natalie Imbruglia's dark beauty Apr 14, 2009
She's recently moved to Notting Hill after renting out her Windsor home: "I love it," she says. Outwardly, Imbruglia is a social person, is present on London's celebrity radar, makes appearances at charity galas, society events, goes out to nightclubs, but at her core she leans towards independent self-reliance. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
A star spies a comeback Mar 29, 2009
The radiant grin - the signature of films such as Pretty Woman, My Best Friend's Wedding and Notting Hill - exists off-screen for the moment. While contemporaries such as Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker are still looking for love in movies, Roberts says: "I can't play those parts any more It just doesn't work for me at 41, with three kids and happily married. It doesn't hold the same interest that it did for me once upon a time.". (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Still a Box Office Star? Mar 24, 2009
She had a wildly successful run of commercial films beginning with "My Best Friend s Wedding," and continuing with "Conspiracy Theory," "Stepmom," "Notting Hill," "Runaway Bride," "Erin Brokovich," "The Mexican," and "America s Sweethearts.". The run sort of unofficially ended in late 2001 with "Ocean s Eleven," which really can t be counted as a Julia Roberts movie exclusively it starred George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. (Fox News)
Aussie actor wins lead role with online audition Mar 24, 2009
A month later, he landed in London and spent a month shooting the film in Notting Hill during the biggest snowfall in London in nearly 20 years. The movie is now in post-production, six years after its director Jovy won Best New Film Idea at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002 for his plan for an interactive film that let the audience become casting directors and gave anyone the chance to be a movie star. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Technology)
What's Julia's best movie? Mar 20, 2009
Erin was OK, and Notting Hill was rather nice all things considered, but I really like Charlie Wilsons War best of all her movies ... As much as I love these two movies, Closer and Charlie Wilson's War, they are not "Julia Roberts Movies." I would have to admit to a tie between Pretty Woman and Notting Hill ... When the tie between Pretty Woman and Notting Hill goes into extra time, Notting Hill wins hands down. (Variety)
Elle Macpherson's new Guy? Mar 20, 2009
The pair appeared engrossed in conversation and seemed desperate to avoid being spotted together as they left the Notting Hill Brasserie restaurant separately in the early hours of the morning. The 40-year-old director has been linked with a string of women since his marriage breakdown, including millionaire heiress Jemima Khan and his RocknRolla producer Lauren Meek. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
NEWSWEEK: Media Lead Sheet/March 16, 2009 Issue (on newsstands Monday, March 9) Mar 9, 2009
The romantic-comedy genre where Julia thrives ("Notting Hill," "Runaway Bride," etc. is practically on life support. (PR Newswire)
Newsweek: Is Julia Roberts box-office reign over? Mar 7, 2009
None other than Howard Stern had her on his show 10 years ago to goad his boys' club into seeing "Notting Hill." Nowadays, it's almost impossible for a woman to drag her date to a chick flick ... It came in that great dinner scene in "Notting Hill," where all the guests around the table confess the saddest truths about their lives. (MSNBC -- News)
All-black EastEnders makes soap history - as in lesson Feb 25, 2009
Last night we had the Notting Hill riots, steel pans, carnival, Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. I half expected Patrick to mention how he walked off Windrush with his brother Trevor McDonald and how thrilled he is his grandson Lewis Hamilton is doing so well. (guardian.co.uk)
Sienna Miller makes London catwalk debut Feb 24, 2009
The pair also have their own shop in London's expensive Notting Hill neighborhood. "I feel like we've come a long way, we've worked really hard and I think it's great. Wearable, aspirational but still really accessible," said Savannah, who has worked with big names such as Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson and Betty Jackson. (MSNBC -- Lifestyle)
Storm grows over National Theatre play dubbed racist and offensive ... Feb 14, 2009
26 Aug 2008: Feathers, flags and fans at this year's vibrant Notting Hill carnival. . (guardian.co.uk)
Enjoy Harry, Sally and Paprikash Feb 13, 2009
Of course no romantic comedy list would be complete without the Julia Roberts can't-miss combo of "Notting Hill" and "My Best Friend's Wedding." And speaking of weddings, Nia Vardalos came out of nowhere as the lovable writer and star of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding.". Her screenplay earned a well-deserved Academy Award nomination in 2002, while her movie gave hope for Windex as a cure for any illness or ailment you've got. (Erie Times-News, PA)
Julia Roberts steps back into a starring role Feb 12, 2009
None of those actresses has yet approached the run of hits Roberts had in the 1990s with movies including "Erin Brockovich" (for which she won an Oscar), "Runaway Bride" and "Notting Hill.". "Right now, people are desperate for the heir apparent to be Katherine Heigl," the same producer said of that 30-year-old actress, who captured about half of a Roberts-size audience with her "27 Dresses.". (International Herald Tribune)
The reel thing Feb 8, 2009
Yes, you could be suffering from the "Notting Hill effect", as it has been dubbed by the British press - a condition far worse than Grant's penchant for illicit pit-stops on Sunset Boulevard ... " Tabloid sensation aside, is this out-and-out war on romcoms warranted? Should we return The Wedding Planner to the video store quick-smart? Or are the good people of Heriot-Watt University severely underestimating the intelligence of romcom fans? According to Anne Hollonds, a counsellor at... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
