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This film tells about an after-several-twists-and-turns love story between an English ordinary divorced man William and an American pop movie star Anna in a small town, which is called exactly Notting Hill near London, with a happy ending.
I first saw this film when I was a freshman in College, recommended by my roommate Splenda. Before that, I always wondered why this film was named as Notting Hill. It sounds like Brokeback Mountain or something like that, which is storied and filmed at an actual hill or mountain. But now, I see there always a reason for a essential name to be.
At the very beginning, the film starts at some sort of clips how shinny Anna's life is with a background music She, “She May be the reason I survive, the why and wherefore I'm alive, the one I'll care for through the rough and ready years...The meaning of my life is She.", which basically hints the thought of William towards Anna throughout. However, in sharp contrast, when the scene turns to following William crossing a market where the tattoo guy, out-door shop of fruit or flesh fish etc. flows into our eyes one by one with big shots, it emphasizes that William lives an very ordinary life compared to Anna. This two corresponding scene set the tone of the whole film that, how " little" the man is to deserve a super movie star, as well as the film name dose.
I personally enjoyed the front half part of the whole film more, firstly about the destination. For example, when the two encounter each other, the camera focuses on William and defocuses Anna coming in and picking books. And then, there comes the little orange accident. This scene expresses how occasional and fateful their meet will be just like any random customer to this little book shop. Yet like anyone else, Anna is the only one meant to be.
Second is about resonance. We, the audience, mostly comes from little town like William. Imagine how we will act when we are face to face with a super star. Nerves and being at a loss might be our most likely reaction and so dose William . Entertaining Anna in his own house, acting as a journalist to fire questions, so many scenes we can see William's nerves through. But in front of his love and lover, he shows his brave and confidence at last.
Third is the use of background music. We won't find it all over the film. Silence to outline the awkward time, light music to the sweet romance, they balance William's love sweet mood and cold reality seems just perfect to me.
Since the film mostly stands by the perspective of William's side, telling a poor man's success story to win a pop star's heart, there's no difficulty for me to find out why the name is Notting Hill. It stands for where fates happens to a ordinary.
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