Plot
The plot to Notting Hill is very typical romance premise of boy meets girl and they form a relationship, and most of the plot points in film follow the development of their relationship through time and the obstacles that they have to overcome. There is a difference in this story though as instead of just the romance between two people, they have created a unique premise of when a ordinary English man and a extraordinary American actress meet and fall in love. This is unique because these two have contrasting backgrounds which can generate interesting and funny situations since it takes time for the two to understand each other and the lives that they live. The setting is also different from most rom-com's being set in a London setting rather then something like New York or any other American cities.
Characters
For a rom-com to succeed, they need to create unique, interesting and lovable characters for the audience to watch and relate with. For starters, our main protagonist, Will, is written to be a typical likable and ordinary every man that is both cool-headed but passionate so that we would as a audience wish for the character to succeed in his endeavours and get the girl at the end of the movie. Anna, who is our leading lady. is written at first to be a bit of a diva but also shy and reclusive to prevent herself being discovered in the public eye but as the movie goes on she develops and evolves within the story to become a better person, just like Will who is encouraged to be more adventurous and to take a chance once in a while.
Mise en Scene
A lot of comedies sometimes use props in their movies to bring comedy without the use of a verbal joke. For example, we see in the beginning where Will is talking with his friend Spike about what to where for this date he has with a woman. The first two shirts are in poor taste and usually have a funny phrase on them. The last shirt looks like its appropriate to the situation, because it says "Your the most beautiful woman in the world", but it throws a curve-ball at us by having the back of the shirt say "Fancy a F**k" which is funny because it contrasts the sophistication of the the phrase on the front and it has a expletive profanity which makes inappropriate but funny because of it's bluntness.
Camera
Two shots are heavily used in rom-com's for certain reasons but the most important one is so that the movie can establish character relations and show the meaningful conversations that the characters have. For example in one scene we get a conversation between Will and his fellow colleague about their coffee habits which to all respect doesn't serve much to the plot but it shows an understanding of character and that the little conversations between people do matter and should be acknowledged by the main characters. It is also used in kissing scenes because we can directly see two characters connect in a fit of passion and the build up towards to when they actually kiss.
Editing
One of the most used editing techniques used in rom-com's is seamless editing since your trying to portray a realistic setting in a real-life situation. Its mostly used when there is banter between multiple characters in different positions. This used in the segment at the beginning where Will, Anna and an attempted thief talk at the desk. They use multiple medium shots of the different characters to show their different reactions to each other and the situation; an example being where Anna ans Will exchange looks about the appearance and the manner of the their as their acknowledged his overall demeanor. Fades are used in the opening to portray how famous Anna is and how much of an elegant woman she is.
Sound
Music is important in rom-com since it is used to establish the mood and themes presented within the movie. The opening song is used to portray Anna's career as an actress, where she is a like a modern day princess and is shown to be elegant and refined. The music presented throughout the movie is minimal and is only played during emotional or funny scenes, for example, piano music is played when they first kiss and show a immediate affection and connection between the two. It is also used when a comedic situation happens and usually consist of clarinets and plucked violins to give a feel of oddity and humor.
Camera
Two shots are heavily used in rom-com's for certain reasons but the most important one is so that the movie can establish character relations and show the meaningful conversations that the characters have. For example in one scene we get a conversation between Will and his fellow colleague about their coffee habits which to all respect doesn't serve much to the plot but it shows an understanding of character and that the little conversations between people do matter and should be acknowledged by the main characters. It is also used in kissing scenes because we can directly see two characters connect in a fit of passion and the build up towards to when they actually kiss.
Editing
One of the most used editing techniques used in rom-com's is seamless editing since your trying to portray a realistic setting in a real-life situation. Its mostly used when there is banter between multiple characters in different positions. This used in the segment at the beginning where Will, Anna and an attempted thief talk at the desk. They use multiple medium shots of the different characters to show their different reactions to each other and the situation; an example being where Anna ans Will exchange looks about the appearance and the manner of the their as their acknowledged his overall demeanor. Fades are used in the opening to portray how famous Anna is and how much of an elegant woman she is.
Sound
Music is important in rom-com since it is used to establish the mood and themes presented within the movie. The opening song is used to portray Anna's career as an actress, where she is a like a modern day princess and is shown to be elegant and refined. The music presented throughout the movie is minimal and is only played during emotional or funny scenes, for example, piano music is played when they first kiss and show a immediate affection and connection between the two. It is also used when a comedic situation happens and usually consist of clarinets and plucked violins to give a feel of oddity and humor.
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