Notting Hill - Collector's Edition [DVD]

Great movie

Notting Hill - You either love it or you hate it, and since you don't spend this much money on a DVD without knowing whether or not you like the film this review is purely about the extras on the DVD, ultimate edition. When I was trying to choose between the Collectors Edition and the Ultimate Edition I couldn't find any helpful reviews so here is the first Amazon review I have ever written.Disc 1 -Widescreen version of the film. Choice of English or French language, English captions and Spanish subtitles. Since I can't read Spanish I don't know what the difference between captions and subtitles is.Feature commentary (subtitles available) - The Writer, Director and Producer talk over the whole film, providing a wonderful glimpse behind the scenes. Non-stop anecdotes about filming, props, sets, stars and supporting cast. The history of the blue door and the fate of garden benches. Why the entire production crew had to dress up in jackets and ties. Which of those locations were in fact sets on a sound studio and loads of other stuff that makes you view the film with a fresh eye. If you are still in love with Anna Scott and Wil Thacker, don't watch this as it does, to some extent, take away the magic of the story.Spotlight on location (subtitles available) - 14:00 minutes - Scenes from the film with chat from the writer, director, producer, Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Emma Chambers and Hugh Bonneville.Seasonal walk down Portobello Road - 3:30 minutes - Disappointingly short but very interesting. The Special Effects Supervisor explains just how they filmed Hugh's one minute walk through six months of London's weather changes.Deleted Scenes - 6 scenes cut from the finished film. Many others are mentioned during the feature commentary but these are entertaining enough although personally I am glad they didn't make it to the final version. William tries to tell his parents, another blind date at the dinner table, Spike serves Anna pepperoni pizza, Spike messing things up even more after Anna leaves, Spike giving wedding day interviews to the media and an alternative ending set in Tony's prospering restaurant.Music Highlights - Direct jumps to nine songs from the movieRecommendations - Just a trailer for Erin BrockovichTravel Book - About three pages of text from a (very poor) travel guide to Notting Hill with a map and list of restaurants. I felt very cheated as I was expecting a live tour of the real Notting Hill; hoping for something like a thirty minute documentary you might see on the travel channel.Production Notes - About a dozen pages of text, much of which is mentioned in the commentary.Cast and Film Makers - Brief Bios of the main actors, the writer, producer and director.DVD Newsletter - Web address to register for on-line newsletter. It didn't inspire me to register so I can't tell you anything about it.DVD-ROM - If you have the hardware on your computer there 'might' be access to wallpapers, screen savers and internet sites. It doesn't say exactly what and since I don't have a DVD-ROM I can't tell you anything else.Disc 2Full screen version of the film - Language and subtitles the same as disc 1Feature Commentary - Same as disc 1Music Highlights - Same as disc 1Travel Book - Same as disc 1Production Notes - Same as disc 1Cast and Film Makers - Same as disc 1DVD Newsletter - Same as disc 1DVD-ROM - Same as disc 1Hugh Grant's Movie Tips - 4:00 minutes - Disappointingly short. Meet his parents and some of the crew.Elvis Costello video - Elvis Costello singing his version of 'She'. This video gave me a headache. There are only four verses but I lost count at 50 camera jumps from Elvis in the theatre, Elvis sitting down and Elvis standing outside. Some clips from the film includedShania Twain video - Cute video of Shania singing 'You've got a way' with some clips from the film. Nicely done.Photograph Montage - 4:45 minutes - This I thought was going to be another space filler but I was very pleasantly surprised. Stills from the film and a few behind the scenes shots set to the Anna and Wil music score by Trevor Jones. I found it amazing how much more I saw in a still that I missed in the film. Very well chosen pictures and beautiful music.US Theatrical Trailer - 2:45 minutes - As seen in American TheatresInternational Theatrical Trailer - 2:10 minutes - As seen in English Theatres - These two trailers are totally different and really bring home the cultural differences between England and America. I was surprised to see clips from a deleted scene here.There it is. If you got this far, thanks for reading. By the way, I loved the film. Like Four Weddings and a Funeral it is just so English. Being English myself, from London, with a crush on Hugh Grant, I am of course extremely biased.

This is the type of DVD that you can watch over and over again. I've watched it several times and enjoyed it every time. I can usually pick up something that I'd miss each time I watch it.

This is a classic romance. Even my husband who is all about hunting even got a couple of laughs from this movie. Such good date night movie.

Beautifully cast and acted with a suttle amount of English humor-

I will never talk down a film - there is far too much work put in by writers, directors, actors, and many others - but some I like better than others, and in this case, I have a love-hate thing with Notting Hill.I love England, the stars of the film - Julia and Hugh - and the supporting cast is as so many British films are - delightful, wild, and quirky characters. But the film... it’s charming, nice, sweet... and can drag at times.So... Julia and Hugh are great. They bring themselves and their many talents. One thinks or wishes to think this is often 2 people playing themselves (and in the case of Robert’s character, a famous actress, it only bolsters the notion. But they add that touch of character that moves one beyond the realities of life. As they come and go from each other’s world and finally decide... you’ll see... it is nice story. That can at times get a little... slow.The supporting characters are all a stitch (one drives me buts, but I deal). For those Downton fans, you’ll spot a young unknown (for American audiences) Hugh Bonneville). I love British films and TV for the amazingly interesting supporting characters they always have - and for the subtle, but brilliant acting outside and inside of those characters. This group is at an all time high of delightful.The story is... nice. There are moments - like Julia telling off a table of not nice men - that you’ll laugh at and are great moments. There is the (supposed) inside look at life as a famous person. There are also nice moments between two people who just can’t open their mouths and be honest (like all Rom Coms). It is a charming film, great for date night, and it’s fun to throw in and play in the background (which I do often). I do like... and I’ll watch it again and again... which is why I got it when Amazon had a nice deal on it.

I always forget how much I like this movie. Hugh Grant plays such a lovely guy here. Will is so sweet and funny. I mean, there’s no way his bookstore would survive more than a week (he sells only travel books??), but that’s ok I’ll go with it, lol. Also, hooray for the disabled side story!

Awesome movie.