Notting hill is a romance film based around Julia Roberts meeting a man, and how her "celebrity lifestyle" can get in the way of reality. The film begins with non-diagetic sound with sounds of clapping and screaming ( like seeing a celebrity) We then see moving video clips of the famous Hollywood actress Emma Roberts in slow motion. This is effective, as it suggests that she is a key character in the film. It also implies, that she is well known and popular, which gives a unique twist to the film.
We then meet the main, male character called William. We see him walking down the street with a voice over of him talking about where he lives, his name, and what he does as a living. On the left is a long shot, of William walking down the street. This is effective, as we can see the setting of where the film is set. We can see its busy, and a urban environment which fits the connotations of the romance genre. On the right of the picture we can see market stands selling fruit and vegetables. This makes the film seem more realistic, as its something that everyone buys. We know that the film is set in London, as he mentions it on the voice cover. London is a rich and powerful city which suggests that the people in the film may be as-well
I wanted to analyse the clothing that William is wearing. On the left is a medium/close up shot of William walking down the street back to where he lives. We can see he is wearing a shirt and a blazer. Wearing this type of clothing, has strong connotations with wealth and power. This could suggest that he has a good job or employment role. However, a lot of his buttons are undone, which makes him look scruffy, tattered and rugged. Which could develop confusion to whether he does have a good job.
When William arrives home, we find out he shares his apartment with a flat mate named spike. The audience can already tell he is "odd" due to his clothing and name. The director has used a informal and unique name to make the audience know he is the "unusual" character in the film. Here, is a over the shoulder shot of William and Spike talking. Spike is getting ready to go on a date and is trying to find the right outfit. The use of the over the shoulder shot is effective, as it tells the audience who spike is talking to. It also allows us to see what he is wearing and his facial expressions. The shirts that he tries on are not considered "romantic" or " flattering". This immidetley suggests that he is the typical "awkward best friend" of the main male in the film. They are usually humorous and no good in relationships or the love concept. This is a typical convention in a romance film.
In conclusion, we can see that it is a romance film due to the voice over, and the character spike. We get a good idea of the setting of where the film is based, which makes it more relatable to the audience as its set in a well known location.
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