A film that is supposed to be about universal love popping up all over might at least take a shot at something other than middle class white heterosexual romance.

I found the acting in Notting Hill to be fine -- both Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant track the changes in their relationship in very interesting ways (the scenes after she comes back into his life and home are beautifully acted by both of them, power shifts orchestrated warily). The secondary characters are uniformly excellent. The only crappy scene, which almost drags the whole thing into the rubbish bin, is the automobile chase. Someone should take the last fifteen minutes of Richard Curtis' films out of his hands -- but then one could say the same of Stephen Spielberg (who has completely ruined at least two of his best films in the last 10 minutes).

yours,

Peter T.