once had a British friend tell me that most of her Majesty’s subjects actually hate Hugh Grant because they think everyone in the world takes him as representative of all British people, when in fact they are truly nothing like that. Having known more than a few Brits in my time, I was sad to inform him that though he doesn’t realize it, Hugh Grant’s engaging persona actually is pretty representative of the way most Brits come off when encountered by us uncouth westerners. He and his countryman, though they may not realize it, are an entire nation of Hugh Grants. But hey, why is that a bad thing?
Grant has come a long way from his loathsome Four Weddings and a Funeral Days, ending up this time opposite Sandra Bullock in yet another romantic comedy, Two Weeks Notice. She’s sort of the next-to-last last stop when making the rounds of female romantic comedy leads in Hollywood. Having already had his way (in some cases repeatedly) with the likes of Renee Zellweger, Julia Roberts, Emma Thompson, Julianne Moore, and uh… Woody Allen, we can all look forward to his next film opposite Meg Ryan. It’s inevitable really.
Two Weeks Notice finds Grant as George Wade, a self-absorbed playboy basking in the glory of heading up a billion dollar, globe spanning company. Through a strange twist, he somehow convinces environmental, protest-happy, tree hugging, Harvard educated lawyer Lucy Kelson (Sandra Bullock) to work for him as his personal lawyer. Whether she does it because he has a cool accent or because she actually thinks she can somehow convince him to use his money for good, I leave for you to puzzle out in your free time.
After months of misery dealing with his wacky, humorous, playboy shenanigans, Lucy gets fed up and hands in her two-weeks notice. However, her plans to get back working for the poor and bettering the planet go astray when George just can’t quite let go.
Despite being yet another movie about the most despicable professions on the planet, billionaires and lawyers, Two Weeks Notice is somehow incredibly funny. Grant has a natural wit and charm, which works perfectly in the smart ass, wacky-yet-perfect persona of rich guy George Wade. Bullock for the most part plays it straight, relying on more physical nuances to deliver humor. I’m not sure how convincing the two ever really are romantically, but there is some nice chemistry between them as they struggle to redefine their already weird and co-dependent relationship, resulting in genuine hilarity.
Two Weeks Notice is one of the more shallow romantic comedies of the year, yet also without a doubt one of the most genuinely funny. Any movie that can make lawyers and self-absorbed playboys endearing deserves a ticket purchase. Look out, Grant steals another winner right out from under our feet.
