Two Weeks Notice

This was a much better comedy than I expected. Im reminded of the snappy dialog in the old Spencer Tracy Katherine Hepburn flicks or even George Bernard Shaw. Well maybe thats going too far, but the pace of this film was good and the interaction and timing between Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant was excellent.

Bullock has done some klinkers, Forces of Nature (1999) for example and I didnt like Grant in About a Boy, although this latter was definitely a minority opinion. Grant worked pretty well with Julia Roberts in Notting Hill (1999), but he may have finally found his best match with Bullock. However it was Bullock who produced this film and it may have been her idea as well as her risk money.

The story line construct is somewhat implausible, but possible, i.e. opposites thrown together by circumstances where you know something has to happen but it doesnt for how long? you guessed it two weeks. Bullock plays Lucy Kelson, a bright Harvard law school graduate doing good works for the world and George Wade, plays an irresponsible, profit driven zillionaire. But the one-liners are so great that you ignore the plot and just watch the fun waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The comedy kudos for this one really go to the writer-director, Mark Lawrence II, who has hit his stride after writing Forces of Nature (1999), The Out-of-Towners (1999) and Miss Congeniality (2000).

Bullock is a well known actress and has been averaging about two film roles a year for the last 15 years. Her 40th birthday is next year and she is going strong. Grant, born in England, is equally well known and has a 20-year career history. The supporting cast is definitely backdrop for the two main characters, but I particularly liked Lucys parents. Dana Ivey plays her mother, Ruth Kelson who gives George Wade some withering looks. The best one was an outtake you can see in the special features section of the DVD.

The first few minutes of the film are really silly just wait until the story moves on. Half way through the film, Lucy tells George, Youre the most selfish person on the planet! George replies, Thats really silly. You havent met everyone on the planet. Toward the end of the film, after a minor financial setback, George says, I guess well just have to share our helicopter with another family.

Reviewed May 11, 2003