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Two Weeks Notice (2002)

Two Weeks Notice marks the first collaboration between two of the biggest names in romantic comedy. With a combined resume of past works consisting of Bridget Jone's Diary, Notting Hill, Forces of Nature, and While You Were Sleeping, it is quite surprising that it took so long for Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock to work together until now. Both actors have accumulated quite a fan following, so there is no doubt that the film will be profitable, even in the midst of a month crowded with quality movies, but will it be worth your time and the price of the admission?

A Harvard law school graduate, Lucy Kelson (Sandra Bullock) dedicates most of her time to preserving historical landmarks the big corporations of New York are bent on destroying for the sake of urban development. In her efforts to save the Coney Island community center, she makes a deal with George Wade (Hugh Grant) of the Wade Corporations. In return for his promise to keep the building, she agrees to take the job as his new chief counsel. However, everything does not go according to Lucy's plan. Instead of her dreams of utilizing the company's vast resources to address issues she is most passionate about and to help those that are less fortunate, she finds herself at George's beck and call, making every decision from his wardrobe to his prospective dates. Realizing that this is not what she signed on for, Lucy decides to call it quits, but George refuses to let her go until she finds a replacement for herself, a task that becomes increasingly harder as the days go by.

It is a good thing that Bullock and Grant are both very likeable on screen, because even though the characters they often portray are very similar, you nevertheless enjoy their performances due to the personalities they bring to these roles. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Two Weeks Notice. In fact, I found myself feeling apathetic towards Lucy and George, and I really could care less what happens to them. This is not to say that Bullock and Grant did not try their best, the problem is they had very little to work with, since how can you breathe life in to characters that don't have any to start off with?

Although the chemistry is definitely there among the two leads, it just does not seem to work. To me Lucy and George act more like a pair of bickering siblings than a couple; their constant bantering and arguments did not help to convince me of their unspoken love and attraction towards each other. I am sad to say that I was extremely bored by the experience, and the laughs are too few and far in between.

The bottom line is that Two Weeks Notice is neither funny nor romantic. The dialogue is flat and the characters are stereotypically predictable. Scenes rarely flow smoothly from one to the other, the whole film feels very much like going through a scrapbook where random events are cut and pasted together. The worse thing about it is the blatant attempt to sell a mediocre story based on the strengths and popularity of two well-established veterans of the genre. If there is one movie that can make both Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock dull and unattractive to watch, this is definitely it. I simply cannot recommend Two Weeks Notice, it is clearly deserving of a pink slip.

- Zalasta

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