Saturday, 15 October 2016

Romantic Comedy Trailer Analysis: Notting Hill








Notting Hill is a Rom-com we know this due to the clear indicators in the trailer. The trailer begins with a narrative that introduces the main protagonists, female and a male character that are polar opposites.  The character Anna Scott is portrayed as famous, popular and loved, however, the character Will Thacker is shown as an ordinary guy who is not quite successful. This is a typical convention of a romantic comedy because the plot consists of two potential partners that live worlds apart. But through an unusual encounter, they meet and release they are perfect for one and other. 

Further, along into the trailer, we are then introduced to a new character the quirky and annoying best friend of the main male lead  .In rom-com, the best friend is often an obstacle to the happiness of the main leads. This is because due to the being idiotic and humorous they sometimes mess up leaving the lovers in jeopardy.   The best friend of the male leads tends to be funny and a slob; the female leads best friends tend to be understanding and very supportive. In addition to this, we also meet the parents of the male lead the pushy but lovable mother and the befuddled father.

Despite that in the trailer for Notting Hill the encounter of the two protagonists in set in an urban environment, the Travel Book Store, where the male lead works.  From the intro, the male protagonist is described as “least successful shopkeeper”. This is a common convention of the genre as he is shown as an ordinary person lost in life, which makes it relatable to the audience that may be the same position.   


In addition, there are many classic rom-com clichés. In the trailer for Notting hill, there is a generic convention where the character Anna expresses her thoughts and feeling towards the character Will. This appeals to the target audience as it allows us to fell empathetic towards the character because she is likable; can relate with the target audience who want to find true love and their own prince charming. However, in the trailer, it also shows a disagreement between the main male and female character. By including the argument scene it makes the audience want to watch the movie; question if they are truly made for each other or if they will even end up together. But as it is a rom –com we know there will be a happy ending either way because it’s a generic convention.  

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