‘Two Weeks Notice’ movie review:
Lucy Kelson, (Sandra Bullock) a Harvard law graduate raised by idealistic parents, devotes her life to fight social injustice. Apart from regular work, she takes up pro bono cases to help the poor. Now she is on the warpath with a big corporate to save their community centre in the Coney Island where she lives with her parents.
Wade Corporation has acquired the rights to demolish the community centre and construct a condo in its place. As a final resort, she meets George Wade (Hugh Grant) of Wade Corporation. George is a charming playboy who hires only glamorous women as his firm’s lead counsel and fires them often as they fall short on requisite legal expertise. What makes this movie to stand apart from other rom-coms is the lead casts. Lucy is serious and articulate. Wade is laid-back and always sporting an amused look. His speech is limited with witty one liners.
When these two extremities meet, we virtually see a spark of romantic fusion. Lucy asks him to scrap the condo project and save the community centre. Wade who is on the lookout for a brilliant lawyer, asks her to work as his lead counsel and offers a lucrative salary along with other perks. When she refuses this offer outright, he promises her that by working for him, she can save her community centre as well as use his company’s charity fund for her pro bono work. This offer seals the deal.
But George’s idea of lead counsel is quite different from that of Lucy’s. He treats her almost as his chaperon and becomes more and more demanding and clingy. He even calls her at 2.30 in the morning from a bar on silly reasons. When a rich man, who is surrounded by bimbos and sycophants all his life, meets an honest and level-headed woman like Lucy, his yearning for her company is understandably logical. This yearning gradually turns in to something more than companionship. Writer-director Marc Lawrence skilfully enunciates this
character trait of George through his script. Only Lucy fails to understand his feelings.
As a last straw, she was called off from her best friend’s wedding just to select his suit in the garments shop. She can’t take it anymore and wants to quit. She serves him two weeks notice to resign as per her employment contract. George is not willing to let her go. However he asks her to stay until he finds a replacement.
Eventually June Carver, (Alicia Witt) a smart, self-seeking sexpot is appointed in Lucy’s place. This villainous character gives the catalytic ingredient to pep up the romance element. When Lucy sees the newly appointed girl moves closely with George, she realizes with a pang that she actually fallen in love with George. But she is not sure that the feeling is mutual.
Mean time she comes to know through June that Wade Corporation has decided to
knock down the Coney Island community centre. Furious about this, Lucy confronts George and asks about his promise to spare the community hall. He explains that the company’s economy is in down slide and he could not convince his brother who has major shares in the company. Lucy storms out of the room thinking that she is out of his life once for all.
Now, George philanthropic or not is forced to save the Community centre even by
jeopardizing his own financial position, if he really wants to save his love. While writing this review, I can’t help but pause often to ruminate the hilarious movie scenes. You will surely love the dynamics of this movie and its characters. The punch lines are sure to tickle you till the end.
Jayaseelan Blog 