MOVIE REVIEW

"Two Weeks Notice" captures the charm of a classic romantic comedy.

By Kevin Thomas, Times Staff Writer

Many have tried but few contemporary filmmakers have succeeded in capturing the wit, charm and sophistication of the classic Hollywood romantic comedies. Writer Marc Lawrence, in his directorial debut with "Two Weeks Notice," and his stars Sandra Bullock, who is also his producer, and Hugh Grant have, however, gotten it just right. They understand how all important the effortless-seeming light touch is and how crucial it is to play against the predictability inherent in the genre with all the humor, intelligence and ingenuity they can muster.

The hard-to-predict and absolutely essential chemistry between the down-to-earth Bullock and the nonchalant Grant proves to be sensational, and everything meshes in this elegant entertainment. "Two Weeks Notice," as accomplished as it is unpretentious, offers a satisfying alternative to the much-ballyhooed year-end blockbusters.

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Bullock's Brooklyn born and bred Lucy Kelson is a Harvard-educated Legal Aid attorney-activist who carries on the liberal ideals instilled in her by her law professor mother (Dana Ivey) and her lawyer father (Robert Klein), who continue to live in the small vintage Coney Island apartment in which they raised their daughter. So it is not surprising to meet Lucy as she is staring down a wrecking ball about to demolish a magnificent Brooklyn movie palace. It is to be replaced by yet another project of the ubiquitous Wade Corp., a real estate development company on the par of that of Donald Trump (who in fact cameos as himself).

Even closer to her heart is Coney Island's community center, a beautiful Mediterranean-style 1920s structure endangered by yet another Wade proposal. However, when Lucy attempts to protest directly to George Wade (Grant), he winds up co-opting her, in a virtuoso display of self-deprecating charm, by persuading her to sign on as his chief legal counsel -- and he promises that the community center will be preserved. (George Wade gives the company its public face while his less glamorous, no-nonsense brother Howard, played by David Haig, is really in charge.)

Lucy and George prove to be a crackerjack team, with Lucy stepping up Wade Corp.'s socially conscious charitable activities and revealing herself to be a tough negotiator in handling George's divorce. Pretty soon she's selecting George's ties and stationery; pretty soon after that she wants out because of his incessant and trivial demands. Lucy is a zealous workaholic not without humor but lousy at cutting loose and having fun, while George is an unabashed playboy who makes few if any serious demands upon himself.

Everyone involved in the making of this film surely knows we've seen all this before many times but strives imaginatively to make "Two Weeks Notice" distinctive. Lawrence, who wrote the much broader but equally sure-fire " Miss Congeniality" for Bullock, is unafraid to make Lucy and George really smart -- a key characteristic of such evergreen romantic comedies as "The Philadelphia Story" and "His Girl Friday" -- as well as immensely likable. The people around Lucy and George are as well-drawn as they are. "Two Weeks Notice" also shows that Lawrence can direct actors as skillfully as he can write for them.

Bullock continues to polish her producing as well as her acting abilities. Every element and detail in "Two Weeks Notice" contributes to its overall effect. The mellowness and attractiveness of the film's settings is matched by the glow of László Kovács' cinematography. Even though the way Lucy dresses falls short of George's standard for female glamour, she is not dowdy but merely appropriately low key, which pays off in the film's big moment. Suffice it to say that what Edith Head did for Elizabeth Taylor and Givenchy for Audrey Hepburn, designer Gary Jones has done for Bullock. Production designer Peter Larkin and composer John Powell have furthermore enabled Lawrence and Kovács to turn "Two Weeks Notice" into a Valentine to New York.

"Two Weeks Notice" deftly ups the ante as it unfolds, enabling us to care more about Lucy and George than we perhaps realize. It is a lovely, amusing diversion from the start, but the depth of its poignancy by the time it's over comes as a surprise.

'Two Weeks Notice'

MPAA rating:PG-13, for some sex-related humor.

Times guidelines:Aside from some mildly racy claims by the film's heroine as to her sexual prowess, the film is suitable family fare.

Sandra Bullock ... Lucy Kelson
Hugh Grant ... George Wade
Alicia Witt ... June Carver
Dana Ivey ... Ruth Kelson
Robert Klein ... Larry Kelson

A Warner Bros. Pictures release of a Castle Rock Entertainment presentation in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment of a Fortis Films production. Writer-director Marc Lawrence. Producer Sandra Bullock. Executive producers Mary McLaglen, Bruce Berman. Cinematographer László Kovács. Editor Susan E. Morse. Music John Powell. Costumes Gary Jones. Production designer Peter Larkin. Art director Ray Kluga. Set decorator Leslie E. Rollins.

In general release.