This book offers the first serious critical study of Roger Michell's career as a film-maker. Best known for Notting Hill, Michell brought a distinctive sensitivity to his work in both the UK and the US, across genres ranging from romantic comedy to historical drama.

While Michell had success in theatre and television, the focus here is on his twenty-year career in film and the particular qualities he brought to adaptation and character-driven storytelling. The book explores his handling of relationships and place, from the quiet emotional detail of Persuasion to the observational humour of The Duke, and highlights his ability to subvert narrative conventions through careful attention to mood, tone and performance.

McFarlane's study positions Michell as a perceptive and underappreciated figure in contemporary British cinema, whose work continues to reward close viewing.