**The couple**
Megastar Hollywood actress (Julia Roberts) and shabby-chic Notting Hill bookshop owner (Hugh Grant). She downsizes her LA lifestyle to live in west London.

**Dr Wendy’s verdict**
‘Which of them would have most trouble adjusting? Her! She lives in Hollywood, the Land of No-Nos, where nobody ever says no. For him, it’s only a step up. In real life, she is not going to be able to hack it.

‘Unlike princesses, movie stars are not born. They begin as ordinary people who feel drawn to the limelight. His life is probably the life she left. So while Julia Roberts might have nostalgia for his modest life, soon she’ll remember why she ran away from it.’

**Chances of it going the distance?**
2/5

Read the Time Out review of 'Notting Hill'

Movie romances: would they really last?

We ask a dating expert to rate the chances of four loved-up screen couples

Sunday 28 April 2013

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Scientific research (by actual scientists) has proven that romantic movies ruin our love lives. The problem, according to dating expert and psychotherapist Dr Wendy Walsh, is that films end at the beginning of a relationship. ‘In real-life, that’s when the work starts. Movies make us believe that it’s all about finding the right person. But picking a partner is only about ten percent of having a healthy relationship. The rest of it is about relationship skills.’

But what about movie couples? The guys and gals on screen who meet, fall in love and leave us with a happy-ever-after glow as the credits roll? Would they work in real life? We asked Dr Walsh, the author of ‘The 30-Day Love Detox’ and resident expert at www.DatingAdvice.com, for her expert opinion on four famous movie couples.*

*Warning, contains spoilers and unhappy endings.

RECOMMENDED: The 100 best romantic movies

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