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  What's the ultimate cheapest way of seeing London? In the movies, of course! Rent or buy the following movies for great views and experiences of the city. Some of the movies may well present a stylised and somewhat unnatural view of the city, but who cares? It's still a great means of seeing the capital!
 
101 Dalmatians (1996)
London, as brought to you by Disney. Very picturesque, pretty, romantic...oh, and cute puppies too! There are some very fairytale views of London's skyline, as well as and actually fairly realistic-looking Battersea Park. Trafalgar Square also gets shown.

Buy 101 Dalmatians from Amazon.co.uk

 
 
About A Boy (2002)
Hugh Grant seems to be doing quite a good job of publicising London through the medium of film - four of his movies are featured here. And in About A Boy, a variety of locations are used including Clerkenwell (see below), Regent's Park and Hakkasan restaurant in Soho. Well worth watching.

Buy About A Boy from Amazon.co.uk

 
 
A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
Bizarrely, some of the scenes (just after the bank robbery when they make a getaway, and nearly run over the old lady) were shot in a square in Clerkenwell - just around the corner from where Hugh Grant's character, Will, had is apartment in About A Boy! Also shown is Little Venice in Maida Vale, northwest London - so-called because of its canals - and even good old Heathrow Airport makes an appearance. A highly recommended movie! (Not for London, but for the comedy!)

Buy A Fish Called Wanda from Amazon.co.uk

 
 
Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
Sights of London numerous (vg), lovely English men 2 (excellent)
Of particular interest is the 192 Restaurant on Kensington Park Road, W11, which is also mentioned in the book! Watch out for the sequel, which comes out later this year.

Buy Bridget Jones's Diary from Amazon.co.uk

 
 
Die Another Day (2003)
Of particular interest amongst the various bits of London that can be seen in this movie is the Vauxhall Cross Underground station that James Bond goes down to (to visit Q in his laboratory) via a secret entrance. This, technically, shouldn't warrant inclusion on this page - Vauxhall Cross does not exist, and the scenes weren't filmed in an actual Underground station. The full story can be read here.

Buy Die Another Day from Amazon.co.uk

 
 
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
Truthfully, London doesn't feature so prominently in this film, and some other lovely British locations are also the focus for the numerous events described in the title. One city landmark that is featured is the South Bank complex, where Charles (Hugh Grant) declares his love for Carrie (Andie MacDowell), whilst the Church of St Bartholomew the Great, apparently the oldest place of worship in London, is also shown.

Buy Four Weddings...from Amazon.co.uk

 
 
Friends (end of Season 4 & "The Making Of" extras on the Season 5 DVD)
Okay, okay, so not actually a movie. Blink-and-you-miss-it shots of London. Did Jennifer, Courteney and the rest of the gang really fly all that way to film some of the episodes in London? They did indeed, and they also filmed the studio scenes in front of British audiences (which they were nervous of doing, apparently, as they were unsure of the reaction they'd get). Highlights include Joey and Chandler arguing ("You're Westminster crabby!!"), Richard Branson and Sarah Ferguson. Some of the last sentence may have been said in a sarcastic tone.

Buy Friends Season 4 Box Set from Amazon.co.uk
Buy Friends Season 5 Box Set from Amazon.co.uk

 
 
Notting Hill (1999)
Filmed in...er...Notting Hill, so it's unsurprising that you'll see a considerable part of that area of London in the film, such as Portobello Road (the market), Westbourne Park Road, Golborne Road and the Coronet Cinema on Notting Hill Gate. The Ritz Hotel is also featured, whilst the film premiere shown towards the end of the movie was shot at the Empire Cinema in Leicester Square.

Buy Notting Hill from Amazon.co.uk

 
 
Sliding Doors (1998)
Complete with inaccurate tube travel - no, not the good service and levels of cleanliness, but the fact that the tube trains/signs/exits don't correspond. Yes, it is pernickety to have pointed that out. There are also some quite nice scenes featuring the Thames, and it's probably one of the few films to feature Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in Fulham.

Buy Sliding Doors from Amazon.co.uk

 
 
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
There are some quite stunning sequences filmed in London for this James Bond film, the best of the bunch being the boat chase on the River Thames, which passes a number of famous landmarks. The much-maligned Dome also features - you see, it was put to good use in some way - as does the MI6 building on the south bank of the Thames.

Buy The World Is Not Enough from Amazon.co.uk