The Notebook Movie Review:


Allie Nelson (McAdams) and Noah Calhoun’s (Gosling) tale of how they fell in love was a favourite story in the retirement home. Back in 1940, when things were very different to what they are now and a man would find it very hard to marry above his station, so when Noah and Allie fell head over heels for each other, her parents would have done anything to split them up but the Second World War did it for them.

Harking back to the days when a romance movie would be served with two dollops of sugary sweet melodrama and then a big helping of schmaltz to guarantee a tear-jerking ending, The Notebook is a matinee picture that delivers to its core audience, the hopeless romantic.

Based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, this epic love story of class struggles, war and the frailty of old age has everything lovers of the genre cherish. A sweeping tale, soft focused stars, beautiful locations, two photogenic performers in the lead roles and a secondary story that will make them shed a tear at the end. For everyone else however, all of this might just be a little too much.

The performances are good. Ryan Gosling and Rachael McAdams continue to make a name for themselves in Hollywood and this movie won’t harm their careers in the slightest. While their roles don’t really push their talents to the fullest, they do make the most of the material and have excellent screen chemistry throughout. Gosling plays the confident Noah very well. He makes the character all the more watchable as he can convey more in a look than most actors can with a full page of dialogue. McAdams is blazing a trail to superstardom as she has the talent as well as the looks to go far in the business. She makes Allie believable and you never question her decision to be with Noah.

Providing the narration and the main emphasis of the secondary story is veteran James Garner. He brings some class and dignity to a role that could have so easily been overly sentimental. He still has a notable screen presence and plays the role of the devoted storyteller extremely well. Gena Rowlands is also good as the intense listener to the story. Her performance grows as the film progresses and her character’s frailties come to bear. This then becomes a very challenging role for the veteran actress, which she excels in. Add to this good support from the always-excellent Joan Allen and the very watchable Sam Shepard and you have the makings of a good movie.

The Notebook is a very good example of a romantic drama. It has everything that draws people to the genre and even has the good grace to provide an opportunity for aficionados to shed a tear. For everyone else, the excessive sugar coating and the extra helping of doey-eyed tenderness might just be abit too much but it will put you in the good books of any fan if you take the plunge and go and see it.

Star Rating = * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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Author Nicholas Sparks, who brought us “Message in a Bottle” and “A Walk to Remember”, once more unravels his written cloth to unveil another romantic melodrama.

James Garner stars as an elderly man who likes nothing more than to tell a story to a fellow retirement home resident (Gena Rowlands). His epic love story chronicles the love affair of Allie Nelson (Rachel McAdams) and Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) who meet one evening during a summer carnival.

Coming from radically different backgrounds, the young lovers find themselves torn apart by insistence of Allie’s mother (Joan Allen) and the outbreak of World War 2.

Seven long and torturous years later, the couple is reunited when Noah restores his dream house. Allie is destined to be married to Lon Hammond (James Marsden) but something draws her back to Noah’s front door. Who will she eventually choose and what is the secret behind the storyteller?

“The Notebook” is definitely a film for the romantic at heart as it knows when to pull your heart strings and flutter you with saccharine filled pillows of romantic goop.

I have always enjoyed epic historical romances but something about this film really left me with an over-sweetened taste in my mouth.

The film seems to manipulative and the film’s conclusion is different and revealing but lacks a real punch as it seems to go on at least 20 minutes to long.

I really enjoyed the performance of rising starlet Rachel McAdams who is allowed to spread her acting wings. She uses her presence and scope to really bring something to her portrayal of Allie. The other side of the romantic duo, Ryan Gosling, brings a solid and emotionally withdrawn performance to his Noah character. I liked Gosling but McAdams is definitely the better actor here.

I felt sorry for veteran actors Sam Shepard and Joan Allen who seem to be wasted as the parental figures of each of the young lovers.

I recommend this film for moms and daughters and people who loved the novel. It is a mushy, tear-jerker with solid lead performances and a lacking supporting cast.

(3 out of 5) So Says the Soothsayer

Dean Kish

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It only takes about five seconds before we know exactly what we're in for here: Fried Green Magnolias of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. The honeyed glow of romantic nostalgia is nearly overpowering. But at least it features a strong story and fine performances.

In order to stir her Alzheimer's-ravaged memory, Duke (Garner) reads a story to his lifelong partner Allie (Rowlands). Through flashbacks we watch the young Southern debutante Allie (McAdams) wooed by the terribly unsuitable but extremely charming Noah (Gosling), but the two are torn apart by class differences and the outbreak of World War II. Six years later, Allie's in love with the eligible Lon (Marsden) when she runs into Noah. So the main question is this: Which one is Duke--Noah or Lon?

All credit to Cassavetes and Leven that they actually keep us guessing. The plot has more sensitivity than most girly films--realistic characters we can actually believe in and root for. While the sentimentality is pretty oppressive, Cassavetes leaves enough space for the cast members to shine in unhurried, beautifully orchestrated scenes. Gosling and McAdams are constantly surprising, mostly because we've never seen either do anything like this--both are cheeky, earthy and very likeable. And the wonderful Garner and Rowlands light up the screen with rich, complex chemistry. Meanwhile, Marsden and Brown stand out in a small roles that are powerfully well-played, Shepard is superb as Noah's scruffy father and Allen really shines as Allie's steely mother.

But it's all extremely yucky, really. The wistful sweetness is out of control, and Cassavetes shies away from any real grit--the characters' rebellion is superficial, the war scenes are sanitised, sex is simplistic, make-up and costumes are far too perfect (McAdams' skirts seem insanely short for 1940!). The whole city/college girl versus country/working boy thing is stretched to within an inch of credibility. And the story's structure feels badly contrived to push every sappy button right on cue. On the other hand, sometimes a good bit of escapist crying can be good for the soul.

Rich Cline

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