The Notebook

A lovely surprise. Ripe with feeling and lush with physical beauty, it's a love story that swings confidently between age and youth, and, like the young Tiger Woods of old, avoids every trap along the way.

Overall, The Notebook is a surprisingly good film that manages to succeed where many other "chick flick" like romances fail.

A gifted cast was bogged down by a treacly tale.

Amid the sticky-sweet swamp of Jeremy Leven's script, Rowlands and Garner emerge spotless and beatific, lending a magnanimous credibility to their scenes together. These two old pros slice cleanly through the thicket of sap-weeping dialogue and contrivance, locating the terror and desolation wrought by the cruel betrayals of a failing mind.

To their credit, director Nick Cassavetes and screenwriter Jeremy Leven heighten the melodrama and seize on the most distinctive strokes of Nicholas Sparks' bland best seller.

From the first soft piano that accompanies white geese flying toward a humongous orange sunset, The Notebook racks up the sugary clichés till you’re screaming for mercy.

The movie not only approaches a level of shamelessness you have to see to disbelieve, it does it in a manner that's both inept and crass.

best romance movie of all time featuring best actors best feelings characters development is one of a kind! A movie which I personally would re-watch.I don't know why critics didn't have the same feelings as I did. never lose your heart. heart goes where the heart is! trust the process of THE JOURNEY! I hope everyone someday experience true love I hope all people on earth one day have someone like **** trusted the journey. When ever you feel this thing in your heart, that you love someone more than yourself, you are BLESSED with LOVE. hopefully someday the whole world becomes a place which is full of kindness, loyalty, peace and love. first TRUE love is the last one you **** have to chase it, cherish it, and save it all along the journey.

The Notebook is one of those films you watch knowing exactly where it’s heading, and yet it goes down smoothly. I wouldn’t revisit it, but I get why it works: it embraces its simplicity instead of pretending to be deeper or more complex than it really is. In a genre full of fake transcendence, that honesty already plays in its **** real strength is obvious: Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. They have that natural chemistry that sells even the most predictable beats. She’s luminous, he’s convincing as the quiet, stubborn romantic, and together they hold the whole thing in place whenever the script slips into familiar territory. No matter how obvious the twists are, they keep you **** film knows its limitations and doesn’t fight them. It tells a sweet story at a steady pace, helped by the idyllic setting and a soft emotional tone that aims straight for the tear without turning manipulative. It’s sentimental, yes, but not unbearable. Just calibrated enough to work for the audience it’s made for.Once it ends, it fades quickly. It doesn’t stay with you or ask for a rewatch, but it’s pleasant while it lasts. Light, warm, and harmless. Sometimes that’s all a romantic drama needs; other times you wish it pushed a little harder. For me, this one sits comfortably in the middle.

A stirring romance film between a creepy stalker and an emotional mess, The Notebook is a film that needs no introduction. Everybody knows about The Notebook and a review will hardly convince you to change your stance. Personally, it was just fine. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams lack chemistry whatsoever and their section is entirely typical. However, the old people are tremendous and provide all of the spark this film needs and it is a shame that it focuses on the wrong story for much of the runtime. That said, Gosling and McAdams do turn in good performances, even if their part lacks fire or punch. Instead, it rides on cliches and turns in a bland romance billed as epic. I love romance films. I honestly do like chick flicks too. Not in a guilty pleasure way either. I simply like good cinema. The genre does not matter. The target demographic does not matter. Thus, my mixed feelings towards The Notebook are not as a result of being a guy and not liking romance movies. Rather, it is how lazy the section with young Noah Calhoun (Gosling) and Allie Hamilton (McAdams) is and how much it could have been. Often, romance movies opt to have their couples "meet cute". The Notebook takes a unique approach and instead just as Noah awkwardkly threaten to kill himself if Allie did not go on a date with him and creepily stalk her around both a carnival and in the town. How charming. Like, I know it is Ryan Gosling, but this girl should be calling the cops before he sends her his ear as a gift. Oddly though, they are well-matched for one another. Both possessing a propensity for cheating on their significant others when apart, Allie is also incredibly flawed. Slapping Noah during fights, spazzing out randomly, falling apart emotionally regularly, and indecisive, Allie is hardly a catch herself. Like, I know it is Rachel McAdams, but this guy should probably be moving along. Fortunately, he is a creep and she is an oddly abusive and emotional drama queen. It is like a beautiful match made in heaven. In a nutshell, this film is, "If you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best." Fortunately, the section with the older version of the couple is breathtakingly emotional and tender. Love defined, this portion of the film is stunning. Starring James Garner as the older Noah and Gena Rowlands as the older Allie, the couple has incredible chemistry. Noah is now quite frail and had suffered multiple heart attacks in recent times. Allie has dementia and cannot remember Noah or their family. Yet, Noah does not give up and continues to read their story to her in order to help her remember him. The fleeting moments where she does are stunning. Chills, tears, and love, follow whenever they can hold each other and both know that they love one another. These moments are quickly followed up by Allie again forgetting and are powerful, emphasized by the tears in Noah's eyes as Allie gets covered in the fog once again. The ending may be a bit manipulative, but damn if it is not incredibly well-written and deserving of more screentime. The other major plus here is Allie's mother, Ann Hamilton (Joan Allen). Though the situation her daughter found herself in is repugnant, the scene of Ann and Allie driving through South Carolina for Ann to help her daughter figure out what she wanted is great. Packed with emotion and terrific acting by Allen, this what-if scene of risky love versus safe love is powerful. While I did not identify with Allie's scenario, this moment and the emotional performance by Allen in this scene stand as a real highlight in the film. It is fair to say I did not get what I expected from The Notebook. I figured the Gosling and McAdams portion would deliver the goods. Unfortunately, it was greatly disappointing. Though blessed with lush period detail and some great date scenes (laying in the road to watch the traffic light), this one is largely derailed by cliches and unethical characters. Yet, the portion of the older couple is profound and a thoroughly moving look at dementia, aging, and love through time. It is sad that The Notebook is not remembered for this section, which truly sets it apart from other chick flicks or romance films.

This movie will leave you wondering, moreover, gasping, about why films like this are still made... A typical love story with the only surprise or mystery throughout the entire cliche infected plot. Garbage film

Not really pleasing in fact the movie was too upsetting you can easily point out the real-life hatred of Ryan and Rachel being drawn out on screen that obviously their reconciliation and love were fake, probably faker than Tommy Wiseau's poorly coordinated sex scenes in the romantic cult drama The Room, no wonder they never got close to each other, a hateful film It wasn't a film worth your Valentine's money to spend on seriously. Of course you can't understand every young girls passionate love for this film they all pick it out as their favorites...... Not mine