The Notebook
3.5/4
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Joan Allen, James Marsden, Sam Shepard
Rated PG-13 for Some Sexuality
"The Notebook" is one of those sappy romances that spoof movies and MAD magazine love to make fun of. It's sappy, melodramatic, and predictable. It also works wonderfully. The two leads have smoldering chemistry, the story is very romantic, and the setting is superb. I may be a guy, but I loved this movie.
Allie Hamilton (McAdams) is a young rich girl vacationing in Georgia with her family. One night at the carnival, a young man named Noah Calhoun (Gosling) walks up to her and asks if she wants to dance. She rebuffs him, but after propositioning her again while hanging from a Ferris Wheel, she agrees. It's not quite love at first sight, but they fall for each other. Unfortunately, Noah is not rich, and Allie's parents (especially her mother) do not approve. They break it off when Allie has to go back home.
Meanwhile, an old man who calls himself Duke (Garner) is reading this story to an elderly Allie (Rowlands). Allie is suffering from dementia, but Duke reads this story to her over and over again hoping to bring her back. But is Duke really Noah, or Lon Hammond (Marsden), the hot soldier to whom Allie becomes engaged?
In all honesty, it's not hard to guess the answer, and director Noah Cassevetes (Rowland's son) wisely doesn't try to make it so. Instead, he concentrates on the romance between Noah and Allie, with brief interludes featuring Duke and the elderly Allie. These dual storylines work equally well. We feel for Duke and older Allie as much as we do for Noah and young Allie.
The acting is flawless. Ryan Gosling is a strange choice for Noah, considering his resume at the time: he played a boy accused of murder in "The United States of Leland," a psychopathic murderer in "Murder by Numbers," and a Jewish neo-Nazi in "The Believer." Not exactly the kind of actor you'd go to to play a romantic lead. But Gosling is brilliant actor, and while Noah is a traditional romantic lead, Gosling plays him with a little aloofness and darkness that gives him more layers. Likewise, Rachel McAdams is very good as Allie, the independent rich girl who falls for him. But she is torn between Noah and Lon, and we feel her indecision. As Duke, James Garner is terrific; he's kind and gentle, and stubbornly optimistic. Gena Rowlands is also quite good as a woman who is struggling to find her memories.
The supporting cast is top-notch as well. Joan Allen plays Allie's mother, who is not nearly as shrewish and stuck-up as she seems to be. Kevin Connolly plays Fin, Noah's happy-go-lucky friend, and Sam Shepard plays Noah's supporting father. Also interesting is Jamie Anne Allman; she plays Martha, a lonely war widow who finds company with Noah. The weak link is David Thornton, who plays Allie's father. He's supposed to be a fine Southern gentleman, but Thornton can't act (he's not good in the recurring role of attorney Lionel Granger in "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit"). Fortunately, he's not onscreen for very long.
The most surprising performance doesn't come from either Gosling, McAdams, or the two proven thespians, Allen and Shepard. Instead, this distinction goes to James Marsden. Although the actor has a very limited range, he's very good as Lon. A joker and a war hero, Lon is just as much in love with Allie as Noah is. He's charming and kind, and he's a good romantic "rival" to add a little mystery to the plot. But Marsden never overplays his hand. He's not sickeningly sweet or jealous. Lon is a stand-up guy, and makes Allie's indecision very believable.
The setting is superb. The cinematography, credited to Robert Fraisse, is gorgeous, and the musical score by Aaron Zigman compliments it perfectly. Watching "The Notebook" is like watching old personal movies. It's loaded with nostalgia.
Although some of the mystery stuff doesn't hold up upon reflection, and Cassevetes sometimes allows his actors to go over-the-top, he has still crafted an good old fashioned romance. Even guys will love it (whether they will be man enough to admit it, I cannot answer).
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Joan Allen, James Marsden, Sam Shepard
Rated PG-13 for Some Sexuality
"The Notebook" is one of those sappy romances that spoof movies and MAD magazine love to make fun of. It's sappy, melodramatic, and predictable. It also works wonderfully. The two leads have smoldering chemistry, the story is very romantic, and the setting is superb. I may be a guy, but I loved this movie.
Allie Hamilton (McAdams) is a young rich girl vacationing in Georgia with her family. One night at the carnival, a young man named Noah Calhoun (Gosling) walks up to her and asks if she wants to dance. She rebuffs him, but after propositioning her again while hanging from a Ferris Wheel, she agrees. It's not quite love at first sight, but they fall for each other. Unfortunately, Noah is not rich, and Allie's parents (especially her mother) do not approve. They break it off when Allie has to go back home.
Meanwhile, an old man who calls himself Duke (Garner) is reading this story to an elderly Allie (Rowlands). Allie is suffering from dementia, but Duke reads this story to her over and over again hoping to bring her back. But is Duke really Noah, or Lon Hammond (Marsden), the hot soldier to whom Allie becomes engaged?
In all honesty, it's not hard to guess the answer, and director Noah Cassevetes (Rowland's son) wisely doesn't try to make it so. Instead, he concentrates on the romance between Noah and Allie, with brief interludes featuring Duke and the elderly Allie. These dual storylines work equally well. We feel for Duke and older Allie as much as we do for Noah and young Allie.
The acting is flawless. Ryan Gosling is a strange choice for Noah, considering his resume at the time: he played a boy accused of murder in "The United States of Leland," a psychopathic murderer in "Murder by Numbers," and a Jewish neo-Nazi in "The Believer." Not exactly the kind of actor you'd go to to play a romantic lead. But Gosling is brilliant actor, and while Noah is a traditional romantic lead, Gosling plays him with a little aloofness and darkness that gives him more layers. Likewise, Rachel McAdams is very good as Allie, the independent rich girl who falls for him. But she is torn between Noah and Lon, and we feel her indecision. As Duke, James Garner is terrific; he's kind and gentle, and stubbornly optimistic. Gena Rowlands is also quite good as a woman who is struggling to find her memories.
The supporting cast is top-notch as well. Joan Allen plays Allie's mother, who is not nearly as shrewish and stuck-up as she seems to be. Kevin Connolly plays Fin, Noah's happy-go-lucky friend, and Sam Shepard plays Noah's supporting father. Also interesting is Jamie Anne Allman; she plays Martha, a lonely war widow who finds company with Noah. The weak link is David Thornton, who plays Allie's father. He's supposed to be a fine Southern gentleman, but Thornton can't act (he's not good in the recurring role of attorney Lionel Granger in "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit"). Fortunately, he's not onscreen for very long.
The most surprising performance doesn't come from either Gosling, McAdams, or the two proven thespians, Allen and Shepard. Instead, this distinction goes to James Marsden. Although the actor has a very limited range, he's very good as Lon. A joker and a war hero, Lon is just as much in love with Allie as Noah is. He's charming and kind, and he's a good romantic "rival" to add a little mystery to the plot. But Marsden never overplays his hand. He's not sickeningly sweet or jealous. Lon is a stand-up guy, and makes Allie's indecision very believable.
The setting is superb. The cinematography, credited to Robert Fraisse, is gorgeous, and the musical score by Aaron Zigman compliments it perfectly. Watching "The Notebook" is like watching old personal movies. It's loaded with nostalgia.
Although some of the mystery stuff doesn't hold up upon reflection, and Cassevetes sometimes allows his actors to go over-the-top, he has still crafted an good old fashioned romance. Even guys will love it (whether they will be man enough to admit it, I cannot answer).
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