THE NOTEBOOK

"Why didn't you write me?"

Allie Nelson

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.

Audio commentaries, 3 featurettes, Casting programme & Theatrical trailer

A Walk to Remember

---

The Usher Home | Hush, Hush... | The Big Story | The Usher Speaks

Stuck @ Home | Coming Soon | Links | Contact the Usher

2004