The Notebook

Rating:
Summary: "Behind every great love is a great story"
Review: Director Nick Cassavetes' "The Notebook" is a sweet and tender love story that is sure to break your heart. I dare you to watch this film's moving, albeit clichéd, finale with dry eyes. I wasn't expecting much from this film, but was indeed pleasantly surprised by its charm and emotional pull. However, in order to enjoy this film, you have to be willing to accept a certain about of sugariness, melodrama, and predictability.

Rachel McAdams, as I'm sure you've already heard, is an absolute doll. She has that unique onscreen presence that brings a ray of light to the screen makes her a true star. And that smile! She IS the new Julia Roberts! Ryan Gosling is perfect in his role and brings the perfect amount of angst and misery into his character. Together, Gosling and McAdams have some nice chemistry; they are definitely believable as young lovers unlike some pairings in recent films. They also realistically portray the breathless excitement of young love and the aching misery of broken hearts. James Garner and Gena Rowlands provide the audience with the pretty much all of the emotional moments of the film. These actors are so heartbreaking and powerful in their roles that they even had grown men in the theater crying! Sam Shepard, Joan Allen, and James Marsden all provide strong supporting performances to a film that's overall success is greatly raised by its acting.

"The Notebook" is not a 4 or 5 star film in my book mainly because it is so generic and clichéd, but gets a solid 3 out of 5 stars for its heart, soul, and solid acting.

Rating:
Summary: Sweet, Sappy, Romantic, Beautiful
Review: I got to see the sneak preview of this movie this past Saturday (6/12/04) and I absolutely loved it. I've seen Ryan Gosling on television before (Breaker High), but I hadn't seen Rachel McAdams until now. Their characters were so real and so believable. Even though the end may be predictable, this film lacks the typical structure of most romantic movies I've seen. It was interesting to see how the characters evolved and came together.

The film begins with James Garner reading pages out of a notebook to alzheimer(?) patient Gena Rowlands. As the story unfolds, we meet Allie and Noah. Allie comes from a wealthy Southern family. Noah works in the lumber yard. We see their joys as well as their struggles. Though they seem like complete opposites, they fall in love only to be torn apart when Noah leaves for World War 2 and Allie becomes engaged to another man.

I won't spoil the ending, but the two lovers reunite and Allie is faced with the decision of whether to keep her promise to her fiance or to go back to the man she left behind.

Rating:
Summary: my fav. movie of all time
Review: I loved the movie The Notebook. After I saw it for the first time I immediately felt the need to see it again, I ended up going to see it 5 more times that week even though the prices were so high. I havent seen a movie this good in a long time. I laughed, I cryed, and so much more. I felt as if I was experiancing the same things I wanted to be Ali, I wanted to be there. I even fell in love with the cast every 1 that played the roles were perfect. It was just a great movie.

Rating:
Summary: BEST OF ALL TIME!!!!
Review: i loved this movie! i went to see it 4 times and am planning on buying it the day it comes out. it is a real tear jerker and i usually dont like them that much, but this one was one i could see over and over and not get tired of it.

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful, magical movie about the power of love.
Review: I recently saw "The Notebook" and am so glad I did. This is my new favorite movie. I've never seen another like it. It's a wonderful adaptation of the book by Nicholas Sparks. It's cinematography is beautiful as well as the script and the acting is unforgettable. Ryan Gossling and Rachel McAddams are wonderful in this and give tour de force performances as the young lovers. They have a great chemistry together that electrifies the screen. Let us not forget James Garner and Gena Rowlands they are wonderfully cast as the older lovers. Sam Sherpard and Joan Allen also turn in wonderful performances in their roles. I cannot recommend this movie enough. It is moving and poignant, there wasn't a dry eye in the theatre when the movie ended. I think it is rare to see a movie that can be that affecting. GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!! You will not regret it in fact you'll probably want to see it again.

Rating:
Summary: My Favorite Movie!
Review: I'm not into the girlie movies that always end up w/ the girl getting her prince charming but this film really got to me and left me craving for more. Something about the pure raw emotion displayed in Noah and his undying love, that's what every little girl hopes to find in her life! I've already pre-ordered my copy.

Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Love Stories of All Time
Review: THE NOTEBOOK has long been my favorite of Nicholas Sparks' many books, so it is a happy surprise to me that the wonderful story transferred to the big screen with all the sweetness, warmth, and tenderness that made the book a runaway best seller.

The best part of this movie was the incredible chemistry between Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling as the young lovers Allie and Noah. Their story was told by an elderly couple in a nursing home. James Garner and Gena Rowlands were outstanding as the devoted "Duke" and the woman with irreversible dementia. As Duke recounted the story of Allie and Noah from the notebook he carried with him, the lady's memory began to come back and she could remember.

The movie always changes the book but the one major change (the ending) which had the audience letting out a collective gasp and reaching for the nearest tissue was, in my opinion, really good even if it was pure Hollywood melodrama.

Why does a movie like THE NOTEBOOK appeal to so many? Is it that every woman longs for a man who loves as deeply as Noah? Is it that every one wants a love that transcends all problems---those of class, education, family objection----and lasts forever? Or just maybe in a world of high-tech gizmos and high security alerts, it's nice to get back to basics with a really good love story....and this is definitely that.

Rating:
Summary: -*the most romantic love story since TITANIC*-
Review: THE NOTEBOOK truly has to be one of the most romantic love stories ever told. It reminds you that true love is everlasting, is enduring, can come from the strangest places & can make you do crazy things, but most importantly, when you share the kind of love that Noah & Alli did, love can do anything you want it to - even create miracles.

I loved all the characters, but Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams had the best on-screen chemistry I have seen in a long time. They look awesome together, & they are both AmAzInG actors. Ryan Gosling usually plays dark, intense characters in films such as MURDER BY NUMBERS & THE BELIEVER, and we've seen Rachel McAdams play snobby, prissy roles in films such as MEAN GIRLS & THE HOT CHICK. Though both new to the "romantic" role, they were perfect for their parts. The setting was perfect as well. It was so beautiful, & s0o0o romantic! Also, James Garner & Gena Rowlands portray the sick, aging old couple that is still madly in love wonderfully.

This movie is one of the best I have ever seen, & I plan to see it again & buy the DVD when it is released. It will make you both laugh & cry (bring LoTs of kleenex!). Knowing that this story came from the story of Spark's wife's grandparents' love story, it makes you realize that a lot of fiction comes from real experiences, and that true, enduring love is very real. The film's message was so deep & genuine that you can't help but feel as though you're a part of the story. I highly recommend it, as well as the book (I must add that Noah Calhoun is the BeSt character Nicholas Sparks has ever created, & he has created some pretty great characters!). Both are well worth every penny that you spend! :-)