Today’s quick review: The Notebook. In the summer of 1940, Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling), a working-class boy, falls in love with Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams), the daughter of a wealthy Southern couple. Through dogged persistence, he manages to get her on a date, and their relationship blooms into a full-blown summer romance. But the end of the summer, coupled with the disapproval of Allie’s parents, threatens to tear them apart.
The Notebook is a romantic drama about the lengths a young couple must go to in order to be together. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams stars as Noah and Allie, whose passion for one another must overcome a world of obstacles keeping them apart. The movie captures the careless energy of young love as well as the pang of loss. A well-matched couple, a touching story, and solid craftsmanship all the way around make The Notebook a rich and satisfying watch.
The Notebook invests deeply in its story. Noah and Allie’s story takes place over the course of several years, and it’s drawn out further by the film’s framing device: an aging man (James Garner) narrating the story to a woman with dementia (Gena Rowlands) in a retirement home. The drama along the way is solidly constructed, made from a combination of the characters’ conflicting desires and the circumstances handed to Noah and Allie by fate.
The Notebook also benefits from a great lead couple. Noah Calhoun is a determined young man, bold enough to earn Allie’s affection and faithful enough to keep it. Allie Hamilton is every bit his match, a smart and vivacious young woman willing to fight for her love. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams capture the exuberance of the relationship well. The two lovers are backed by an unusually supportive cast of supporting characters.
The Notebook is a strong choice for fans of the romance genre. The movie fits squarely into the subgenre of romance that deals with historical settings, forbidden love, and the way a relationship plays out over a lifetime. The Notebook doesn’t serve up any real surprises, but the quality of its acting and storytelling makes it a satisfying watch at minimum, with plenty of potential upside for the right viewer.
For a retrospective romance with a historical setting and a fantasy twist, try The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. For a more embellished story with a similar framing device and strong craftsmanship, try Big Fish. For an animated romantic drama that hits similar emotional notes, try Millennium Actress.
7.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 to 7.5 for an earnest, well-crafted story with the potential to mean much more to the right viewer.