My title for this review is actually the same as the tagline for this lovely engaging film - 'The Notebook' and that'sexactly what it is - a great love story!
Through reading quite a few reviews about various DVDs on Ciao! and Dooyoo, I've been building up a small collection of ones to watch. Last night it was the turn of 'The Notebook' after having read a few favourable reviews about it. I spent a couple of very enjoyable hours watching it, albeit on my own, as when I showed my husband what I was going to watch he decided to do something else instead. It was probably the right choice for him as I do think this is a typical 'girlie' film!
There actually seem to be two parallel stories in the film. It starts in the present with a couple of old people in a nursing home. The old man (James Garner) is reading a story from a note book to the old lady (Gena Rowlands) who is listening intently. Throughout the film we keep coming back to these two and their comments on the story. However as the man is reading the story we are transported back in time to the 1940s and to the heart of the story of 'The Notebook'.
A young working class lad, Noah Calhoun (played by Ryan Gosling) spots a much higher class girl, Allie Hamilton (played by Rchel McAdams) and promptly falls for her. Although at first she is not sure, she starts to see him and they have a wonderful carefree summer and fall deeply in love. However, Allie's parents are not happy and take her away so that in effect puts an end to the relationship. Noah writes every day for a year but all of his letters are intercepted so he finally gives up.
Years pass and Rachel meets and becomes engaged to someone else. All is well until she she sees, by chance, an article about Noah in the newspaper and sets off to find him. She is torn between her present love and the past and what we follow is her anguish at having to choose. The viewer does not know until right at the end of the film when the story is finished being read from the notebook.
I felt that this was a lovely gentle film which was very moving and emotional. It was also extremely involving. There are many contrasts in the film. At the start we are very aware of the joy of young love and I felt that these carefree days were portrayed really well. The youthful exuberance of both the young couple was evident and I thought both parts were plyed really well by the respective actors. I hadn't seen eitrher Ryan Gosling or Rachel McAdams in anything else before and I found him to be very pleasing to the eye as well as having the ability to convey the extremes of love and despair. She was also very engaging, very fresh faced and enthusiastic, but also great and displaying the anguish when having to choose, and just right for the role . She also seemed to convey the range and depth of emotion very convincingly.
I very much enjoyed the pace of the story, which was very gentle and easygoing. Having said this though it was also very absorbing and by the end I was really caring about what happened to these very likeable characters - both young and old.
This film is a bit like a jigsaw puzzle though - and it's only at the end with all of the pieces fitted together that the whole picture becomes really clear. At this point you see what a bittersweet story it really is and the end is well worth waiting for - I was moved to tears.
I did enjoy this film very much and would recommend it if you are into gentle romantic dramas. I bought my DVD copy from Amzon for only £5.48 which was pretty good value.
Among the DVD extras you can watch:
Optional film makers commentaries 3 short featurettes casting theatrical trailer
There's nothing particularly special about any of these and I don't think they really add much extra to the overall enjoyment.
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Production Year: 2000 - Drama - Director: Giuseppe Tornatore - Original Language: Italian - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Luciano Federico, Matilde Piana
Advantages: Great acting, makes you cry (c'mon it's good to cry), good weepy ending. Disadvantages: Clicheed and unrealistic - You feel like you've seen it all before.
Renza 17.01.2009 (17.01.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of The Notebook (DVD)
Apr 20th, 2008
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