I’ve never been a huge fan of romance novels or films for that matter, but I always find it to be the simplest and most effective way to spend quality time with my other half. She adores romance films and if given the opportunity will have me sit and watch them with her everytime. Last night was her turn to choose a movie and she jumped at the chance to share The Notebook with me.

To my surprise I found myself completely absorbed in the film, and although it was filled with a ton of romantic clichés it still managed to tear at my heart. I can honestly tell you that the last time I felt this emotional was after screening Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson.

Personally, The Notebook’s appeal had very little to do with its storyline which I thought was completely overused and worn-out. Much of the allure of this movie came by way of its amazing cast. Rachel McAdams completely took my breath away in her role as Allie Hamilton. Her overall beauty mixed with a sense of innocence made her appear strong yet vulnerable and I found myself constantly cheering for “Allie” to do the right thing by following her heart. Ryan Gosling also performed well as Noah Calhoun and although there were several parts where I thought his character was a bit unbelievable emotional wise, he performed well enough relying on his natural charisma and charm to do the work for him.

Overall, I found The Notebook to be an enjoyable feature. It definitely ranks right up there with the many other tearjerkers in its category.

Synopsis:

Directed by Nick Cassavetes, this adaptation of author Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel revolves around Noah Calhoun’s (James Garner) regular visits to a female patron (Gena Rowlands) of an area nursing home. Rather than bore her with the inanities of everyday life, Calhoun reads from an old, faded notebook containing the sweeping account of a young couple (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) whose love affair was tragically put to a halt after their separation in the midst of World War II. Seven years later, the couple was reunited, and, despite having taken radically different paths, they found themselves unable to resist the call of a second chance. The Notebook also features Joan Allen, Sam Shepard, and Kevin Connolly. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

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