it's a schmaltzfest, but it's watchable

Rating: 6/10 (29 August 2007)

This movie is engaging, and the photography is pretty. Everyone seems to have liked it.. even dads. The period details are thorough, succeeding to conjure the atmosphere of a simpler, more romantic time. However, it is hard not to feel tricked when movies do this because of course life has always been complicated and dizzying, scarcely turning out to be as wonderful as it was dreamed. There is a shadowy area between what is actually romantic and what is romanticized to the point of artifice. The romanticizing in this movie can be excused somewhat because of the characters' states of being-- the story is mapped out in memories of people who desperately attempt to re-envision them, to savor the beauty of their relationship before time runs out. We all romanticize the past.
But the spirit of the old man Noah to me seemed too jazzy. It's especially evident in his conversation with the nurses. In addition to his lines, maybe the casting could be blamed for this. The personalities of the old man Noah and young Noah were too divergent. People only transform so much over time, and the reticence of young Noah just seemed too much in place to produce such a lively old guy. Rachel McAdams is a pleasure to watch, even though her performance was rather unvaried, including much coquettish giggling on the other side of puffed-up fussiness. Gosling turned out to be less fun than he promised at first. Parts of the script were good, others unbearable.. the whole bird thing comes to mind.
In the end, most of my complaints are simply a matter of taste, as with any review. I thought this movie could use a little criticism.