So overrated; for hopeless romantics only

Rating: 4/10 (4 July 2020)

POSITIVES:
1) The performances are good, especially James Garner who adds necessary class and gravitas to the film
2) The film is well put together, in the sense that the cinematography, costume design and production design are all pretty good
3) The second half is much better than the terrible first half
NEGATIVES:
1) Ryan Gosling literally gets Rachel McAdams to go out with him by threatening to commit suicide (?!?!) and then stalking her around the town?!?!
2) The dialogue made me wanna be sick, it's like nails on a chalkboard: "if you're a bird then I'm a bird" "it wasn't over.... it's still not over!" URGH
3) The film is littered with gender issues and race relations issues
4) The plot is so cliche and frankly feels like a poor Titanic impression. For example, the working class man falls in love with the upper class woman (like in Titanic) and the story is told in flashback revolving around the woman now being old (like in Titanic).
5) The score is so over the top and is constantly hitting you over the head with the swelling strings. They may as well have had someone holding up a sign saying "you should feel emotional now"