Notebook Delivers

Rating: 9/10 (18 January 2009)

Where a lot of romance movies fail, this one delivers. I think the reason why this is so is because of two simple things: 1. The character chemistry interaction usually seems superfluous and fake.
2. The reason why THAT is so is because we don't experience growth between those characters through interaction.
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are perfect candidates for this movie. McAdams is not only beautiful, she doesn't act like an airhead like you find in most romantic movies (think Disney channel sappy romance). As childish as she acts in the beginning, we realize she's young and wants to experience all the things teenagers do: fun, excitement, and love. As a guy, I didn't roll my eyes when I saw her whine or crushed. I felt for her. I sympathized with her. I don't see her portrayal of Ally as some throwaway stock character, I see the Ally character as a human being. A fictional character literally brought to life. Once you get that sense of authenticity, it's not game over. It's one base covered.
Ryan Gosling's character, Noah, is the second base covered. He's a charming, wild, crazy, yet likable person. For anyone who's been in love or at least knows what it feels like, we can understand why he does the things he does with McAdam's character in the beginning. It's a little stalker-ish, admittedly, but for a movie it works. Like any romance novel, he's a rugged good looking character whose really in love. But like McAdams, Gosling's physical and verbal expressions feel authentic. He's not the typical guy who hates the girl at first then falls in love, nor is he just there for a few minutes and then suddenly there for the traditional happy ending. On that note, he's not cheesy. I think that's important to note. It's real easy to be cheesy in these type of movies, but it doesn't happen here. The dialogue is another factor to this. It hits the appropriate notes and doesn't add any to make it seem artificially mushy to get cheap "aws" and earn rolled eyes. It talks about the most important thing in life and all the conflicts that try to separate it, but fail. These conflicts are from Ally's mother who doesn't want her to see Noah, Ally's later fiancée, and even Ally herself. Luckily, all these are explained in the movie. They are not throw away plot devices and that was a major plus for me.
My personal favorite scenes were the ones dealing with the letters, especially when Ally gets then back from her mother, and the older Ally finally remembering who Noah is. If I had to gripe, I would liked to have seen Ally's desire to paint emphasized a bit more (plus "sneak" into the story better) and see the young couple have a final sendoff for the viewers before we see the remainder of their lives in photos.
We are taken to small destinations like the fair, the old house that gets rebuilt, and a very brief walk through World War II. But the destinations are really only background and filler, only enhancing the mood when the story feels appropriate. The scene where the 20 something year old Noah and Ally rekindle old ties in the lake then fall in love all over again when it starts to rain is a perfect example of that.
All in all, what carries the story on its shoulders is the side story: the older Noah and Ally. Halfway through the movie, we finally realize its the older versions of the characters in the main story. Noah tells Ally, apparently every day, the story of how they met and came to live with each other even in an elderly home. Unfortunately, Ally suffers from dementia and doesn't remember him. She forgets but we remember. That's the most powerful element in the story.
By the end, we don't feel like we just wasted our time and money. At least I didn't anyway. In my opinion, this is what movies like Titanic should've been like. We see two different stories about how true love can come to anyone, no matter the circumstances. A lot of it centers on Ally and for good reason, old Noah is telling it to her to get her to remember. Both stories go happily hand in hand with each other. The authentic portrayals, appropriate direction, and wonderful writing made a perfect romance film that both guys and girls can enjoy (that is if the guys can tolerate a love story).