One of my Favorites, Not for everyone.

Rating: 6/10 (25 October 2012)

At a modern-day nursing home, an elderly man named Duke (James Garner) begins to read a romantic story from his notebook to a fellow patient (Gena Rowlands).The story he tells begins in 1940. In Seabrook Island, South Carolina, local country boy Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) is smitten with seventeen-year-old heiress Allie Hamilton (Rachel McAdams) after seeing her at a carnival, and they share an idyllic summer love affair. Noah takes Allie to an abandoned house, which he explains that he intends to buy for them. Later that evening, she asks him to make love to her, but they are interrupted by Noah's friend Fin (Kevin Connolly) with the news that Allie's parents have the police out looking for her. When Allie and Noah return to her parents' mansion, they ban her from seeing Noah, whom they called "trash, trash, trash". The two break up and the next morning, Allie's mother announces that the family is returning home to Charleston. Noah and Allie have no choice but to move on with their lives; Noah and Fin enlist to fight in World War II and Fin is killed in battle. Allie becomes a volunteer in a hospital for wounded soldiers, where she meets an officer named Lon Hammond, Jr. (James Marsden), a young lawyer who is handsome, sophisticated, charming and comes from old Southern money. The two eventually become engaged, to the delight of Allie's parents, but Allie sees Noah's face when Lon asks her to marry him. In the present, it is made clear that the elderly woman is in fact Allie, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and cannot remember any of the events of the film so far. Duke, the man who is reading to her, is her husband, but Allie cannot recognize him. Back in the forties, the day after Allie arrived in Seabrook, she and Noah renew their relationship. Allie's mother appears on Noah's doorstep, telling Allie that a jealous Lon has followed her to Seabrook. In the present, Duke asks Allie whom she chose. Becoming lucid, she remembers that the story Duke was reading is the story of how they met. Young Allie appears at Noah's doorstep, having left Lon at the hotel and chosen Noah. Elderly Allie suddenly remembers her past; after finding out about her illness, she herself wrote their story in the notebook with instructions for Noah to "read this to me, and I'll come back to you". But soon Allie relapses, losing her memories of Noah. She panics, not understanding who he is, and has to be sedated.
The best thing about this movie was the depth of the plot and the actors playing their characters so well. The soundtrack was very subtle but it was appropriate. There's lots of fade in and fade out like the memory suppresses or the moment is over. It was filmed entirely in Charleston South Carolina. the scenery gave it a romantic summer feel. Even after they broke up the high angles of the water and trees were very pretty. The only drawback was Allie slapping and pushing Noah around. I could've gone without that, that's a Gosling trait I've noticed. Everything was very convincing, the place and time they were in, every ones mannerisms. The narrative definitely made the entire movie.
At the heart of this film the couple represents the love story that is being told by James Garner's character. He reads from a book, the story of the two lovers as they go through everything life has to offer. Gena Rowlands plays the lady that he is reading to, and she gets as wrapped up in the story as we do, as he progresses from chapter to chapter in the novel he is reading. Garner was perfect for this role, and shows his narrating skills as he explains how the two of them live. Gosling always gives such a real acting job you know he must fall in love with all he female cast members. The supporting cast was good, and James Marsden deserves a mention for managing to pull of a hard role as the "rich man" well. Another plus point about this movie was the great script, and you did not see too many "clichés" which is always a good sign in a Romance movie. The story is so genuine and Ryan Gosling as Noah and Rachel McAdams as Allie prove their golden status in future acting (Gosling definitely more than McAdams) The story has a great feel to it because of the setting
The scene of the rain on the lake where Gosling says how he wrote 365 letters and nobody can resist the last scene where they die holding each other's hands. I never cried in this movie. But the most heartbreaking and touching part was when Rachel McAdam's when she relapses into dementia and has to be sedated. James Garner was so in love with her already and it was like in the earlier scenes when they were falling in love. When he lost her he sat there crying and it was really touching and showed his acting capabilities.
Watching this movie makes you feel many things. Sadness is one thing experienced by this great love story. However what made me sad after watching this movie is just how our life just passes by and eventually reaches an end. At the end of this movie the old couple have a lot of trouble with sickness and dementia , its just like they're waiting to die and the view of the lake at the end just gets u thinking that they were once young, in love having fun and looking for great things ahead in their lives. When they die its like all their love, all their life would just be forgotten and the sad part is this would eventually happen to all of us.