The power of love: a good and well built romantic movie

Rating: 7/10 (3 September 2009)

After a disappointing "love" experience this movie came unexpectedly as a positive injection of sound love and hope to me. I really liked it and felt deeply moved by it, I almost needed it. The story in itself is nothing new, nor original (though I wonder whether there is still something new to be said in the field of love). What stands out is the way, in terms of simplicity and naturalness, which which the romantic story gets to the viewer. No melodrama, no pathetic script, sentimentalist excess is carefully avoided: this is just a simple, moving love-story, plainly narrated through the pages of a diary. It is so easy for the viewer to get involved, both with the juvenile passion, and then with the mature affection, between Noah and Allie, whose story simply testifies that attraction cannot be the only engine of love, and that without mutual, constant and loyal dedication and respect even the most powerful chemistry is doomed to fall miserably. The young actors playing the boy and girl are magnetically well paired, we can feel, sense the passion exploding from their bodies and souls, in the same way as James Garner and Gena Rowlands can communicate high sentiment in a superb way. Also Sam Shepard, as Noah's father, hits the sign, and proves how talented actors, used to more demanding roles, can offer highly professional performances also in lower-level movies and contribute to make a difference. So congratulations to movies like Notebook, which, although not being masterpieces, obviously (but they do not aim at being so considered) have that magic capability to let you go to bed with a soothing and delightful sense of trust, hope, or simply with the momentary illusion (but how much do we need it, sometimes!) that there are still sincere, honest and loyal men outside. And judging from the number of users' comments, both positive and negative, I infer that people are still attracted by romantic movies: in the end, all we need is love?!