Gosling and serene setting save otherwise drab outing

Rating: 4/10 (25 July 2009)

Doesn't Rachel McAdams's acting make anyone else gag as much as me?? Ugh. Granted, Nicholas Sparks is a dismally poor writer... he relies on cliché after cliché after cliché, w/out fleshing out any of his characters or plots beyond two-dimensional predictability, but McAdams ALmost ruins the entire affair for me. Wanting to act well doesn't mean actually acting well. She is cute, perky and tries very hard, but she simply adds no depth to the bland character written by Sparks. The stunning cast surrounding her (R. Gosling, G. Rowlands, J. Garner, S. Shepard) demonstrates how flatly-written roles can be imbued w/ depth, whereas she plays it exactly as it is written: "high-spirited Southern girl torn between Southern gentry and working-class stud". Every time I hear her fake laugh, I cringe and have to either look away or mimic her flailings. I definitely blame Cassavetes' direction, as well; I suspect he was so taken w/ her cuteness, that he didn't recognize the vapidity of her performance. It wouldn't be the first time!! Ha ha. The remarkable acting of R. Gosling, however (have you seen Half Nelson?? Dude.), plus the stunning N. Carolina scenery, i.e., the righteous cinematography of Robert Fraisse, are what keep me coming back, time after time, even though it involves a lot or eye-rolling and heavy sighs. I do think that, given the crappy aspects of the film, the only way you will enjoy watching this one is if you're a hard-up girl :)