Of all the flicks in all the rental queues, this one found me

Rating: 10/10 (1 June 2005)

It's been a long time since I've fallen in love with a theatrical love story. Mainstream love stories are so quick to solve everything or too shallow to really delve into anything worth spending the $10 ticket price. It seems that Hollywood is more interested in a pretty match rather than a thematic delivery when it comes to the romance genre. So it was a bit of bitterness that I rented "The Notebook" following a barrage of recommendations from friends and relatives.
Admittedly, I was skeptical going into the film. I had hated "A Walk to Remember", the movie based on another Nicholas Sparks novel. Mandy Moore and Shane West were so pious and pristine in that flick, that it was hard for me to find a connection to their characters. That and Mandy Moore could stand to take an acting lesson. But I digress...
Ryan Gosling and Rachel MacAdams had both caught my attention before in their previous work, but in this particular story, they sparkled. The chemistry between them as Noah and Allie is electrifying. I found myself leaning so far over in my seat as I watched their story unfold that I still feel the pains of stretching today. The passion and intensity between these two actors is simply the most beautiful exchange I've seen in years.
And while Gosling and MacAdams are spectacular in their roles, it was James Garner and Gena Rowlands who stole my heart. Without giving too much away, it is the relationship between Garner and Rowlands that sent me reaching for the Kleenex, and wishing on the night's most shining star that I too could experience the lifetime of love that these characters had shared. It's a love story to remember, that is sure.
I was surprised to learn that Nick Cassavettes (Rowlands' son) directed the flick, and did so with pitch-perfect care and respect for this story. I haven't read the book, but I can assure you that the movie prompts me to do so.
And while my comments may be dripping with the most sincerest of praise, I can only hope that others will take an opportunity to see this movie. It is wonderful.