"The Notebook" at it's best

Rating: Null/10 (29 June 2004)

I really enjoyed this film, it was beautifully done and even though the book is always better.. in this case, I think they are pretty even. I found some things wrong with the film in relation to the novel that was probably just changed for flow, but they were only minor details. I enjoyed the flashbacks the best, with Ryan Gosling and Rachel MacAdams as Young Noah and Allie and I wish they had involved that part of the story more so in the movie other than the nursing home scenes. In the novel, the two time periods are intertwined, but the flashbacks play a larger role than the depressing aspect of Noah trying to deal with Allie, now overcome by Altzeimers decease. I just didn't think that James Garner and Gena Rowlands, who played the aged Noah and Allie Calhoun, had much chemistry together and that their scenes together were more forced than anything. I loved the scenes between Gosling and MacAdams, mostly because of their chemistry and being a fan of the novel, to me they embodied the two characters. I just loved this film and though many people complain about the involvement of the older Noah and Allie characters, it's essential to the story because without that part of the story, the reader (or in this case, the watcher) never gets a feel for how strong their love is. Great novel, great movie. I'd recommend it to anyone who's in the mood for a great love story or a good cry. Either way, it won't disappoint.