The Notebook

Once again, I had no clue that this movie existed, even though it features two of my favorite actors – Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling – as a couple. But when it comes to the movie itself, it’s soaking wet with romance. But it’s so nice, pleasant, honest and even a bit dreamy at times that I couldn’t rate it lower than four stars. The way it’s told, the way it pulls the wool from my eyes in the middle of the movie and the way it all flows is just worth a good cry once in a while. And this movie provided just that. (11/08/2014)

John Cassavetes has a captivating sense of timing for scenes and sequences of dialogue, absorbing, expressive, mindful, and pleasantly old-fashioned. Perhaps a bit more idealistic and dreamy than life itself, but why not close your eyes and let yourself be carried away on a wave of phenomenal romance that you also want to experience in life. (18/06/2014)

I’m in pain. And here I thought I would never taste anything sweeter than Turkish delight dipped in caramel and washed down with a properly sweetened glass of apple cider. The Notebook has an idea that never dies and all people in the world should stick to it, but cinematically it’s such a spineless and stale kitsch that even I, a born romantic, had trouble believing the characters in even the most innocent act of love. I’m giving it a reluctant third star, solely because of Gosling, McAdams and especially Garner, who’s the only one who earned my full trust (only to end up so unbelievable). 50% (12/12/2013)

The acting performances here are so interesting that you can tolerate even the unnecessary pathos of this romance, which again does not bring anything essential. Thanks to the acting legends that appear in the current storyline, you can even tolerate the clear push towards the emotional gate. You have to shed tears, that is the clear message of the author of the original work, Nicholas Sparks. (10/05/2015)

The Notebook is a simple, unoriginal story, but it is flawlessly filmed and has a very big heart. A romantic treat of galactic proportions that respectably remains above the level of cheap sentimentality until the last fifteen minutes. The film has a slow pace, poetic widescreen cinematography, decent actors (particularly Ryan Gosling) and a nice piano motif. It’s a film for those who believe that love for one person can last a lifetime. Nothing for cynical realists. (02/03/2005)