The Notebook

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)

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)

The heart does not choose. And my beloved genre of bittersweet romance offered me its gem at a time when references to The Notebook did not pop up in every other TV show and the viewer did not know what they were getting into. He was an honest, sympathetic guy from poor circumstances, she was a bit too mischievous but sincere beauty from rich circumstances. And in extremely unfavorable circumstances, a huge love was born. They are simply projections that are not forgotten, so even ten years after I first opened this notebook, I vividly remember how the film affected me. It was not about twists, punchlines, or surprises. The power was in the touching scenes, captivating cinematography, and passionately attractive main couple. And that's why I will always stand by the fact that for hopeless romantics, this is an absolute obligation. (18/07/2006)

If we ignore the two temporal planes and the poorly realized journey with them, we are left with a crystal clear melodrama that can be accepted in its entirety. Bollywood knew why not to let the subject lie fallow. :) This is by far the most enjoyable film based on Sparks. (31/03/2009)

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)