 It's opening among fierce competition, but mostly positive reviews of Nick Cassavetes' The Notebook may inspire many adults to go see it. The performances of Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, and Gena Rowland, and James Garner are given particularly high marks, with some reviewers describing them as Oscar-worthy. Stephen Holden writes of the McAdams/Gosling match-up: "Their performances are so spontaneous and combustible that you quickly identify with the reckless sweethearts, who embody an innocence that has all but vanished from American teenage life. And against your better judgment, you root for the pair to beat the odds against them." However, it's all a bit much for several critics who describe the film as two-hanky soap opera. Bob Strauss in the Los Angeles Daily News writes that the movie will give "weepers" what they want "by the trowelful. And men hardly need to be warned that this is basically just Titanic without anything cool like a ship sinking or Kate Winslet posing for art." Comments Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post: "Audiences craving big, gooey over-the-top romance have their must-see summer movie in The Notebook, a confection syrupy enough to satisfy nearly every cinematic sweet tooth. |
