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| NOTEBOOK (2004) | |
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Love and nurture produce happiness and sanctuary to those who receive, yet it is the giver who is most rewarded.
The awareness of being the provider of tender affection is soul pleasing
along with viewing the loved one being nurtured with loving care.
In times of difficulty this affection means the world, as it helps point out
that they are not alone.
Often the person watching a loved one suffer will feel a mutual pain, as a deep sense of understanding exists between the lovers.
When time is taking its toll on two lovers they are there to help confirm each other’s
existence--a worthwhile existence, as they have devoted their life to their partner as a means of expression of the most fundamental concept of human existence – love. The director Nick Cassavetes who made John Q (2002) released his version of Nicholas Sparks best selling novel The Notebook. The story takes place at a nursing home where Duke (James Garner) is a patient and a day while he is at the hospital he reads a book for one of the patents, Allie (Gena Rowlands). The story that Duke reads for Allie brings the audience a flashback that is interrupted by medicine intakes and visiting children, now adults. Despite the interruptions Duke continues to read for Allie with strong affection, as Allie persists that she wants to know what happens next. When the audience first gets to meet Allie her behavior vividly depicts someone who is suffering from Alzheimer's. It hard not to feel sorry for her, and it makes it understandable why Duke would spend time with her. In addition, Duke is also a patient there and is not about to leave. As the story unfolds Allie keeps repeating that she recognizes the story, and she might have heard of it before. These cues together with the girl in the story who has the same name as her and the title of the film should help the audience deduce that it is the same person. Through the flashback the audience gets to follow Allie’s (Rachel McAdams), passionate summer romance with Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling) to which Allie’s parents object. When the summer ends Allie leaves the South to begin her college studies in New York leaving Noah behind. Noah writes a letter a day for a year, but when he does not get any response he moves on with his life. World War II breaks out and Noah enlists, as he gets to fight the war in Africa and in Europe under General Patton. Allie volunteer as a nurse and through every person she helps she sees Noah’s face. Through the volunteering she meets a severely injured man, Lon Hammond (James Marsden), who asks Allie out on a date. Allie does not think that is appropriate, but Lon returns to ask her out again after he has healed up. The two fall in love, and eventually Lon asks her the big question. As they plan their wedding, Allie notices a picture in a newspaper that has a photo of Noah. Old memories come rushing back to Allie. Overwhelmed by the old feelings being drawn back into the light she decides to return to the town where she once met Noah. Notebook deals with Alzheimer’s and how it affects those near and dear, but it does so with kindness as the true dark nature of the degenerative disease that affects the central nervous system is never truly illustrated. In the superior Iris (2001) by Richard Eyre one can follow the novelist Iris Murdoch (Judi Dench) and her struggle with Alzheimer’s as it affects her work and beloved. This version is darker in the sense of how the disease truly affects people from the beginning to the end. Notebook merely touches the tip of the iceberg in regards to this horrible disease, and it also does so in other aspects. Nonetheless, in the shadow of Alzheimer’s the audience gets a feeling for how it might feel when the loving partner suddenly begins to forget to confirm the meaningfulness of each other’s existence through love. Notebook has an intriguing way of telling a love story, and it intends to keep the audience guessing until the end. However, it fails in this regard as the story has too much emphasis on one of characters, which generates an unbalance between the characters. This unbalance removes any intention of suspense, as the climatic end draws nearer, which leaves the audience with a flat "well, I told you so" feeling. The technical aspects of filmmaking are very good, as they help elevate the cinematic experience. In the end, Notebook leaves the audience with a good romantic tale, which had strong potential to be much better. |
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| Nick Cassavetes | |
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USA |
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| REVIEWED | |
| 2/13/2005 | |
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The Internet Movie Database. |
