Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner and Gena Rowlands star in this film set both in the 1940s, and in the modern era. Told in flashbacks and the present day, the film is an unabashedly romantic film. Goslin stars as Noah Calhoun, as brash young man who works as a laborer in the local sawmill. He meets Allie Hamilton (McAdams), from a well-to-do family, at a carnival. She rebuffs his advances, but he persists and they finally go on a date. They spend the summer together, much to the chagrin of Allie's mother Ann (Joan Allen). Her father demurs, stating this is just a summer fling, and the two will soon part when Allie goes off to college. After many years, they get back together. Meanwhile, an elderly couple Duke (Garner) and an elderly lady with dementia (Rowlands), spend time together in a nursing home, as he reads to her from a notebook (hence the title). She falls in and out of lucidity, while he is there to care for her under any circumstances.
The acting is generally very good; with all four actors winning or nominated for a variety of acting awards. The script is sentimental, and the over-all tone of the film is likewise. The film was shot in South Carolina, and utilizes existing and newly-built sets in that area. Gosling's remodeled house is particularly affecting, and it was especially built for the film. The set design is very good, and production values are also very good, capturing the lush, indolent life of the south in great detail. The cinematography is excellent, with light and dark scenes very well lit. The period cars and the re-done store fronts give the 40s era portion of the film an authentic look.
This is a 'chick flick' at its best. Personally, this is not my favorite genre, since films of this ilk can be cloying and maudlin. There are elements of each here, but overall the film avoids falling into an overly sentimental trap.
Rated PG-13 for some sexuality
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