Critical reception The Notebook

the notebook received mixed reaction film critics. based on 155 reviews on review aggregator rotten tomatoes, 52% of critics gave film positive review, average rating of 5.7/10 , website s consensus stating s hard not admire unabashed sentimentality, notebook clumsily manipulative rise above melodramatic clichés. @ metacritic, assigns average rating out of 100 reviews mainstream critics, film holds average score of 53, based on 34 reviews, indicates mixed or average reviews.

roger ebert of chicago sun-times praised film, awarding three-and-a-half stars out of four, calling photography striking in rich, saturated effects , stating actors blessed material. peter lowry of film threat gave film three-and-a-half stars out of five; praising performances of both gosling , mcadams, wrote: gosling , mcadams give all-star performances, doing enough hand reins on pros, take s left of film , finish audience off touching scenes don t leave dry eye in house. film added: overall, notebook surprisingly film manages succeed many other chick flick romances fail.

stephen holden of new york times gave film positive review, stating scenes between young lovers confronting adult authority have same seething tension , lurking hysteria young warren beatty , natalie wood brought more 40 years ago roles in splendor in grass. ann hornaday of washington post gave film positive review, praised performances of gosling , mcadams, stating: never mind mcadams , gosling don t minute call mind 1940s america; re both suitably attractive , appealing. gosling, delivered searing , largely unseen screen debut performance in 2001 drama believer, particularly convincing young man charms way past girl s strongest defenses. film, added: audiences craving big, gooey over-the-top romance have must-see summer movie in notebook. william arnold of seattle post-intelligencer praised performance of mcadams criticized performance of gosling, stating doesn t have kind of star power or chemistry mcadams anchor kind of minor-league gone wind. added film doesn t work on own terms, because romantic casting doesn t spark: doesn t make fall in love lovers. wesley morris of boston globe gave film two-and-a-half stars, praising performances of cast members, writing mcadams s soulfully committed suds in story , fiercely attentive other actors . added gosling: gosling adept @ playing sociopaths , intense brooders, , there s reason think, on, noah might off, when threatens drop ferris wheel unless allie agrees go on date him. film, wrote: considering sunny, relatively pleasurable romantic business precedes it, elderly stuff seems dark, morbid, , forced upon us.

jessica winter of village voice gave film mixed review, stating: amid sticky-sweet swamp of jeremy leven s script, rowlands , garner emerge spotless , beatific, lending magnanimous credibility scenes together. these 2 old pros slice cleanly through thicket of sap-weeping dialogue , contrivance, locating terror , desolation wrought cruel betrayals of failing mind. robert koehler of variety magazine gave film mixed review, however, praised performances, writing 1 of intriguing young thesps, gosling extends range pure romance without sacrificing bit of naturally subversive qualities, , seems comfortable looking beautiful in manly american way. head-turner mcadams, doing such different perf top bitch in mean girls s hard tell s same actor. skillfully carries of film s emotional weight free , easy manner.

in june 2010, entertainment weekly included allie , noah in list of 100 greatest characters of last 20 years. periodical listed notebook in 25 sexiest movies ever. weekly included film in list of 30 romantic movies of time. boston.com ranked film third top romantic movie. notebook appeared on moviefone s list of 25 best romance movies of time. marie claire put film on list of 12 romantic movie scenes of time. in 2011, notebook named best chick-flick during abc news , people s television special best in film: greatest movies of our time. scene noah climbs ferris wheel because wants date allie made list of total film s 50 romantic movie moments of time. kiss in rain ranked no. 4 in total film s 50 best movie kisses list.154