A troubled young man searches obsessively for his first love, risking everything in an increasingly desperate pursuit.
Ratings: 7.2/10
Category: Drama, Family, Thriller
Run Time: 85 min
Director: Lou Howe
Writers: Lou Howe (screenplay), Lou Howewell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kennedi Clements |
Stars: Rory Culkin, David Call, Deirdre O'Connell |
Storyline
A troubled young man searches obsessively for his first love, risking everything in an increasingly desperate pursuit.
Just over twenty years ago, Macaulay Culkin attempted to break away from any semblance of his child actor days with the thriller The Good Son directed by Joseph Ruben. In that film it is revealed that "Henry," played by Culkin, killed his little brother Richard. For just a second in the film, we get a glimpse of Richard, pictured in a frame by Macaulay's then little brother Rory, the youngest of the seven Culkin children. Who knew that parents Kit and Patricia had saved the best and most talented for last? In writer/director Lou Howe's darkly constructed thriller Gabriel, the young Rory Culkin not only manages to build a multi-layered and fascinating character, but allows himself to be among one of the most promising and gifted lead actors seen this year.
Prior to watching "The Notebook," I was not familiar with the work of the actress Rachel McAdams. She made an indelible impression by sustaining an outstanding performance in this film. Her character Allie is the pivotal role in the film, as she must make the crucial romantic decision on which the story turns. There are few performers capable of evolving the complexity of characterization as achieved by Rachel McAdams.The film recreated effectively the world of the 1940s in America, including the parental pressure exerted by the well-to-do family of Allie on whether to allow their daughter to pursue a young man from the other side of the tracks. As played by Ryan Gosling, the character of Noah could have revealed more emotional layers. There was only one scene in the film where he really showed that there was something at stake in his love for Allie. He apparently wrote her a passionate letter every day for a year. Especially in the film's early scenes, Gosling could have shown more of the passion.The other cast members were outstanding, including James Garner and Gena Rowlands in the parallel story. In the two plots, "The Notebook" merits comparison with another outstanding romantic film, "The Bridges of Madison County." As the two subplots of "The Notebook" come together, one of the key characters is Allie's mother. As always, Joan Allen delivers a convincing and complete character portrayal, as the well-intentioned, but conflicted mother. In one of the most moving scenes in the film, the mother opens up to the daughter and tells her story of youthful love and a fateful choice similar to the one Allie herself must face.My favorite scene in the film: a wonderful sequence where Noah and Allie are in a boat in the backwaters of South Carolina. The waterway is simply filled with white geese. It is a stunning and picturesque moment, among many in this well-crafted film. If there is such a spot in South Carolina, then I want to go there!
