The Notebook Production Design Review

Director Nick Cassavetes’ 2004 film adaption of the 1996 Nicholas Sparks novel The Notebook is a story well known by many a film watcher, and many a human being.  Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling portray a young couple in the 1940s, successful in keeping their relationship surviving despite many a hardship and trial. 

Allie’s seemingly normal upbringing of wealth and prosperity is put into perspective when compared to Noah’s upbringing, and this is quite effectively shown through the costuming and set design. Although the film exists in more of a ‘rose-tinted glasses’ type world, the costumes ground the film in a sort of reality even though they are not what most people would have been wearing at the time due to the war effort.

Allie’s costumes are particularly red, with brighter colours and patterns compared to the generally darker and plainer colours Noah wears, emphasising the disparity in wealth that separate the couple, just one obstacle that they need to face in their relationship. Just by looking at photos of the couple together it is easy to see the difference between them, proving that the efforts of costume designer Karyn Wagner have paid off. All of this helps the viewer to understand the characters and some of their backgrounds without perhaps realising it.

Georgia x

The Notebook Music/Soundtrack Review

I've never really liked romance movies- unless they’re Disney- so The Notebook (2004) was definitely not an exception. Call me bitter, but there’s something about these types of movies that make me want to throw up. It may possibly be through the unlimited clichés found within the movie or the soundtracks that make me want to push my TV out the window, either way I have this burning passion to scold every romance movie director out there because they make movies like The Notebook.  

Like look at this photo, I can totally imagine the old lady being in the movie like: ‘oh look at me, gazing into the sunset wishing I was the young lady I was 1000 years ago… golly josh I miss being with the hottie Noah (Ryan Gosling) but he chose me anyways so suck it girls all over the world’ whilst calming flutes play in the background. Oh wait, that’s what actually happens.

I don’t understand how people like this movie but whatever, moving onto the soundtrack!

I do have to give credit to Aaron Zigman, the composer of this movie’s soundtrack, as he has done a really good job at writing music that perfectly portrays the story line and making the audience feel all the romantic puke-worthy ‘feels’. He’s a great composer and I give him a pat on the back for creating such a fitting soundtrack.

The music itself, although totally too cringeworthy for my liking, is techniqually a really good score. In the first few ‘songs’, theres a consistant theme of using woodwind instruments (like flutes) to help create the fluffy duffy romance atmosphere between Noah and Allie (Rachel McAdams) and it helps allow the actors to portray their rolls. When the main characters start to go through some hardship, the music works alongside the visual to make it all the more intense.

If you have a listen to the ‘song’ Noah’s Last Letter you could probably tell from within the first 30 seconds that it’s a very emotional point in the movie (most likely where Bella is a sobbing mess- sorry Bella!) One could even imagine Allie also being a sobbing mess and crying over Noah’s supossed last letter *gasps*.

(Lol)

Although the dramatics annoy me, I have to say that this soundtrack has been very well thought out. Just like I had been mentioning in my review of Avatar’s soundtrack, it takes some skill to ensure that the audience is captivated by the music to allow the visuals to make their point.

I could possibly go into detail about the composers use of crescendos and melodies and their effect on the viewer but I’ll save that for when I'm talking to a more musically inclined audience (no offense or anything).

All in all, although I generally don’t like romance movies and this movie in particular didn’t do it for me, the music and soundtrack- although cringeworthy- was pretty impressive and I applaud Aaron Zigman for his work.

Stay tuned for next weeks review on The Breakfast Club (woop woop) and you be you you lovers of romance and I’ll be me (I’m sure that’s the saying?)…

Ta ta for now,

Micayla