The Notebook (2004)

CHICK FLICK! Yeah, that's what I thought too, until I actually watched the damn thing. 2004's The Notebook is pretty much one of the best romance film's you will ever see, and it isn't mixed in with elemnts of OTT comedy, or a sideplot in an action film, it is 100% romane with enough "period piece" thrown in to make it stand out.

It starts with James Garner's character in and retirement home, reading to Gena Rowlands Alzeimers ridden Mrs Calhoun, seemingly out of the kindness of his own heart. what is he reading to her you may ask? That would be the titular Notebook, and in it is the blooming love story between young Noah (Ryan Gosling) and Allie (Rachel McAdams.

Yes this film is a period setting, yes there is a war segment, but these things are infused with the story, they aid it, help it move along. These things become a part of the characters, we don't stop to see Noah Mourne for his friend after being killed in WW2 simply because, though tragic to the character, it wasn't relevent enough in the scheme in the two lovers long and tested relationship.

Conclusion? Shakespearian set-ups like separation due to Social class are rife, but it is used well in this book adap, and unlike shit-fests like Gigli or The Sweetest Thing who need to get laughs out in order to charm you, this very sweet, very real story manages to be interesting, and touching. My 2 gripes that Ryan Gosling only has 2 facial expressions, one being "huh?" and the other being "oh". Also, the twist will come as a surprise to no-one, but again the films charm allows you to overlook that. Solid character based romance, great to watch with the Girlfriend. 7/10.

Now to go re-attach My Testicles.

SAW (2004)

It's Halloween again, and with this time of the year comes another saw film,
this year brings us SAW 3D, which will (hopefully) be the last in the 7 film franchise, but where did it all begin? what kind of movie spawns 6 sequals and goes on to be one of the highest grossing Horror Franchises of all time? let's find out today with SAW.

The 2004 and horror/thriller movie is brought to us by Director James Wan and writer/star Leigh Whannell,based on a short film they made in 2003 (of the same name). Photographer Adam (Whannell) and Surgeon Lawrence Gordon (Cary Elwes) wake up to find themselves chained to pipes in a dirty, windowless and quiet shower room with a body between them and tapes revealing they have only a limited amount of time to escape, or not only does Dr Gordon die, but his wife and daughter too. so it becomes a race against the clock to find out why they are there, and how they will escape.

In the wrong hands the film could have become very formulaic and mundane and wouldn't have had the lasting power it has today, but the passion and vision from creators Wan and Whanell give us the kind of horror movie never seen before. a smart one. The plot spans out beyond the confines of the enclosed shower room long enough to fill you in on what's going on on the outside as well as in the past (as flashbacks) but doesn't leave it too long before dragging you back again, leading to possibly one of the greatest endings of the 2000's.

Conclusion: Superb performances from all involved (excluding Danny Glover) made this low budget gore/thriller all the more chilling and convincing, while tight Writing, Directing and Editing made it also a beauty to behold (with a badass soundtrack and scoring to boot) 8/10