‘The Notebook’ review: Broadway musical doesn’t match the film’s sweep

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Ang Lee is moving on from 3D filmmaking after a trio of hit or miss releases: “Life of Pi” (2012), “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” (2016) and “Gemini Man” (2019). The former title was an acclaimed blockbuster that won Lee the Oscar for best director, while the latter two releases, also distributing in high-frame rate at 120 frames per second, were mostly critical misfires and big financial disappointments. Lee hasn’t made a movie since “Gemini Man.” “I tried higher frame rate and I tried 3D,” Lee recently told IndieWire.

Andy Cohen is offering a mea culpa to Kate Middleton for fueling conspiracy theories about her weeks-long absence after abdominal surgery before she announced she had been diagnosed with cancer.

Solomon Thomas is a football player for the NFL who is also a massive Broadway fan!

Trish Deitch There are two kinds of people in this world: Those that love bone-shaking, ear-splitting spectacles, like fireworks and arena-sized heavy metal concerts, and those who want nothing more than to miss such events for a night on the couch with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. One such youngster had a seat in the orchestra during a Broadway performance of “The Who’s Tommy” and said as much at the top of his lungs. “I don’t like this!” the small child screamed during a rare lull in the overwhelming action.

Coming off a well-deserved first-ever Oscar nomination, Bill Nighy has a new worthwhile movie to add to his highly impressive filmography. The Beautiful Game is, on its surface, another well-worn story of a ragtag team of misfits coming together for validation not just in their football (i.e. soccer) skills but, more importantly, in their lives. And even though we have seen countless underdog stories like this one set on a playing field, we actually haven’t seen one quite like this in terms of the welcome spotlight it puts on the homeless population among us. The timing is particularly pertinent as many major cities seem to a war going on with the homeless, a complete lack of empathy toward what gets a person to this point in life and a solution for lifting them out of it.

Broadway’s first salvo of spring newcomers was more than holding its own last week, with recent arrivals drawing strong audiences.

When is a collection of dreamy, romantic, forlorn, and crestfallen moods just that and not actually much of a movie other than a series of sequences that sum up those big melancholy feelings with achingly dreamy music? Oooh, ooh! “The Greatest Hits,” filmmaker Ned Benson’s latest feature-length effort, would like to field this one. Built one too many many groan-worthy romantic clichés like the relationship breakup phrase, “it’s time to move on,” taken to an implausibly silly genre and literal level, Benson uses a flimsy neurological time travel conceit to tentatively move forward and heal his hopelessly heartbroken protagonist’s heart.

Frank Rizzo Ever feel like running away from home to join a musical? Then “Water for Elephants” would be the show of choice that offers escapism, enchantment and heart — and thrills, too. Based on Sara Green’s 2006 bestseller, the show premiered last year at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre and elevates the musical to new and literal heights with its seamless integration of theatrical and cirque artistry.

Ryan Phillippe isn't a fan of all the "nepotism talk" in Hollywood. Phillippe, 49, shares two children with ex-wife Reese Witherspoon, 47 — Ava and Deacon. Witherspoon also shares her son, Tennessee, with ex-husband Jim Toth.

William Earl administrator After some horror fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express disappointment that the upcoming IFC Films feature “Late Night With the Devil” includes AI-generated art, the directors have clarified how the technology was used. Cameron and Colin Cairnes, the Australian siblings who wrote and directed the film, released a statement to Variety clarifying the scope of AI art in the film.

Guy Lodge Film Critic An assortment of familiar life-as-sport metaphors get a healthy workout in “The Beautiful Game,” a story of underdog athletes for whom winning may not be everything, though it’s a welcome distraction from greater obstacles. For many viewers, Thea Sharrock‘s cheery Netflix entertainment may serve as an introduction to the real-life event on which it’s based: the Homeless World Cup, an annual soccer tournament bringing together displaced or dispossessed players from nearly 50 countries, playing not merely for a trophy but for a second shot at life.

Broadway‘s insanely busy spring doesn’t really kick into full gear until next month when 14 new shows have their official openings, but with March as a sort of sign of things to come – five shows have opened or will soon this month – box office was strong last week.

The Libertines have added some new dates to their 2024 UK and Ireland headline tour – find all the details below.The band are due to hit the road this autumn in support of their fourth album ‘All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade’, which is due for release on April 5.Yesterday (March 18), The Libertines announced four extra shows for the run: Lincoln’s Engine Shed on November 17, Stockton Globe on November 18, The Forum in Bath on November 20, and the O2 Academy in Bournemouth on November 21.“A few more dates added for you thirsty lot,” the group wrote alongside an updated tour poster on social media.Tickets for the new dates go on general sale at 9am GMT this Friday (March 22) – you’ll be able to buy yours here.

Dune mega fan has reportedly seen the 2021 film over 200 times, memorising its script in the process.Mac J., who runs the @batsdune account on X (formerly Twitter), has been using the platform as a log to note every time he watches the movie. To date, Mac has seen the film over 200 times and per an interview with Inverse, has the sci-fi epic’s script memorised.At the time of publishing, Mac J.’s account has logged that the mega fan has seen Dune: Part Two 18 times already – most of them in IMAX.

Six is a Tony-winning musical that continues to sell out performances on Broadway and now just a few blocks away, the parody musical Five is playing!

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Music has an almost magical way of transporting us back to the moment in our lives when we heard it: the pop song that underscored your first kiss, the one that played at your graduation and so on. In mopey, dopey YA weepie “The Greatest Hits,” writer-director Ned Benson takes that idea as literally as possible, treating specific tunes as triggers that launch Harriet (Lucy Boynton) back into her past, blowing her away — like that seated guy in the classic Maxell campaign — into the tragic former relationship with hunky Max (square-jawed future Superman, David Corenswet), who died in a car crash.

The new Broadway musical The Notebook celebrated its opening night this week!

Frank Rizzo Musical theater can be a sucker for a romantic tale, whether it’s about obsessive devotion, idealized passion, or lost loves. “The Notebook,” based on Nicholas Sparks‘ bestselling, 1996 debut novel, has elements of all three — but they’re thinly rendered here in this Hallmark movie of a musical, awash in sentimentality and drenched in wistful longings and wish fulfillment. The huge fanbase of the romance novel and the 2004 hit film might initially boost the box office, but it will take more than recreating that iconic rainstorm to win over other theatergoers looking for more than clichés, tropes and triggers.

To say The Notebook had a devoted, built-in audience before it sang so much as a note on Broadway would be an understatement this romantic tear-jerker never attempts.

Ned Benson‘s The Greatest Hits is a poignant exploration of grief, memory and the transformative power of music, marking his foray into magical realism. At its core, this film, brought to life by a vibrant cast including Lucy Boynton, David Corenswet, Retta, Justin H. Min and Austin Crute that delves deep into the psychological intricacies of mourning and the painstaking journey toward healing and acceptance.