Get ready for 112 minutes of tears and sorrow! In Derek Cianfrance's Blue Valentine (2010), we peak into the lives of a dissatisfied, working-class, married couple, as key moments in their lives unfold through a scattered narrative. Right off the bat, we learn what we're getting ourselves into. We watch a tired, disconnected 30-something-year old (or perhaps late 20s) couple, and we cannot help but wonder, how did it get this way? This is where the film takes off. The audience works as a fly on the wall through the deconstruction of their relationship, taking note during the bittersweet scenes that we're not meant to be enjoying this as much as they are. We have the high-power of knowing they're doomed. There is no solution. Michelle Williams as Cindy and Ryan Gosling as Dean work as a tremendous on screen couple under these emotionally demanding roles. Unbelievably (or should I say believably) strong acting from the both of them. You feel like you already know them because you, most likely, do, in fact, know a couple just like them—our neighbors, our parents, anyone. It's such an honest portrayal of contemporary marriage—one that we all hope to defy, but heartbreakingly know is bound to happen. The cinematography is also greatly astounding with shots that accent their deteriorating relationship and truly allow you to suffocate with the broken characters. Blue Valentine will take you on quite the emotional roller-coaster in a disappointing world without hope.
Review of Blue Valentine
