Blue Valentine seems like a simple story about a marriage that is tearing itself apart. And it is, but the characters are complex and the performances by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are electrifying. They dig deep into their souls and get as real and raw as any performance has ever been on-screen before. This is a romantic, gritty film that is intense and very personal.
Dean (Gosling) and Cindy (Williams) have been married for some years and they have a little girl named Frankie (Faith Wladyka). They have lost touch with each other and the love they once shared is no where to be found now. Throughout the film, we see how Dean and Cindy meet and how powerful their love once was for each other. We go back-and-forth from the present to the past and witness the reveal of their discoveries, love, and struggles in order to be together and start a family. At times, the film is a sweet love story, but then heartache and anger shows its ugly face. It is a stunning, bittersweet story of two people who fall in love so fast but could not hold on to it.
Director Derek Cianfrance gets up close and personal to make Blue Valentine feel so real and honest. He captures every sincere moment and lets the feelings of the characters speak loud and clear. There is some real truth to Dean and Cindy and the ups and downs of their relationship. Cianfrance is one of the few directors in recent memory who has captured love on-screen in such a realistic way. We all know some people fall out of love, and it probably happens more than we know. But it makes these characters and their lives believable. It may be painful to watch, but it is a taste of the real world. Cianfrance has made a love story in the purest form possible.
Blue Valentine would not be the film it is if it was not for the fiery performances of Gosling and Williams. The realism and the connection you feel with these two characters would have never worked if these two actors did not give it their all. Dean and Cindy were once in love. For most of their marriage, they have been fighting to get it back. But every time they seem to take one step forward, they end up taking two steps back. Cianfrance, Williams, and Gosling make us remember that marriage is not a problem-free thing that always has a happy ending. You have to work at it and dedicate yourself to it, but nothing ever guarantees you those things will work. Sometimes a divorce is inevitable.
For some reason, Williams is getting more praise than Gosling and that’s not fair to him. They work off each other and each show an endearing yet brutal side of themselves. They are telling a story of a marriage that is crumbling while the audience gets to see in to their past at their better days. Gosling and Williams both give terrific, intelligent performances and while their characters have flaws, their portrayal of them is truly flawless.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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