Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star in this romantic-drama, a portrait of a disintegrating marriage. Unfolding like a mystery, the film cross-cuts between time periods to reveal the evolution of their relationship.
On the far side of a once-passionate romance, Cindy (Williams) and Dean (Gosling) are married with a young daughter. Problems with the marriage centre around Cindy's ambition, juxtaposed to Dean's contentment to focus on his wife and child.
The film was scored by great, Brooklyn indie band, Grizzly Bear.
Thank goodness Blue Valentine has a sense of humour. Without the circumstantial lighter moments – whether it’s Cindy and Dean’s sweet, tap-dancing courtship or their attempts to reignite their relationship in a cartoonish hotel room years later – this time-travelling snapshot of a failing marriage would be too gloomy to bear.
Somehow, though, director and co-writer Derek Cianfrance finds beauty in the pain and meaning in the banal – it’s a story thousands of divorcees know all too well and it works because it doesn’t seek to explain too much. He cuts back and forward in time to show how the relationship once thought to be perfect never really was. Clues let on to the audience morph into hard evidence for a break-up: a conflicting parenting style, reticent sex life and clashing ideals.
Oscar-nominated Michelle Williams’ disappointed wife, Cindy, is deserving of a win for every second she’s on celluloid. Few actresses can portray so much depth with such subtlety, managing to court the audience too, despite her character flaws. Ryan Gosling is also heart-warming as Dean, the man who has never quite been good enough yet has so much love for others you’ll want to implore Cindy to think twice before she walks away.
That sense of realism comes just as much from Cianfrance, who almost dissolves the illusion of film-making: sex scenes are filmed at uncomfortably close range, the soundtrack is sparse yet thoughtful, and the editing is admirably patient. It’s not easy to watch but the truth usually hurts.
By Rebecca Barry Hill, Flicks.co.nz
A very strong, thoughtful take on a couple falling out of love. Elegantly flips back and forth from the present to six years earlier. Excellent soundtrack, intimate photography, and utterly believable performances. And it ends with a beautifully shot glimmer of hope. I really felt like I travelled with these characters, and that there was genuine truth in their story. The reasons for the collapse of the relationship are not spelt out and you end up projecting a lot of yourself into the film as a result. She feels this way/he feels that way because of these reasons etc. And that alone is a very interesting experience for the audience. These really are two of the best American actors of our generation, and here they are working with a director who allows them to truly riff on the inner life of their characters. It's an excellent movie, slightly uncomfortable, with an air of danger and hints of sweet goofiness. Yes, it's hip and it's cool - but hey, someone's gotta be. Go see it. It's a major step up from the recent RomComs that are floating round the cinemas at present. And while that's a tough comparison to make (this film never sells itself as a RomCom), Blue Valentine takes the kind of risks with a relationship story that others should aspire to. Excellent.
Obviously I'm way out on a limb here, but found this movie seriously lacking. I didn't warm to the characters enough to care what when on. The themes were adolescent, shallow and unconvincing. The photography although extremely beautiful was cold and distancing. Good music and acting, but boring and annoying. Teenagers might enjoy it.
A very realpiece of life that moves from early romantic/emotional attraction to present day tension of how to get on with someone you've been with for a while. Very moving pice of life that gives background story of what can happen to peoples life. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling so deserve to go far in the films they choose to be in.
This is an interesting film about Dean and Cindy played by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. It switches between the beginning of their relationship and years later when they have a child. Very good performances from Gosling and Williams. This film is worth seeing
This is a very raw, romantic-drama movie and portrays Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in a very different character roles than they have ever played before (they even gave Ryan Gosling a receding hairline!). The movie portrays the disintegration of a marriage and cuts between two time periods to reveal how and why their relationship changed. It was a real and gripping story without much 'happy love story' sprinkled through it, so be prepared that it is not much of a feel good movie, but it is very engaging. The music in the movie is awesome as the score was done by Brooklyn indie band Grizzly Bear. The camera work is very quick cutting with many close shots to add to the 'realism' of the story, but my friend started to feel a bit ill towards the end with all the camera work. It can be very intense but adds to the documentary feel of the film. I can definitely see why this movie has been getting so much praise - very well deserved.
Derek Cianfrance, the film's writer and director, observes with great exactitude the birth and decay of a relationship. This film is alive in its details.
Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are breathtaking in this enormously watchable and compassionate film.
A raw but beautiful picture of love uniting and dividing: tender, real and heartfelt.
Ultimately, the heavy-handed and annoyingly obvious aesthetic wears thin.
Cindy and Dean remain, for all their sustained agony and flickering joy, something less than completely realized human beings. Mr. Cianfrance's ingenious chronological gimmick, coupled with his anxious, clumsy plotting, leaves them without enough oxygen to burst into breathing, loving life.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 10th Mar 2011.
Release date: March 10th 2011.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
