Cindy and Dean are married with one child. To say they have
martial problems is a gross understatement. Blue
Valentine examines the creation and disintegration of a relationship that
was never meant to be.
While the film is about that relationship, the one that doesn't
work, the one you learn from, Blue Valentine
focuses in on the risks of love. The
couple met when they where young and short sighted, their development into
adults causes a rift in their romantic chemistry, thus setting the stage for a
deep and mind provoking story.
With the help of makeup both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams represent
their characters throughout their aging transformations. Their onscreen chemistry is
indescribable and can only be a credit to their stellar talent. Both actors
built characters that clearly fit at first, but could never survive long term.
Emotionally, Blue Valentine
held nothing back. They went full force into situations that might make some
people uncomfortable; however, the film is paced so that you have time to
embrace and reflect on these moments. More than a few times, I slipped away to
search my own thoughts and feelings towards what was occurring within the story.
The film jumped from the couples' present dilemmas to the lives
they lead before they met and up to their early marriage. In different parts,
you cherished the relationship, while in others you wished it had never
begun. Blue Valentine is a genuine film that flows without the rhythm of a
script. It tackles the
complications of love and survives the rough exposure of such an emotion, refusing
to give into the pressure and turn the film into a battle of the sexes.
I would like to have seen the film move a little further beyond
stereotypes, but there weren't an abundance of them to begin with. If you're
going to the movies to escape into a fantasy world, then this one is best to
skip. But when the mood strikes for a film that can't be categorized, head for Blue Valentine.
