User reviews

Blue Valentine is not an easy film to watch and it drags at times. That said, it is very powerful and heart-breaking. Two things especially make it so. One is the script, which is full of genuine emotional credibility and never falls into the trap of being too clever. The other is the story, with the time-skipping structure proving interesting and the story itself is so well-observed. Blue Valentine is shot beautifully yet with a lot of grit, and the soundtrack is amazing, for one it is one of 2010's best soundtracks. The film is also sharply directed, and the film instead of straightforwardly tracing the rise and fall of their relationship actually contrasts the young couple's hopeful beginnings with their subsequent grinding domestic discord. Some mayn't like this approach, I found it incredibly interesting and thought it worked wonders, considering how much effort was made into making this approach credible. The performances from Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are simply wonderful, their characters are not the most sympathetic characters in the world, nor I don't think were they intended to be, but the performances themselves and the chemistry I couldn't fault. Overall, a very powerful and moving film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy Heller-Pereira (Michelle Williams) are a married couple. This movie jumps back and forth to show their relationship over time. They have a girl named Frankie. He works menial jobs and she works as a nurse. He's a slacker and she's the tired responsible one. They both come from dysfunctional families. She runs into Bobby Ontario at the liquor store which causes friction between the couple. It turns out that Bobby is her former boyfriend with a big secret between them.

This is a great little indie about love that fades. By the end, it seems that their early flirtations are from another life. Gosling and Williams give subtle but profound performances. Most compelling is that they are about to give two slightly different versions of the same characters. The movie takes it slowly as it unravels this relationship.

Director Derek Cianfrance may wish to stop wasting his talent on TV and make films his full time occupation. Cinema could use him. His 'Blue Valentine' studies the breakdown of a marriage through beautiful and heartbreaking juxtaposed scenes of past joy and optimism with present scenes of misery and depression. Flitting back and forth in the marriage, it asks: Is romantic love the ultimate form of masochism?

Fine young actors Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams play Dean and Cindy, who unite through a dogged courtship. Dean is easy-going, happy-go-lucky and content in his removal and packing company. He is chary of formal education, but has a philosopher's outlook. Cindy is sexually over-active and, although occasionally frolicsome, is more mature than Dean. About five years on, romance becomes repulsion, and their marriage becomes one of inconvenience.

Make no mistake, this is uncomfortable viewing – not the sex, which serves the story quite well – but the paranoia, pettiness and pugnacity in the couple's interaction. They reach their nadir when he practically begs for affection, and she pleads with him to be more ambitious.

No two actors have complemented each other this well for some time. In an age where vapid acting is vogue, Gosling is a novelty. He is very charming, yet he has a mournful countenance, and possesses a James Dean-like vulnerability. He'd be my poster-on-the-wall if I were 13.

I can't get that entrancing scene where Dean serenades Cindy out of my head. Dean's philosophical outpourings may be interpreted by some as drivel, but more sensitive viewers will detect the shattering honesty. A memorable maxim: 'Girls spend their whole life looking for Prince Charming and then marry the guy who's got a good job and is gunna stick around.'

We go to the movies – many of us – to escape real life. Comfortable as voyeurs, we let our favourite stars distract us and we forget our worries. But 'Blue Valentine' shows a truth no cinema can shield us from. It mustn't be missed.

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Let me start this off by saying that this movie is not for everyone and I did not particularly enjoy myself while watching it.

It's a very well made film with beautiful shots and amazing acting. The story and themes are well fleshed out and provide for some uncomfortable scenes throughout the movie. From a film-making standpoint, this movie is great.

Despite its technical aspects that I loved, I simply did not enjoy this film all that much. There were too many uncomfortable scenes that included sex, domestic violence, and other intense events. While well made, this film seems like a one time watch. I cannot imagine putting myself through such a depressing movie again.

No matter what else is yet to be released, you will not see two better performances this year than Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams.

It's almost impossible to imagine anyone in anything coming close. In the defensive, aggressive way he turns every line of dialogue around on the speaker as a hidden affront to his insecurities, Gosling reminded me of no less than De Niro in Raging Bull as the older Dean. Playing the younger version, he channels the charm, romanticism, and recklessness of a 1960s Paul Newman.

Williams, who has emerged as the best American actress 30 and under, pulls off a performance that recalls Gena Rowlands' work with Cassavettes. Which is not to say either is an imitation, they aren't "doing method" or aping the authenticity of previous greats. They're 100% the real deal, so good you can only compare them to the best, and they fully embody these characters in every frame. They made me believe, they made me care, they broke my heart.

The story is a familiar one because it's the most common source of drama in life and art but avoids cliché and instead handles the subject with uncommon insight and grace. The lack of context scene-to-scene keeps the audience engaged and on their feet, filling in the intentional holes with their own experience and lending the film a universal relatability. In good times and bad, we can recognize our own triumphs and failures in love. It captures the joyous highs and devastating lows of relationships better than anything I can recall. Gosling singing while Williams tap dances, what she reveals to Gosling on the bridge and how he reacts, the scene in the doctor's office towards the end... they achieve that sense of cinematic transcendence so rare these days. They simply don't craft scenes like this or give actors roles this fully realized in Hollywood anymore.

It's clear this was a labor of love for all involved and it paid off in spades. This is the best American film I've seen this year.

Surprisingly well done. I was a bit skeptical at first, but as I traveled my way through this story, it made more sense than many other attempts to capture this concept and present it well. Michelle Williams really shines here, it may be her best role yet, at least that I'm aware of.

The key point here is that is an anatomy of a marriage that has dissolved over time, becoming increasingly irrelevant to the wife, and evermore difficult for the husband to comprehend or connect with what's going on with his wife.

I've seen this before, in real life. Sometimes, marriages just come apart over time, even if they started out with the best of intentions and all the chemistry that can be imagined. It just happens . . . people change over time, and often, not in sync with each other. There's no real "bad guy" in the scenario portrayed . . . just the realities of how people drift apart, to the point of no return. Trust me on this one, this does happen.

This film may not be for everyone, but for those who can relate with this type of story, this is probably one of the best attempts yet which delivers a reasonably realistic depiction of what this can be like.

Greetings again from the darkness. OK, so I was extremely surprised to be the only male in a theater with 30 plus viewers. I had not once previously thought of this as a chick flick. In fact, it is quite a weighty relationship expose' and that explains the lack of present men. What is surprising is that while the film is about the ever-so-slow crumbling of a marriage, there is no blame placed at the feet of any one person, as is so often the case in Hollywood.

You might have already guessed that this is no upbeat, loosie-goosie rom-com. Rather, it is a bleak look at a marriage that starts with good intentions and fades into misery. On the plus, we witness an acting clinic by two of today's absolute best ... Ryan Gosling as Dean and Michelle Williams as Cindy. Dean is quite the oddball romantic as he strums his ukulele and quivers "You Always Hurt the Ones You Love" in a bit of foreshadowing. Cindy, on the other hand, is a bit more ambitious and has dreams of medical school.

The two meet by happenstance in the hallway of a nursing home when Cindy is visiting her grandmother. Immediately, there are sparks and after Cindy's macho boyfriend proves his true rotten self to her, she becomes more enamored with Dean. When an unexpected pregnancy occurs, Dean is pretty quick to stand up for Cindy and they set off to build a life together.

Flash forward 6 years and Dean has changed very little, while Cindy just seems totally beaten down. They both cherish their precious daughter Frankie (played by newcomer Faith Wladyka) but their relationship is nowhere, gone, kaput. Even an attempted one-night getaway to a themed hotel doesn't provide the relief they need. Instead, it's the final straw. When Cindy repeats "I'm done" ... we don't doubt her at all.

Director and co-writer Derek Cianfrance does a tremendous job with the details and creating the personalities of these two people. Every relationship requires work and failure can be predicted when one gives up and the other pretends all is fine. This one probably won't save any marriages, but it is worth seeing just to watch Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in action.

Love is not only a product that always turns out great. Love is also not a energy that always lives forever. Even with the greatest memories, one doesn't necessarily hold on a love pattern with another person for his or her entire life. I was happy that Blue Valentine showed that side of love. Love can be filled with hatred. Love can express jealousy. It's a strong feeling, so why wouldn't it arise other strong emotions?

Blue Valentine represents realisticly a failing relationship. From the over-the-shoulder perspective, the depth of field mainly focusing on character and the exceptionnal acting by Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, it felt like you couldn't stand being in that relationship. It was so real.

Also, kudos to the soundtrack.

"Blue Valentine" is truly an independent film. Everything from the way it is shot, to the acting, to the storyline, to the realness screamed indie! "Blue Valentine" has a simple storyline. It's a movie about two people, Cindy (Williams) and Dean (Gosling) who fall in love. I will warn you now that this is not your typical love story. This film shows everything from how a relationship forms to how it can turn into a utter nightmare. "Blue Valentine" is realistic, full of raw emotions, and showcases two great performances but does that mean it's a great film? Well I will break that down for you in the next few paragraphs.

Just think of "Blue Valentine" as a independent or poor man's version of "Revolutionary Road" with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. "Blue Valentine," as I stated in the above, is a very independent film. Cindy and Dean portray the average blue collar American couple. From the trailer, you don't really know what the film is about besides the fact that there will be a random and somewhat humorous song and dance number by Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling in the film. The movie is about falling in and out of love. It shows you how once you begin to live life, work, and have a child how life changes and not always for the better. It's a very raw and in your face kind of film. Why this film got slapped with an NC-17 rating is beyond me? There are some realistic love scenes in the film, however, nothing to raw that warrants that harsh of a rating. I don't get why MPAA got so tough on this film.

I always enjoy Ryan Gosling in his independent projects and this one is no different. He was a really good hipster in this film. Without giving too much away from the film, there is one scene where him and Williams are arguing and the emotion is so real and powerful. Gosling hasn't been this solid in a film since "The Believer." As for Michelle Williams, well she is another great actress. I always enjoyed her work but like Gosling, she hasn't really had many mainstream hits. I think Williams is a talented independent actress but I don't know if she will ever be a huge scarlet. It's OK though because a lot of the best actors and actresses never make their way to being huge leads. Williams will hopefully be noticed this year for her performance in this film.

This film was written by three different people and when there are normally more than two writers attached to a project, I tend to worry. Why it took three people to write such a simple screenplay seems odd but maybe Derek Cianfrance, Joey Curtis, and Cami Delavigne put a little bit of their relationship experience in the screenplay. I don't know for sure but this looked and felt like a realistic story at times like the writers had a similar experience. Gosling's character seemed a bit out there and was never really explained that well in the film. I didn't quite get why they didn't do a better background on his character. Also, there was no middle of the relationship. It seemed to jump from good to bad and that hurt the chemistry of the two leads. Cianfrance also directed the film. He had some really good scenes where he captured the emotions of the characters perfectly but than others where he didn't do so well. Also, it should be stated that most of the scenes in the film were written and then shot flashback to the present. It fit the film well and helped overlook some of the relationship potholes in the film.

Overall, "Blue Valentine" was a depressing, heart wrenching, and well acted piece of cinema. It didn't blow my mind as much as I would have liked it too but than again maybe I was expecting too much from a film with an 8 million dollar budget. As previously stated, "Blue Valentine" can simply be summed up as a poor man's version of "Revolutionary Road." With no disrespect to Williams or Gosling, Kate and Leo pulled the trouble relationship off better. While Gosling and Williams were both extremely believable at times and showcased some raw emotion, their chemistry wasn't as strong as the I would have liked I think as the characters got older, they just seemed so different from one another. Gosling got so weird as he got older and since it wasn't truly explained why, the film lost points for that. I think the big missing element was the storyline in the middle of the relationship, which was there but not detailed. The story seemed to go from bad to good with no middle. This was the film's weakness and why the two leads didn't have has good of chemistry at times. If you can ignore a few missing plot holes and try not to focus on the inconsistency of the two leads chemistry with one another than I would say you should really be able to appreciate the film. I am trying not to be too harsh because I did enjoy the film a lot and it featured some terrific scenes even if they were extremely depressing.

MovieManMenzel's final rating for "Blue Valentine" is a 7 out of 10. Not the best film of the year but definitely a realistic and raw look at relationships.

Blue Valentine is one of the most depressing and well done films I've ever seen.

It is one that I will recommend that everyone see. Not because I want them to be sad or because I think they could learn anything new but because I think everyone should want to see the best of everything and this film is the best of its genre that I have ever seen. The acting is perfect. The metaphors are delicious and the hidden signs are just waiting to be uncovered.

Another great thing about this movie is that it is interesting to get different perspectives from your friends as to what they think happened in the movie and to whose side they are on. It is unlikely that they will have trouble connecting to or relating to the characters in Blue Valentine no matter if they have ever been married or had kids before.

Don't expect this to be a date movie or a nice happy rom-com. It is pretty much the anti-thesis of a date movie.

The acting is fantastic. The story is tragically relatable to every human being. Both characters were desperate for some sort of love/safety in both the earlier and later parts of the movie. Great parallels. Ryan Gosling will always blow me away with the general charisma he seems to have with the elderly and the young.

If ever there was a perfect film that defines the romantic relationship for the 21st century, Derek Cianfrance's 'Blue Valentine' is that film. We begin at a secluded ranch house where a little girl is trying to find her lost dog. We then see her father (Ryan Gosling) comforting her. Enter mom (Michelle Williams), the concerned mother who tries to balance work and her child's needs. Seems like a generally happy household, right? Wrong. Though they may not want to admit it, Dean and Cindy's marriage has been on the rocks for years. Dean decides to take his wife to a sex motel that ends up being more like a Star Trek motel to try to rekindle the way they used to feel about each other. The reason for their bickering is unclear until the flashbacks that have been following the main plot line give you a full understanding of why things have deteriorated so. You see them meet each other, fall madly in love, and then experience… well, you'll have to see it yourself.

Personally, I think this is the tragic romance to end all tragic romances. Films will try to beat it, but they will have to work long and hard before they can eek out an ounce of the genuineness with which this film tells its story. Ryan Gosling's performance is one with a true everyman quality while allowing for a full-fledged, interesting character and a brilliantly realized character arc. Michelle Williams does the same. She delivers this role with so much raw truth that you almost forget that it's Michelle Williams and not just an average woman. I would not be surprised at all to see both of these superb talents get nominated for Best Actor Oscars, along with Derek Cianfrance for Best Director and the writing team for Best Original Screenplay.

It's heartbreaking, it's deeply moving; it will have you laughing, crying and singing its praises. Even though the MPAA seems to have a beef with truth in filmmaking, it's hard to imagine this film not being discovered over time and being recognized for the infallible masterpiece that it is.

Seen plenty of love movies and romantic dramas and all of them show that love and life is hard and complex full of anger and sometimes sorrow. And this film "Blue Valentine" told in mostly a flashback form captures those themes just fine. It's on top with the fine and heart and soul performances from the two leads Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling.

All thru the film it's blended with past moments of love then it looks at the present state of the relationship that shows the whole picture of one Dean(Gosling) and Cindy(Williams). This is one married couple who have had their ups and downs as time, life, and work has grown them apart. Stuck in between them is one little beautiful daughter. This marriage is intense with passion and love and it's blended too with true complex doubts and strong heartfelt decisions of pain and loss.

"Blue Valentine" is one film that blends the good times and bad times of love and relationship together. It proves even though love is powerful it hurts and relationships are complex, in the end sometimes it's just best to let go.

Few love stories in recent cinema felt as real and authentic. Both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams give terrific performances, and the storytelling is flawless, not a single false note. A great indie, highly recommended.