Valentine's Day has been and gone for another year and although it is behind us it didn't land on a day where I post a review so here is one a day late. And I thought what better film to watch for a Valentines review then a film with Valentine in the name. Well, Blue Valentine (2010) may not be the best film to watch with a loved one unless you want to just sit there and cry, but if that is what you're looking for this film is top notch. I really enjoyed this film, even though there are several parts which are just thoroughly depressing. But is a film which feels real, it feels genuine and I really liked it. The film is about the relationship between Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) and shows the relationship at two different moments. It cuts between showing their relationship at its start, showing their first meeting and how they fell in love, and also their relationship a few years down the line where the hard times are starting to come thick and fast. We see their relationship from conception to conclusion over the course of the film and it is both charming and devastating.
The way this film is edited, cutting between the present day relationship where it is starting to deteriorate and the beginning of the relationship where everything is perfect and they are happy with each other is a master-stroke from the film-makers. It is not a new editing technique or style of storytelling, but in a film with this much emotion in it this style of editing works brilliantly as it helps to heighten these emotions, making the happy moments seem more happy and joyous, and the sad moments even more depressing. It is just a little thing, but it is very effective and I think the film is much better told this way then if it was told in chronological order. Also, if it was told in chronological order then the second half would be ridiculously hard to watch so having it shown this way allows for nice moments of levity. As for the rest of the film, technically it is very sound and shot in the style you would imagine from an American indie film. Very intimate close ups, a lot of hand held shots and no elaborate sets or sequences. But it is still able to have some very beautiful and well composed shots which do make it stand out among some other indie films which feel a bit more bland. The lighting in the film is particularity noticeable and it is able to give the scenes an added visual boost that does make the film more aesthetically pleasing. It is a well directed and although I haven't seen any other of director Derek Cinafrance's films I will definitely be putting them on my watch list because I very much enjoyed my first dip into his catalogue.
The selling point of this film is not in the film-making though, it is the narrative and the performances of Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams that the film is sold on. The narrative of the film is very focused which gives the whole relationship which we are seeing unfold feel intimate and real. It manages to keep your interest throughout without any lulls, and it is able to get you totally invested in the story it is telling. It isn't a perfect narrative, however, and there are a couple moments which do not do the rest of the film justice. The main culprit of this is a scene where we see Cindy's father lash out at her mother at the dinner table for what he feels is an inadequate meal. The scene is meant to be an emotional and distressing moment, but it comes off a bit cartoonish, and this isn't helped by the fact that this is the only time this side of her father is shown. But the story is too strong for these moments to drag it down to much, and this is helped by the performances of Gosling and Williams. Both these performances are superb. Both actors are able to portray people who feel authentic and you invest in. You always understand their motivations and why they act the way they do and they pull off the ever changing emotional states of their characters brilliantly. The two of them are put through the emotional ringer from the first ten minutes of the film right through to the end and Gosling and Williams do not miss a beat, getting the emotion of every scene spot on. They also have superb chemistry together which, again, makes the relationship between the two characters feel extremely genuine and makes the emotion the film is trying to portray so much more effective. The best example of this is the sequence in the film where we see them effectively on their first date, walking the street and just getting to know each other. Their interactions throughout the whole scene are ridiculously charming and I had a huge grin on my face the entire time. Of course this grin was quickly wiped off when the depressing scenes came back, but for that moment it was basically tattooed on my face. These performances push this film from being a good film to being a great film and I think that is as high praise as you can give to a performance.
Blue Valentine is probably not the best film to be watching as a romantic film on Valentine's Day, but that does not mean that it is not worth watching on any other day of the year. Despite the film being extremely depressing and difficult to watch at moments, it also has a ton of heart. Even in the most depressing of moments there is levity and genuine love that Cindy and Dean show towards each other which helps to push the genuine nature the film is going for. It is a good looking film, with some great visuals thrown in, and has two performances which are nothing less than fantastic. I completely recommend this film and would implore you to give it a watch when you can. Although it will most likely open the flood gates when you do watch it, I promise it is worth it.