Our take
Legend has it that director Derek Cianfrance had the co-stars and co-executive producers Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling live together in the same house for a month in preparation of their roles. The fictional couple they play in Blue Valentine lived in the same house. True or not, this created the harsh proximity, intensity, and claustrophobia that is a hallmark of this production. Blue Valentine brings us painfully close to the couple’s attraction as well as their agony.
In this way, Blue Valentine is a heart-breaking examination of the decaying shell of a once-bright marriage. As sad as it is sexy, it mixes intense flashbacks of past desire with the grim reality of married life’s monotony. It boasts an electrifying performance from Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, who seamlessly combine tenderness and lust, rage and sadness. This is a guaranteed tear-jerker, so make sure you’ve brought your Kleenexes!
Streaming arrival
What it won
Oscars
1 nom
Cannes
1 nom
Golden Globes
2 noms
Spirit Awards
1 nom
Sundance
1 nom
The story
Dean and Cindy live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. They appear to have the world at their feet at the outset of the relationship. However, his lack of ambition and her retreat into self-absorption cause potentially irreversible cracks in their marriage.
Elsewhere
"Nothing out of the ordinary happens in Blue Valentine, and that, together with the vital, untrammelled performances of the two leading actors, is the root of its power."
— Anthony Lane
"Its rawness and honesty may not be everyone's cup of tea, but Blue Valentine stands as a necessary corrective to the myth of cinematic love."
— Matt Bochenski
The details
It’s good man!! Both the protagonists did a great job. Director …kudos!!!. I am 56 years and yet I loved it. Hats off.
oof. 10/10
It’s good man