Derek Cianfrance’s emotionally arresting new feature Blue Valentine explores the course of a rocky marriage by cutting between its blissful highs and crushing lows. This precise technique creates a stunning contrast of two tragically opposite narratives: a tender love story between two young adults juxtaposed with their bitter fallout as a disillusioned husband and wife.
Two of the most gifted actors working today, Academy Award® nominees Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, are extraordinary in their physical and psychological portrayals of their respective characters at different ages. Already well-versed in challenging roles, their visceral emotions are the film’s central preoccupation, taking precedence over the conventions of plot.
Blue Valentine opens in the home of a working-class couple whose relationship has seen better days. While Cindy (Williams) always had aspirations of obtaining more meaningful work, Dean (Gosling) remains content with a blue-collar lifestyle that allows him to drink on the job and spend time with his family. In a last ditch effort to rekindle their passion, Cindy and Dean book a room in a sordid hotel; however, their retreat is quickly spoiled by a nasty argument. As signs of irreparable damage begin to surface, the film juggles multiple chronologies to shed light on two different people.
The two lead performances elevate the drama to groundbreaking new heights, but also vital to this story is the intimacy achieved by acclaimed cinematographer Andrij Parekh (who also shot It’s Kind of a Funny Story, screening at this year’s Festival) and an understated score by Brooklyn indie outfit Grizzly Bear.
Blue Valentine takes a unique look at two distinct spectrums of a tumultuous relationship. While the outcome is not pretty, it is brutally honest and, in its own remarkable way, intensely bittersweet.
Cameron Bailey