This family album is familiar. A beautiful small town girl meets an eccentric but charming stranger and they fall in dumb. Five years and one enchanting child later, his romantic notions sustain the illusion of his happiness, but her reality is not so poetic. This is a quick snapshot of Dean, Cindy, and Frankie. What happens in this family is what happens to so many others when affection is replaced by contempt, when passive aggression becomes less the former and more or less the latter.
Derek Cianfrance has been developing "Blue Valentine" for nearly 12 years, and his film is not just a complex portrait of its two main characters, it's also profoundly honest as it examines intimacy from every angle. Emotionally and physically, the romantic story of Dean and Cindy flashes backward in beautifully edited matching shots that show us the first flourish of affection, and the final backlash of frustration. Cianfrance doesn't force his audience to choose sides though it was probably easier for me to identify with Cindy. That's what is the most compelling about this film. I cared about both of the main characters and didn't want either to lose. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams both delivered superb performances and each took a little piece of my heart. Or as Tom Waits said in his song, "It's the tattooed broken promise" (Dean has a "Giving Tree" tat on his upper arm).
The camera work and art direction are exceptionally effective. Set primarily around Independence Day, we see flags, fireworks, and all realm of red, white, and blue. This motif is subtly conveyed with the lighting and costumes throughout the film and continues throughout the credits. Fireworks serve as a last reminder of the explosive power and fractured remnants of a brief illumination.
When this film is finally released, I expect it will receive an R rating for some fairly graphic nudity and explicit sexuality. There is also a brutal fight, alcohol consumption and smoking. And if that's not enough, a near-abortion might be too much for some, but hey, this is a very contemporary portrait of a familiar American marriage.
Derek Cianfrance has been developing "Blue Valentine" for nearly 12 years, and his film is not just a complex portrait of its two main characters, it's also profoundly honest as it examines intimacy from every angle. Emotionally and physically, the romantic story of Dean and Cindy flashes backward in beautifully edited matching shots that show us the first flourish of affection, and the final backlash of frustration. Cianfrance doesn't force his audience to choose sides though it was probably easier for me to identify with Cindy. That's what is the most compelling about this film. I cared about both of the main characters and didn't want either to lose. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams both delivered superb performances and each took a little piece of my heart. Or as Tom Waits said in his song, "It's the tattooed broken promise" (Dean has a "Giving Tree" tat on his upper arm).
The camera work and art direction are exceptionally effective. Set primarily around Independence Day, we see flags, fireworks, and all realm of red, white, and blue. This motif is subtly conveyed with the lighting and costumes throughout the film and continues throughout the credits. Fireworks serve as a last reminder of the explosive power and fractured remnants of a brief illumination.
When this film is finally released, I expect it will receive an R rating for some fairly graphic nudity and explicit sexuality. There is also a brutal fight, alcohol consumption and smoking. And if that's not enough, a near-abortion might be too much for some, but hey, this is a very contemporary portrait of a familiar American marriage.