classicsoncall Review of Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine (2010)

"Pack your bags, baby. We're going to the future."

[8/10 · 3 December 2018]

Sad to say, but a lot of couples have been there. The conversation between Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) right after she ran into Bobby Ontario (Mike Vogel) in the liquor store was classic, with neither participant willing or able to come to grips with what was really bothering them. The entire story is so true to life it's scary, a virtual primer on how a once happily engaged couple falls into a dead end routine that ends in a shattering breakup. The flashback technique used by director Derek Cianfrance gets confusing at times, as the age difference of the characters over the time period involved doesn't always seem apparent, and I found myself more than once puzzling over when the story was taking place. But it's all brought back to the here and now in disappointingly tragic fashion for a marriage on the rocks with no chance of survival. Credit Gosling and Williams for making it work, both were commendable in their roles with Williams the more conflicted character with a wider emotional arc. First time date night couples beware, the word 'Valentine' in the title doesn't represent hearts and flowers; you'll only feel blue coming out of the picture.