The premise of the movie is pretty simple, it's basically a two person showcase. Ryan Gosling is Dean and Michelle Williams is Cindy, a couple that has been together for six years in a relationship that was once strong but has fallen apart. When we first see them, it is present day and they have a young daughter named Frankie. It's obvious from the start that both parents love Frankie, but Dean and Cindy are distant to each other. The present day events are broken up by looks into the couples past. They first meet at a retirement home; Cindy is a college student who is visiting her grandmother and Dean works for a moving company who is helping an elderly gentleman move into the home. There eyes connect and instantly there is a connection. Cindy has a boyfriend named Bobby (Mike Vogel), but she likes Dean's quirkiness and eventually the two start seeing more of each other. Things are going well for the young couple but hit a bump when Cindy finds out she's pregnant. Dean flips out at first and wants Cindy to have an abortion. As the procedure is about to take place, Cindy decides she can't go through with it and walks out. As the confused couple is riding home on a bus, Dean decides to accept this fate that has been handed down and wants to raise the baby with Cindy. Back in present time, the struggling duo decide to get away to a little motel to have a weekend together. While shopping for supplies, Cindy bumps into her old boyfriend Bobby and her feelings during this encounter confuse her any more. It eventually leads to conflict with Dean and we realize that this weekend together is almost a formality to saving a marriage that can't be saved. How the movie ends may or may not be as you expect it, I will leave that for you the viewer to decide.
Blue Valentine is not an easy movie to watch, especially if you have been in a failed relationship. A lot of things on screen hit home for me, unfortunately. But not all movies are supposed to make you happy and feel good. Life is full of ups and downs and this is a film that focuses on the down times. So why does a movie like this work for me? This movie was destined to succeed or fail based strictly on the acting. Could you believe the characters? For me, it was a homerun. Gosling and Williams both give great performances. Williams earned every bit of her Best Actress nomination and I'd be hard pressed to keep my original Best Actress choice, Jennifer Lawrence in Winter's Bone, in front of her. I think I may still give a slight edge to Lawrence, but it's really close. Gosling deserves kudos as well, he is very believable in this role. It's a performance that makes me want to go back and see some of his earlier works. I saw The Notebook, but that just didn't work for me. Maybe some other stuff will. The movie was directed by Derek Cianfrance, a relative newcomer. If he makes more films like this, he could become a directing star. I will keep my eyes open for more of his work. In closing, I think this is a great little film and one that slipped by most audiences unnoticed. Give it a chance, I think you may be surprised.
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