Blue Valentine (2010)

Blue Valentine (2010)

2010 R 112 Minutes

Drama | Romance

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-abs...

Overall Rating

8 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • Blue Valentine is the depressing journey of a couple falling out of love. If you were hoping for a fun romance with a happy ending, watch a chick flick or something. This is a mature adult drama. Both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams prove that they are talented actors. They are able to capture the raw undeveloped emotions of love and create two very understated performances. The chemistry between them is fantastic and I genuinely feel their emotional connection. The narrative embedded the young love that they shared when they met with them now arguing, fighting and feeling nothing. Whilst this contrast isn't subtle, it does provide us with some realism and a rather melancholic outlook of what many relationships are like these days. The direction was nice and clean with some excellent tracking shots. My problem with the film is that I wasn't invested in the characters themselves. Sure I felt the emotions between them but as individuals there wasn't any personality exploration. I felt something towards them when they were falling in love, but after that I felt nothing. Whether that was intentional or not, it just didn't work for me. Having said that, I do like a depressing film that makes you think well after the film has finished. Plus with powerful performances and a good story, this is definitely a quality piece of drama.