11 years in the making, Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine follows young couple Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams). As daily stresses get in the way of their marriage, Dean flounders to keep the spark alive and bring back the Cindy he met 5 years earlier. It’s an unflinching account of a relationship in decay, time oscillates between present day and the time when they met. Without outlining the reasons for the affair’s disintegration, we see their marriage laid bare as these two odd jigsaw pieces attempt to fit together. As the narrative slowly unfurls we gain a sense of their once good fit and the cracks begin to show, but their young love and tender moments keep us wishing they can make it work.
With excellent performances from both leads, Williams is comfortable to ‘be’ on screen, while Gosling forges through each scene, outfitted with Dean’s intense persistence. The 8mm feel of the past harkens back to a time that’s younger but not happier, immortalised with grainy pathos.
Blue Valentine is released on DVD & Blu-Ray in the UK on 9th May.
Thanks to the wonderful folk at Optimum, I’m giving away 3 DVD copies right here on Uncultured Critic!
All you have to do to enter is:
- Leave a comment telling me your favourite romantic pairing (characters or actors) in film.
- For an additional entry, simply retweet the competition link.
You have until Monday 18th April at 12 noon BST. Good luck!
N.B. DVDs are Region 2.