Cinema Verdict Review: Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine

OPENING: 12/29/2010

STUDIO: The Weinstein Company

RUN TIME: 112 min

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

The Charge
Nobody baby but you and me.

Opening Statement
You always hurt the ones you love
The ones you shouldn’t hurt at all
You always take the sweetest rose
And crush it till the petals fall…

Facts Of The Case
Dean (Ryan Gosling, The Notebook) and Cindy (Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain) are a working-class couple living in Brooklyn, coping with the fact the love they once held for each other has drained completely. In a last-ditch attempt to combat the coldness and rekindle their communication, Dean insists Cindy join him for a night of drinking and sex in a sleazy motel. As we experience what may be the final hours of their marriage, we concurrently watch flashbacks of how the couple met, fell in love, and dodged numerous hurdles to eventually be together and raise a daughter.

The Evidence
Few movies are as equally beautiful and devastating as Blue Valentine. Yet, the MPAA “slapped” the picture with the dreaded NC-17 rating for on the level, yet incredibly pertinent, sex scenes with Gosling and Williams. Surely, the MPAA didn’t expect the retaliation by prolific producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who’ve been championing the film ever since the ecstatic praise it received at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was finally awarded an R rating in early December; for once, the Hollywood community backed the producers during the appeal stage, culminating in a unanimous vote by the MPAA to have the rating overturned. Hopefully this precious jewel of a movie has sent them a message to grow up.

Writer-director Derek Cianfrance, whose previous efforts were limited to shorts and documentaries, had been working on Blue Valentine for almost twelve years. That’s right, twelve years! Even after Gosling and Williams signed up, Cianfrance couldn’t find funding until his script (which he co-wrote with Cami DeLavigne and Joey Curtis), won the Chrysler Film Project, awarding him a million dollars to fund this labor of love. What they all achieve with Blue Valentine is something of a miracle; like Before Sunrise/Sunset and Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, this is that ultra-rare love story that completely avoids formula and clichés, instead opting to meditate on what exactly goes wrong after the rings go on the fingers. Indeed, the storytelling may be too much for some genre-fans to mentally grasp—particularly teenagers who prefer by-the-numbers, uncomplicated fare like Dear John and the Twilight flicks. Then again, Blue Valentine wasn’t made for them, but for adults; indeed, it’s truly refreshing to watch a love story written with maturity as well as heart.

How Cianfrance and his stars made Blue Valentine is quite remarkable, actually. Despite the screenwriting credits, much of the dialogue was improvised by Gosling and Williams, all the while living in the same Brooklyn house with their on-screen daughter. They first shot the flashback sequences, showcasing the growing love between Dean and Cindy, all in single takes; the actors celebrated birthdays, Christmas and even got pictures taken as if they were a real family. Two scenes in the flashbacks are particularly noteworthy: the moment where Dean plays a ukulele and sings “You Only Hurt The Ones You Love” (which also serves as the trailer), and the bittersweet scene on the train after Dean promises to rescue Cindy from her predicament and take care of her. Once Gosling and Williams got to the scenes where the marriage is crumbling, however, they had to destroy everything—all the memories, passions, and romance had to, essentially, be ripped to shreds via sheer performance.

All throughout this time, Cianfrance shows complete confidence behind the camera, alternating between film and digital to convey the different time periods. (However most will tell the time shifts by Gosling’s appearance.) Whether you are supposed to love or hate Dean and Cindy isn’t the point; Cianfrance is primarily concerned about establishing specific moods and then giving the actors complete autonomy. (Wisely, Cianfrance never, not once, judges these characters or takes sides.) Cianfrance was also extremely careful in how he approached the numerous sex scenes; some pulsate with pleasure, others with melancholy. The director’s style may be reminiscent of filmmakers like Ingmar Bergman and John Cassavetes, yet he still creates his own cinematic voice. There’s something deeply, achingly personal about Blue Valentine. And the drama is only enhanced by the wonderful music, courtesy of Brooklyn folk rock group Grizzly Bear.

As for the performances by Gosling and Williams, prepare yourself. Calling them both astonishing would be an understatement, as they channel their feelings and emotions with a brutal, almost unbearable intensity. Ryan Gosling admirably downplays the heartthrob status he generated after The Notebook; in recent years, he’s leaned towards more challenging, non-commercial material such as Lars And The Real Girl and Half-Nelson, netting an Oscar nomination for the latter. Gosling goes through a virtual transformation, leading to an explosion in the last half-hour, which will floor even his most adoring fans. (Warning: those final moments will surely strike uncomfortably familiar chords among many couples.)

While watching Michelle Williams, it’s difficult not to think about what she has endured in the past three years. Shooting was originally slated to begin in early 2008, but Cianfrance opted to wait a year or so while Williams spent some time with her daughter in the wake of Heath Ledger’s tragic death. However, she’s been determined to do this part for the better part of a decade, ever since she read the script back in 2001. As with Gosling, she disappears into this character, and exhibits a genuine sweetness in the flashbacks which is impossible to resist. And, again like Gosling, it’s heartbreakingly clear how much she’s changed when you watch her in the present, particularly in the motel room sequences. Gosling and Williams committed their minds, hearts, and souls to the project, and it shows in every single frame. Blue Valentine is worth seeing for them alone, period.

Closing Statement
It’s been days since I left the theatre, yet my heart is still broken. Blue Valentine is an unforgettable, Oscar-worthy film with two of the finest performances I’ve ever seen. Whether you go see this in the theater or wait for it on DVD, it should not be missed. Plus, keep an eye on Derek Cianfrance, as his future output will be eagerly anticipated.

The Verdict
10/10

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