I need to take a deep breath before I start this review. The reason being I've just finished watching Derek Cianfrance's 'Blue Valentine'. This is a film that knocks you for six. It grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go. But more on that later. Let me start by saying Drama has always been my favourite genre of film. Sure Comedy is upbeat and makes you laugh. Action is exciting and thrilling. But Drama is a different kettle of fish. It makes you feel. It takes you back to moments in your life where you can relate to the events unfolding onscreen. It approaches you at your most vulnerable and unearths a whole wealth of human emotions. And by god, Cianfrance will make you feel every single one of them over the course of 112 minutes.
What's that you say? - surprise, surprise another Academy film. Well yes, like it or not 'Blue Valentine' is another Oscar tipped film (although far less so than 'The King's Speech'). But it's not the director that will be the most likely choice for an award, or indeed the film itself. It's the two leads. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are 'Blue Valentine'. No one else could have portrayed their roles with such passion and conviction. Of course, they're both up against some extremely tough competition in February (but more on that after the nominations have been announced).
'Blue Valentine' calls itself a love story. But it's only a love story in the most loosest of senses. Like '500 Days of Summer', the outcome is in no way clear cut. And like Marc Webb's film, the events are told in a nonlinear fashion. We follow Dean Pereira (Gosling) and Cindy Heller (Williams), showing their tumultuous relationship as it is now, and as it used to be. Dean meets Cindy after she has a rocky encounter with her now ex-boyfriend Bobby (Mike Vogel). It is his daughter Cindy eventually ends up giving birth to and Dean agrees to look after them and become a family. This happy-go-lucky life is contrasted with the events of the present day. Dean and Cindy are having marital problems and escape to a cheap motel for the weekend. Here they lose themselves even further. The polar opposites between the love they shared in the past and the loveless marriage they are currently trapped in allows the audience two sides of the relationship. Both characters are extremely likeable and you'll find yourself yearning for a positive outcome.
Cianfrance's drama is a tough film to watch, both in mood and events. One or two scenes in particular caused a bit of a stir with the age classification board. I think the distress comes not from what is actually happening but the fact that 'Blue Valentine' feels so real. The film was shot in a very unique way - the flashbacks in Super 16mm and the present in RED. This gives the film a very raw look which feels beautiful and melancholy at the same time. Gosling and Williams both agreed to live together before the film so they could allow themselves to get into their character's heads - staging arguments, going shopping etc. All of this (plus the haunting soundtrack by Brooklyn band 'Grizzly Bear') allows 'Blue Valentine' to feel more intimate. And that is exactly what you want from a love story like this.
The true stars of the film are of course Gosling and Williams who both give phenomenal performances. I for one will be crossing my fingers for them in February. But even if 'Blue Valentine' doesn't win any awards, it's still a fantastic piece of moviemaking that I'm sure will be spoken of for a long time to come. Cianfrance, I'd take one of your films for every hundred soulless and vapid 'love stories' that Hollywood churns out day in and day out. It's a real shame more people don't share this view. After all, the majority of us don't see life through rose-tinted glasses and I salute any filmmaker brave enough to show us the truth.
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