Blue Valentine, a film that has been many years in pre-production, is the story of Dean and Cindy who we meet as they move towards the end of their marriage. Through clever placing of flashbacks, we are also told the story of their lives before they met and their life together leading up to their break up. Interviews with the director and writer, Derek Cianfrance, have revealed that much of the dialogue between the two main characters was improvised. Some reviews have stated that while the film is an emotional portrayal of the break down of a marriage, the improvisation is obvious and too ‘Hollywood’. Conversely, it could be argued that the improvisation leads to naturalness supported by brave performances from Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams that lends the film its real emotional weight.
There are scenes here of genuine comedy and feeling that really endear us to the characters and make their initial romance feel entirely natural. The same can be said of the (chronological) break down scenes of their marriage. Parts of Blue Valentine are difficult to watch and we really feel as if we are intruding upon a couple in decline. The direction throws us into the situation with close ups of their arguments that do not allow us to focus on anything else. Yet, it is the acting that stays in the mind long after the film ends. The performances do occasionally stray into over dramatisation, but mostly the actors have achieved something impressive and often heartbreaking. Blue Valentine is the first excellent film of 2011.
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