Blue Valentine movie review

Rating: 8.5/10

I have been meaning to see Blue Valentine for a while since I missed it in theaters in 2010. So here I am checking it out on DVD. It got positive reviews and was nominated for one Oscar. I heard it is super depressing and one of the best movies of 2010. I have high expectations for Blue Valentine and hope it will bring me to tears.

So, Blue Valentine stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as a young couple struggling to save their marriage. In the film, we basically see how their relationship just crumbles to pieces. This film is nothing else but pure drama. It’s 2 hours of nothing but drama. If you don’t like slow films, this might not be the film for you. Fortunately for me, I have no problems with slow films.

What I have to say about this film is that it is not a movie where you would watch with a couple of mates and have fun with. However, it is a film in which you should see at least once in your life. It is a great film and I absolutely loved it.

The main reason I loved this film is how real this film is. The chemistry between the actors is real. The story is real. Everything that happens throughout the film is very realistic. We see this couple go through their everyday life for two hours. We see them fight, make love, kiss, and argue. We see them buy groceries, go to their kid’s school concert, and go to a cheap sex motel.

We see their marriage slowly falling apart and it is so depressing to see that happen. They fight about very small and stupid things and we, the audience, are always a part of it. We are a part of the whole journey the couple goes through; the day they first met to the day their marriage ends. That is what makes this film so depressing.

Almost every scene in Blue Valentine is depressing. The sex scene is depressing and incredibly uncomfortable to watch. That scene is directed perfectly by director Derek Cianfrance. It just shows how troubled their relationship is. Even the happy scenes in the film are sad. When I’m talking about happy scenes in the film, I’m talking about scenes in the past when they were happy and young.

It’s such an interesting concept to see the first days of their relationship, how happy they were together, and to see the last days of their relationship. One could only imagine what happens in the middle of their relationship. So, kudos to the writers for keeping me interested in the film the whole two hours.

It’s also in interesting idea to make the audience feel uber depressed. When you show a happy scene in the past, when you know what happens in the present, it just makes you feel so sorry for them. You are happy and sad at the same time. This is why I think Blue Valentine depicts the idea of love so well and this is due to the incredible writers.

This film is driven by two powerful performances; Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling. They are one of the best up and coming actors today and they brought their A game to this movie. They are one of the most realistic couples I have seen on screen. Their chemistry as young lovers and a young couple is so great. Without their performances, Blue Valentine wouldn’t have been as powerful as it was.

The director Derek Cianfrance did a fantastic job with this film. The camera work in this film is very slow and depicts the depressing tone of the film very well. The cinematography of the film also plays a major role in the film’s success. This film is very dull and boring looking. It is dark. It just portrays the dull and hopeless relationship of the couple perfectly.

The way the past and present scenes are very well done. In the past scenes, the color of the film is clearly brighter. While in the present scenes, it is often dark thus making the film really depressing. We also see Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in the same frame a lot while in the present scenes, we don’t. It’s such a clever idea by the director to see the distance between the two in their relationship.

I only have one problem with the film; the ending. It was too ambiguous for my taste. I just wished they would conclude the film a little better. However, I could not imagine what they could do with the ending to satisfy me as a viewer. This ending is far from bad, it is very symbolic. But as an audience, I want to know what happened to them. So, that’s my only complaint for the movie. When a complaint is not even a constructive one, it just shows how great a movie Blue Valentine is.

Blue Valentine very well directed, written, and acted. It is one of the best films of 2010. I loved the film and am sure you will too. It had such an impact on me. The film shows how pain of an arse a relationship or a marriage can be; how one decision you make in life can come back and destroy you. It depicts the concept of love and young marriage very well.

I will say this, Blue Valentine is not for everyone. It is two hours of pure drama, nothing less nothing more. But I would say that it is a movie where you need to see at least once just for the brilliance of it. If you don’t mind being depressed for 1 or two days after the movie, put in Blue Valentine and you will realize how effective and powerful the movie is.