Directed by: Derek Cianfrance
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Blue Valentine is not an easy film to watch. I have seen it twice and the second time was not any easier than the first. That being said, it is probably the best roles Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling have ever played. There is incredible depth in the characters, the writing is tight and well delivered, and the story is heartbreaking. Cianfrance's Sophomore film delivers with with the tautness of a seasoned director.
The film opens with Frankie (Faith Wladyka in her first film role) wandering around a field yelling "Megan". She makes her way back home and encounters Dean (Gosling), her father. Dean is balding, is a chain smoker, and wears glasses more at home on a pedophile. He looks completely different from any other role he has ever done. She tells him that Megan, their Golden Retriever, has gone missing. Dean takes Frankie out to her kennel to find the gate opened hinting at how she got out. Dean explains that she will come home when she gets hungry. The two go in and wake up Cindy (Williams); Dean's wife and Frankie's mother. Cindy prepares oatmeal for Frankie's breakfast and continues getting ready for work. It is at this point the audience is shown how immature Dean is. He encourages Frankie to eat like an animal and is unhelpful when Frankie exclaims that she doesn't like the oatmeal. Cindy then takes Frankie to the car so she can take her to school and Dean goes to work painting a house. The film then shifts to the past and shows Dean applying to work for a moving company. Dean is young, healthy, and full of life. We see the type of person he was and the type of person he has become. Dean and Cindy meet by chance at a nursing home as Dean is moving an elderly man into his room and Cindy is visiting her grandmother. Throughout the course of the film, we see how their relationship starts, flourishes, and eventually dissolves. This clip is taken from one of the happiest moments in the film but it is juxtaposed with clips from the entire film (both happy and sad).
We are introduced to the tremendous amount of talent Dean possesses as a musician but he has squandered it all because of a lack of drive. He has no determination to become anything. He is content doing just enough to get by so he can spend the maximum amount of time with his family. In this clip, Gosling explains that the film is much like a murder mystery which is a great way to explain the course of events.
As Gosling mentions in the interview above, the film is shot in two very different ways. The present day scenes where Dean and Cindy's love is in shambles has a very cold feeling. The scenes take place in July yet because of the blue color palette it feels like the dead of winter. The past scenes, where the two characters are falling in love, feel very warm and bright even though they take place in the winter months. The combination of the two creates a dissonant yet cohesive narrative.
No BS
Blue Valentine is a fantastic film but it is not for everyone. The film ends very unceremoniously and there are scenes that will leave you feeling sad and empty. There was quite a bit of controversy over the rating of the film because of some graphic sex scenes between Gosling and Williams. However, in the context of the story, everything feels necessary and fits well within the narrative. I recommend seeing this film if you can handle the extreme emotions it will undoubtedly stir.
My Score: 8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment