Happy families are all alike, Tolstoy famously wrote, but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. If this is true, then perhaps unhappy marriages follow a similar pattern. What isnt in doubt and which becomes apparent very quickly in Blue Valentine is that the young couple, Dean and Cindy, portrayed by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, are a very unhappy couple indeed.
It also becomes clear early on that the narrative sequence of the film has been deliberately jumbled up. Yes, its one of those films, a bit like Memento or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. We might first witness (for example), a scene of a balding, drunken Dean consumed with suspicion, paranoia and jealousy over the suspected infidelities of his desperately unhappy wife. The next minute, hes a happier, more charming and carefree younger man wooing the willing Cindy by playing (with unintentional irony) You Always Hurt The One You Love to her on his mandolin.
The emotional impact of the juxtaposition of these scenes is frequently devastating. Dean and Cindy can clearly barely speak to each other by the later stages of their marriage and as some very uncomfortable sex scenes make clear, she is ultimately physically repelled by him. Neither character is entirely black and white, however, and while Goslings Dean is generally the less sympathetic of the two, even he musters some empathy.
As youve probably gathered, Blue Valentine isnt exactly a barrel of laughs. So why on Earth should you want to watch it at all?
The short answer is because its a superb, beautifully made film, criminally neglected at the Oscars. Although he perhaps doesn’t need an ego boost, Gosling consolidates his status (demonstrated in the underrated Lars and the Real Girl) as one of the best young actors in Hollywood. Michelle Williams is, if anything, even better, giving a heart rending Oscar worthy performance. The Creek now seems like a very long time ago indeed: Dawson Leery wouldnt recognise her.
Theres also a solid Bonus Features package including a commentary from director Derek Cianfrance and editor Jim Hendon, a Q and A session from the Sundance Film Festival and a making of featurette. There are also some home movie sequences, glimpsed briefly in the film, played out in full.
But if youve ever looked at an unhappy couple and wondered why they ever got together in the first place, this could be the film for you.
Overall Verdict: Not an easy evenings viewing: the emphasis is more on the blue than on the valentine. But both Williams and Gosling are sensational and its undoubtedly one of the best films of the past year.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary with Director Derek Cianfrance and Editor Jim Helton
Q and A Featurette
Deleted Scenes
Making of Blue Valentine Featurette
Home Movies Clips
Trailer
Reviewer: Chris Hallam