The Performances by Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are absolutely fantastic. They are called upon to play the same character but in two vastly different ways and they are great. They literally go from one extreme to the next and they pull it off so well. I think in part this has to do with the chemistry between Williams and Gosling and how natural it is which is what the director intended especially in the scenes that take place when they first start their relationship. What the director essentially did was not tell one actor what the other actor was going to say therefore the reaction you get is so much more natural. With the entire film based around these two characters and how they interact the acting had to be outstanding and it was.
There is essentially two plots to this film that the viewer is exposed to simultaneously. One is the present where you see the relationship between Cindy and Dean has deteriorated to the point where they are two miserable people. Then you have the past where you see them meet and fall in love and are two young happy people. For me it was such a bittersweet film to watch. The plot is not linear, the scenes intercut with one another so as a viewer you need to keep track of two plot lines. While I do not mind that because it gives me a better chance to compare and contrast the two periods of the relationship.
What I like about the premise of the film is that it is something that can very easily be seen in real life. People get married and divorced all the time, people fall in and out of love that is just a fact. The one Now with that being said the one big flaw I have with this film is that there is no middle to this story. We see the beginning and then we see the end of this relationship, we do not know what happened in the middle that gets these two characters to the point we see them in the present. Yes we can piece together some of things that happened to them during that time but we do not know when,why or how that happen. Is it necessary for everything to be laid out and explained to me , No, but I still would like to have seen how this young couple in love ended up the way they did.
While I liked this film and the acting was great, I can not say that this film will appeal to everyone it is a very dark and at times depressing film, especially the end, with the lighter moments sprinkled throughout with the views of the past. But for me I like the dark and gritty because it feels more real. I am tired of watching the fake performances and romances Hollywood shells out all the time. I recommend Blue Valentine, but know this going in, like real life there is not always a happy ending. 4.2 out of 5 stars
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