By Zack Gill
Staff Writer
One of the most memorable scenes in first-time director Derek Cianfrance’s film “Blue Valentine” is also one of its simplest: in an attempt to prove that she is funny, Michelle Williams’ character tells Ryan Gosling’s character a joke so offensive that everyone in the movie theater either laughs or gasps.
“Blue Valentine,” from The Weinstein Company, is filled with seemingly dozens of moments of spontaneous feeling such as this one. Without a single murder or explosion, “Blue Valentine”
“Blue Valentine” follows the entire relationship between lovable loser Dean (Gosling) and the academically ambitious Cindy (Williams).
The narrative is nonlinear and jumps between various times in their relationship.
The film opens upon the couple’s married life, with a daughter in elementary school and a relationship in shambles. Soon after, the film traces the origins of their relationship. The broken-hearted, romantic Cindy meets high-school dropout Dean at her grandmother’s retirement home. After Dean pursues and successfully woos Cindy, they encounter a new hurdle: unwanted pregnancy.
The best aspect of “Blue Valentine” is the actors’ performances. Both Williams and Gosling give among the best performances of 2010, especially Gosling’s expressive portrayal of Dean. Films with shouting matches can often come off as overwrought and over the top. In “Blue Valentine,” the tension between both actors feels completely natural. When Williams and Gosling yell at each other, the audience believes it.
The chronology of “Blue Valentine” is a story structure that has been overused within the independent cinema medium. However, it’s a structure that the film manages to use successfully.
By establishing the tone right away with the unstable marriage (this is not a happy film, folks), the film gains mood and weight from the beginning adds further depth to Dean and Cindy’s relationship through the intricate back-story.
“Blue Valentine” is surprisingly well-filmed and at times visually arresting. Shots in the film often reflect the claustrophobia of Dean and Cindy’s marriage, with characters coming in and out of focus and popping up in corners of the frame. “Blue Valentine” was partially shot with a handheld, but this doesn’t detract from it; rather, it makes “Blue Valentine” seem more gritty and natural, which greatly benefits its tone.
Perhaps the thing that makes “Blue Valentine” most famous is its scandal with the Motion Picture Association of America. The film originally received an NC-17 rating and is the first film to ever be successfully appealed to an R rating without any edits.
It is insulting that the MPAA wants to keep young cinephiles away from art, especially when “Blue Valentine” is less sexually explicit and has more artistic credibility than a comparable film like the R-rated “Black Swan.”
“Blue Valentine” features stunning performances from Gosling and Williams. First-time director Derek Cianfrance made one of the more promising feature debuts the film world has seen in a long time. The film is rated R and is playing in limited release in New York and Los Angeles.
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