Blue Valentine

Directed by Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine charts the evolution of one couple’s relationship from its meet-cute beginnings through to its crumbling state years later. Cianfrance, working from a script cowritten with Cami Delavigne and Joey Curtis, has infused Blue Valentine with a down-and-dirty visual sensibility that effectively (and instantly) establishes an atmosphere of gritty realism, with the authentic vibe heightened by the spellbinding performances from the film’s two stars – as Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams become their respective characters to a degree that’s nothing short of hypnotic. The time-shifting structure proves instrumental in highlighting the dramatic change in Dean (Gosling) and Cindy’s (Williams) bond, as the palpable chemistry between the couple eventually gives way to a relationship based on arguments and mistrust. And as charming and engaging the scenes set in the past are, Blue Valentine begins to fall apart as it emphasizes Dean and Cindy’s present-day exploits – as Gosling’s Dean morphs from a likeable free-spirit into a scuzzy, downright reprehensible alcoholic who bears few similarities to his earlier incarnation. It does, as a result, become increasingly difficult to work up any interest in or sympathy for the characters’ disintegrating relationship, with the progressive emphasis on Dean and Cindy’s relentless bickering ensuring that the movie, in its latter half, adopts a vibe of serious monotony. Blue Valentine is, in the end, saved by its sporadically engrossing atmosphere and career-best work from its stars, with the film’s unevenness ultimately preventing it from packing the emotional punch that Cianfrance is clearly going for.

**1/2 out of ****