Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine

I can’t say I enjoyed this film but I certainly did appreciate it. The story really tugged at my heart as I watched the rise and fall of a young marriage. It was doomed from the beginning but both tried in their own way to make the marriage work.

Ryan Gosling is masterful in his role as Dean. He fell in love with Cindy (Michelle Williams) the first time he saw her and continued to love her throughout the story. They just grew in different directions and it didn’t work.

Dean was a high school drop out. He had tattoos and loved his beer. Most of the time he was a very gentle loving guy.

He tried so hard to woo Cindy. He could be so charming and sweet. He was content to move furniture all day and then come home to his child and wife. That was all he wanted from life.

Cindy had aspirations to be a doctor. She ended up as a nurse but with a good job. Her childhood had not been a happy one with an abusive father. I guess that at the beginning his warmth and affection was attractive to her. Later she began to see Dean as childish and lacking ambition.

It was easy to see how the two were attracted to one another initially. It was also easy to see (from a mature viewer) that this relationship was doomed.

Dean takes Cindy to a motel to try and have a ‘special evening’ to repair the marriage. The hotel was seedy and unsuitable. What irony as they checked into the ‘future room’. They initially tried to make it work but it was obvious to Cindy that the love was not there.

Both Gosling and Williams are suited to their roles. They play it with sincerity and depth.

There are humorous moments and touching scenes. Dean helps an elderly gentleman settle into his retirement residence. He takes the extra time to hang some pictures and make his room seem ‘homey.’ He so loves his daughter and she returns that love.

It is heart breaking to see the development of the crisis. The film moves back and forth from the past to the present time as the story is told. It is easy to see how young kids can fall into a situation that will eventually lead to a destructive relationship. I think many viewers will elate to some aspect of the story.