Starz / Anchor Bay | 2010 | 114 min | R
I missed Blue Valentine in theaters, but after hearing and reading so much about it, I was anxious to check it out for myself. Now having done that, I’ll say this: It’s not any easy trip. For many, Blue Valentine will be a gut wrenching experience. Most of the time, Hollywood feeds the myth that marriage leads to a lifetime of happiness, despite the fact that 50% of all marriages end in divorce. Blue Valentine offers an honest perspective on what happens when happily ever after” does not apply.
When we first meet Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), they are approaching middle age. Married for a few years, they have a young daughter who loves them both and isn’t aware of the tension between Mommy and Daddy. Cindy has long since fallen out of love with her husband; she sees him as a hopeless slacker. Frustration hangs over their every conversation, the couple barely masking the anger that has become the overriding emotion in their marriage. Shortly after we meet them, Dean and Cindy are burying the family dog, who — in a metaphor for their dying relationship — has been struck dead by a vehicle and left to rot on the side of a country road.
In an effort to rebuild their relationship, Dean books a night at a hotel. Instead, it’s very much the beginning of the end. While at the hotel, Dean and Cindy recall their relationship—their initial meeting, the excitement of early sexual encounters, Dean’s introduction to Cindy’s family, and the courthouse wedding. What happens in the middle, leading the couple to a certain end, isn’t detailed, but we are given some definite clues.
Director Derek Cianfrance, working from a screenplay he co-wrote with Cami Delavigne and Joey Curtis, takes us through the life of an entire relationship. We are allowed to enjoy the happier moments of Dean and Cindy’s time together, but only after we have an idea of what’s to come. Blue Valentine is not a complete downer, but it does offer an unflinching look at the underlying reasons for the collapse of Dean and Cindy’s marriage.
Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams bring a lot of emotion to their roles. Though they are both flawed, each are sympathetic. Both actors play well off one another, sometimes calling up two or three different emotions in a matter of minutes. Both their performances are likely to linger in the minds of anyone who sees Blue Valentine.
Shown in a 1.66:1 AVC HD transfer, Blue Valentine showcases two opposing looks. We have the somewhat gritty look of the “present” and the more polished look of the “past”. Many of the shots are quick moving and occasionally out of focus, but it’s all part of the overall look of the film. Contrast is a bit off, but it’s intentional. Detail is solid. We can make out every hair on Gosling’s face.
While the included DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack is present, it doesn’t really matter. The majority of the film is dialogue-driven so the center channel is used here. The front speakers get a little bit of play and the surrounds get some time off. This isn’t a mix that will show off your system, but it does the job.
We get the following special features:
- Audio Commentary — Cianfrance is joined by co-editor Jim Helton in this audio commentary for the film. Cianfrance goes over a lot of interesting things that come with the territory when making a lower budget movie such as this. He also discusses the difficulties of shooting sex scenes, and his affinity for not dressing up sets.
- The Making of ‘Blue Valentine’ (SD, 13 min.) — This is a promotional making of featurette with interviews from the main cast and crew, along with snippets from the movie cut into it.
- Deleted Scenes (SD, 20 min.) — Four different scenes are presented here. Dean has more conversations with a friend from the painting company who dispels information on how to keep his relationship work. There’s another scene with Dean and Cindy fighting in the rain.
- Home Movies “Frankie and the Unicorn” (SD, 3 min.) — A cute little movie with Michelle Williams and the adorable Faith Wladyka who plays her daughter in the movie.
