Blue Valentine is not a movie to take your girlfriend. Unless her favorite book is 1984 and she slows down to watch car wrecks, you’re better off with 500 Days of Summer. That is if you want to watch a film about disintegrating relationships, choose the one where Minka Kelly is happily waiting for you at the end. Blue Valentine is no Minka-Kelly-happily-waiting-for-you-at-the-end.
Instead it’s Cindy and Dean (played by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams). They married young and have a little girl, a golden retriever and a modest home. The film focuses on the present, but intercuts between how they met, how they married, and what might have led them to where they are now.
Derek Cianfrance played up their past with a wonderful score from Grizzly Bear and vibrant images of two actors clearly skilled at understated charm. I could watch Michelle Williams tap dance to a singing Ryan Gosling for days.
In the Q&A after the film, Derek said that he enjoyed shooting their past so much he could’ve made it into another movie. I wished he had.
The root of Cindy and Dean’s present unhappiness is cloudy. Potential is thrown around a lot. Cindy could have been this. Dean could have been that. Both look so weathered by life. A set of seemingly small compromises, lined side-by-side, becomes the measure of two miserable people. Misery so raw it can’t help but destroy anyone in proximity.
For those that know me, cinematic schadenfreude is like my bread and butter. Yet the film presented the now in an almost clumsy way. Extreme close-ups offered a forced claustrophobia that, according to Derek, was intentional but too heavily relied.
In short, Blue Valentine examined the tedious and uncomfortable moments that can wear down a marriage. Some moments showed truth, others a tired version of it. I prefer my endings sad to happy, but the film gets lost somewhere in the middle.
3 comments:
Nice review honey! And I seriously had to look up the meaning of schadenfreude :). You know I agree with your criticisms of the movie, but yet I liked it more than you overall. Definitely wouldn't call it a regret in our choice of sundance films this year, here's to Boy this weekend!
wow. you are a good writer. i don't offer that compliment lightly or because i know you. i'm a picky reader that tends to point out problems rather than praise.
your writing is clear and feels effortless, like it just came out and you didn't have to fuss over it. i hope you keep writing.
"cinematic schadenfreude" would be a great name for a movie review site.
(btw, I'm Mike, Mark and An's friend)
It's true. Mike hates my stuff. :P
It's weird, but for the longest time this site wouldn't let me post a reply. I'm hoping I can now. We'll see.
As always, delighted as toast to see more SOIM posts. In all my disintegrating relationships, Minka Kelly is always waiting for me at the end. She's usually the one that hands me all the paperwork (she's a notary public, too! I did not know that).
It's funny to me how you meet half of the criteria you listed for someone who would enjoy this movie. Hence your reaction?
I'm glad you got to cach some Sundance this year. I know, had you the means, you and your sis could critique the HECK out of that festival. Maybe one day when I'm providing power to the greater portion of North America by dint of my self-esteem, I will throw some money at you two and you can report back to me.
It's the perfect arrangement, really.
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