Blue Valentine (Derek Cianfrance, 2010): USA

Reviewed by Samuel Gonzalez. Viewed at the AFI Film Festival, Hollywood.

Blue Valentine, written and directed by Derek Cianfrance, is an absolute beautiful and well portrayed film. The story circles around the main characters Dean and Cindy who are a married couple played by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams and young daughter played by Faith Wladyka.

This particular film production took a total of twelve years to put together, and it was so finely put together If I may say so myself. The film Blue Valentine tells a story about a distant couple who struggle to maintaing a functional marriage. You as the audience can easily take from the actions of not only both the main characters but all the characters as a whole that there is definitely a great amount of history behind the relationship. Although the cause of it is unknown at the introduction of the film, you are later towards the end of the introductory scenes transitioned into what is clearly a flashback of Cindy’s past. In it, it is when you can come to the understanding that Dean (Ryan Gosling) is not the biological father of the young girl.

Throughout the film the young couple experience a numerous amount of hardship and violent encounters among each other. But it is quite clear that they are both madly in Love with one another and are simply finding there place in the relationship in order for it to work. The overall plot of the story is very much endearing and easily touches your heart.

Now I must add that the cinematography in this entire film is absolutely Spectacular.