Blue Valentine

I went out with a couple of friends last night and saw the movie Blue Valentine. This story of a marriage and love disintegrating stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams as a husband and wife who are trying to figure out where things went wrong. It is a very well-written and amazingly acted movie, definitely one of the better ones I have seen in the past year. Although, just as a warning, this film is depressing. Michelle Williams is very good as a wife who seems lost and has fallen out of love with her husband. And Ryan Gosling plays Dean who is the husband who just wants things to work and have them be a family with their little daughter Frankie. The movie has a unique look and feel to it as the camera is a little herky jerky at times and there are a ton of close ups on the actors' faces. The scenes seem so real and life-like, it is almost as if the actors had an idea of what the scene should look like and no real script. It just seems so real. There are a few very emotional scenes and in the last one in particular, you really do forget that you are watching actors and not an actual couple who are having serious problems and trying to figure out if things will work. I think the whole movie is a credit to the writer and director Derek Cianfrance and his vision of what this movie should look and feel like. The actors chosen were perfect and their acting is so believable, you really think you are watching a true story. Hopefully Blue Valentine will get some good recognition at the Oscars, but it is such a small film with limited release that it might be tough. Both Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling deserve best actor nods and Derek Cianfance deserves a best director nod as well. Definitely go see this movie....