Romance and dating may come quite easy to us. However, in the drug-haze known as love, our judgement could be clouded, we may overlook warning signs, ignore all the ways the two of you are so different, ignore all conflicts and simply write it off as a petty, meaningless little argument. But you could be wrong. It could turn out the person you loved for many years is not who they seemed like. You fell in love with an imposter, a toxic, self-centered human who believes the problem is you. You fell in love with a woman who woke up one day and realised she never even loved you.
‘Blue Valentine’ is another film that broke my heart the first time I watched it. The film follows the relationship of Dean and Cindy, the beginning and end shown side-by-side, gradually revealing the basis of their relationship, how they’ve grown as people and whether there’s any salvation for the couple’s future. The film’s non-linear structure felt awkward at first, but when you reach the end of the film, you realise why it had to be told this way: because hindsight is one of the biggest heartbreakers of them all.
Dean is a mover, who, on his latest job, spots a woman he believes could be the love of his life, Cindy. He makes it his mission to find her and tell her how he feels, while Cindy is going through relationship issues with her college boyfriend. As the two connect and become a couple, an unexpected pregnancy occurs, the two have to make a decision that will determine the fate of their relationship. Years later, the two find themselves at a crossroads, the summer of romance is gone and in a last ditch effort to save their relationship, they depart to a sex motel. This night will make or break them.
Ryan Gosling plays Dean, a lovable simple man who would do anything to stay with Cindy. Gosling shows a surprising quality of acting, balancing the sweetness of Dean before and the passive-aggressive manipulation of Dean after. Even more, Gosling manages to get you on his side, wanting the best result for him but knowing whatever happens, he’s had a hand in it. Michelle Williams plays Cindy, a woman lost in her 20s that’s not sure what she wants. Williams, like Gosling, manages to balance the teeter-totter between protagonist and antagonist.
‘Blue Valentine’ is a love story without the love, it feels unfair, anticlimactic, because in all honesty, in complete truth, a lot of relationships are. One minute you’re marrying the love of your life, the next, you’re walking down the sidewalk, ready to examine your life and what your next step will be.
Mason’s Top 3 Reasons To Watch ‘Blue Valentine’
- A romantic drama that poses the unspeakable question: “Is your spouse really as perfect as you think?”
- A performance by Ryan Gosling that is as close to a villain as you’ll probably ever see him
- Two of the best love songs I’ve ever heard, one of them sung by Gosling with a ukelele
Mason Horsley is a graduate of UOW with a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Arts, majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Theatre. He hopes to write and direct a feature film and has been working on screenplays since he was 17. He writes film reviews for the Tertangala and works on his latest project ‘The Last Film’ while working a full-time job at a fish market. Mason despises reviewing films he dislikes and because of this, every review he writes acts as a recommendation.
Image Credit: IMDb