A gritty, real, honest portrayal of a relationship from start to finish… but missing something.
It seems like my biggest criticism for the films I didn’t love in this year’s “quest” was that the film was “missing something.” All too often, I can’t put my finger on what exactly is missing…. well, for BLUE VALENTINE, I can. The middle of the relationship.
The film follows the relationship of Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michele Williams), how it started and how it comes to an end…. but nothing in between. We learn how the two fell in love with each other, why they got married, and what happens when they fall out of love, but we never really learn why they’ve fallen out of love. Maybe I completely missed it, or maybe I’m missing the point and it’s left to the viewer to piece it together, but either way, I was left unsatisfied.
That’s not to say I didn’t like the film. My thoughts are just as I teased before the jump: the film is a gritty, real, honest portrayal of a relationship, but I just feel it wasn’t complete. It’s a real shame, too…. the performances by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are truly top notch (Oscar noms for both, easily), the cinematography done in a realistic, unrehearsed way, the direction quick and appropriate. This film had all the ingredients of something great for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed what I saw, but I left feeling empty.
I can see this film being treated somewhat well with Oscar nominations. With the expanded Best Picture field, I’d think a nomination is in order, with Gosling and Williams near-locks for noms. I can’t see any awards actually being awarded however, though there have probably been bigger surprises.
