Review: Blue Valentine

Not everyone gets their 'Happily Ever After'

Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) were once a happy couple in a whirlwind relationship. Now they are married, have a young daughter and are no longer happy. They are missing the spark they once had. After a failed night at trying to regain that, our couple just grow further and further apart.

Devastating, Tragic, True. Those are a lot of words that people have used to describe the film. It's absolutely correct, this is not a happy love story, this is a story of a relationship (like so many) that crash and burn. The movie intertwines between the times that Dean and Cindy first met, fell in love, and eventually fell out. That's what makes it even more interesting to watch. We see what they once were, and are pained at what they've become.

I've been on Natalie Portman's bandwagon all Oscar season. She killed it in Black Swan, but after seeing Blue Valentine, Michelle Williams deserves that Oscar too. She was so raw, so gritty. She really put it all out on the table, and Ryan Gosling was right there to match her step by step. It's really a bummer not to see him nominated right along side her. Lead Actor was a crowded category this year, but Gosling deserved to be in there. I actually hope they attend the awards show together, because one without the other just won't cut it when representing this film.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A-

Memorable Quote: "I want to be your husband and I want to be Frankie's dad. I don't want to be anything else." - Dean (Ryan Gosling)