Blue Valentine

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Blue Valentine - 10/1/2011 10:56:27 AM

Empire Admin

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Post #: 1

RE: AN INTIMATE PORTRAYAL OF FRACTURED AMERICANA - 18/1/2011 7:13:47 PM

nhassell

Posts: 237
Joined: 23/8/2009

Just got back from this. A startling piece of work. One of the best films I will see this year, and I say that with assurance, only 18 days in to the year.

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Evil Dead - ***
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Post #: 2

RE: Blue Valentine - 21/1/2011 1:14:21 PM

greyan

Posts: 16
Joined: 18/1/2011

Nice reviews!! I like it . It is a amazing romantic movie directed by Derek Cianfrance. I really enjoyed this movie.

Post #: 3

RE: Blue Valentine - 23/1/2011 1:08:34 AM

FilmGEEK1

Posts: 4
Joined: 23/9/2009

Ryan Gosling is incredible. Michelle Williams is incredible. Derek Cianfrance's direction is incredible.. Do you think I liked it?

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Post #: 4

RE: Till reality do us part! - 24/1/2011 10:51:55 AM

jrewing1000

Posts: 469
Joined: 23/11/2005

I thoroughly enjoyed this, although I was left wanting to know more about the missing 'middle bit' - as this story concentrates on the beginning and the end of the relationship.

A well made, mature take on modern relationships and how romance alone isn't enough to sustain the pressures and pitfalls of family life.

Post #: 5

RE: Blue Valentine - 25/1/2011 12:37:23 AM

nhassell

Posts: 237
Joined: 23/8/2009

I don't know about any of you guys, but I saw this just under a week ago, and just cannot get it out of my head. This shit is stickign with me. Just an extrodinary work of art.

_____________________________

Iron Man 3 - ***
Evil Dead - ***
The Place Beyond The Pines - ****
Oblivion - *
Spring Breakers - ***

Post #: 6

RE: Blue Valentine - 25/1/2011 4:56:39 PM

souperman

Posts: 83
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: UK

quote:

ORIGINAL: nhassell

I don't know about any of you guys, but I saw this just under a week ago, and just cannot get it out of my head. This shit is stickign with me. Just an extrodinary work of art.

Yes! Same here. I saw it on Sunday and ever since I haven't been able to stop thinking about it (not continuously, of course, but still..). I can't put my finger on the reason why either. It was certainly moving, and I could definitely relate to the relationship, both good and bad aspects. I thought it was excellent. And the soundtrack, particularly 'their song' was amazing. I thought it was shot beautifully, too. Very tempted to go watch it again!

(in reply to nhassell)

Post #: 7

RE: Blue Valentine - 31/1/2011 7:40:13 PM

Qwerty Norris

Posts: 3152
Joined: 26/10/2005
From: Edinburgh

Relationships - At the best of the times they can be a lot of hard, tiring work that'll play with your emotions like a demented musical instrument and speaking from personal experience; the circumstance of one that you've become so used to beginning to fall apart can be traumatising, frightening and upsetting to say the least. Cinema in general has a tendency to either gloss over this scenario in a fluffy sense (the Break Up) or dress it up in a materialistic back-drop (Revolutionary Road), but few manage to capture the emotional rawness or deep wounds of the distressing situation.

In aligning itself to similar works from the likes of Cassavettes and Bergman, Derek Cianfrance brings these characteristics to abundance in 'Blue Valentine' � telling its story in two separate interweaving narratives of couple Dean & Cindy coming together and falling apart using separate camera mediums to successfully reflect the tone of each (16mm to give the coming together a warm glow, digital to display a cold exterior). The screenplay, built around improvised dialogue adds to the authenticity and the plot developments are neatly woven together in order to sell the inevitable deterioration between the couple.

At the centre of all this is a neat little ukulele number performed by Ryan Gosling ('you always hurt the ones you love') in an understated romantic moment that has been described as "twee� or "too much� by some, but in its defence is rather poignant in both Dean & Cindy's relationship as well as one from my own experience. It's a scene that is not only quite sweet but rings very true to the concept of romance and the inevitable heartbreak that follows which Hollywood consistently makes a mockery of.

However, for Blue Valentine to truly work it requires the couple to be expertly performed and both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams certainly achieve this. Gosling may feel slightly aggrieved at missing out on an Oscar nomination but it's Williams who is definitely the bigger revelation and the more deserving of awards recognition� turning a character with less obvious sympathetic tendencies and giving a performance that's predominantly understated and moving. Needless to say, she has come a long way since her Dawson's Creek days!

It isn't an easy watch (what relationship break-down films are?) but its approach to the subject matter is both beautifully crafted and honestly portrayed -a recent great example of American-independent film-making.

4/5

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Qwerty's Top 10 of 2013 (so far)

1. Zero Dark Thirty
2. No
3. In The Fog
4. Good Vibrations
5. McCullin
6. Beyond the Hills
7. The Place Beyond the Pines
8. Wreck-it Ralph
9. Shell
10. In The House

(in reply to souperman)

Post #: 8

RE: Blue Valentine - 2/2/2011 11:07:32 AM

undisputed3

Posts: 15
Joined: 2/2/2011

i didn't watch yet.but it is good movie to watch.

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Post #: 9

- 6/2/2011 8:52:46 PM

TheGodfather

Posts: 5100
Joined: 21/10/2005
From: Sin City

Blue Valentine
A raw romantic drama that tells the story of the meeting between Cindy (Michelle Williams) and Dean (Ryan Gosling), their marriage and how they grow apart.
The film jumps back and forth in time, using excellent editing to put the story together very smart. There are a few thing that maybe are over the top or unbelievable but thanks to the great acting performances you`ve forgotten about that very fast. Ryan Gosling is very good, in both part as the boy who falls head over heels for Cindy and as the man who - years later - drives his family apart, mainly because of his alcohol abuse. But however good his performance is, the real praise here needs to go to Michelle Williams. For years now she is, in my book (admittedly I have a big weak spot for her ever since she starred in Dawson`s Creek), an underrated actress. After her small but strong turn in Shutter Island, here once again she shows that she really should be on the A-list. Every scene that she`s in is convincing, in the fun romantic bits as well as in the dramatic parts. A wonderful performance that by itself makes this great little film worth seeing and for wich she finally gets that so long overdue praise.

8,0/10

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Post #: 10

Come on, Nev - 27/2/2011 10:04:04 PM

sirisol

Posts: 2
Joined: 31/1/2006

Two of 2010's best performances and all you can say is 'convincingly portrayed'?

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Post #: 11

I'm So Glad I always Read The Reviews After I've Seen t... - 10/6/2011 6:14:26 PM

Bighousewill

Posts: 244
Joined: 5/12/2009

Talk about a spoilerific review! I'm just glad I watched the film first so my thoughts are entirely my own having said that I thought this film was really good for not being a conventional love story. And I got that all what Nev Pierce said so if you read this review before viewing the film he has ruined it for you.

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Post #: 12

Blue Valentine Review - 16/4/2012 8:27:45 AM

the film man

Posts: 598
Joined: 13/10/2010

This emotionally gripping examination of a marriage on the rocks isn't always easy to watch, but Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling give performances of unusual depth and power.

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Post #: 13