Totally Unauthorized

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star

Disjointed, disquieting, displeasing. Dis movie has a few flaws.

Gail and I went over to the dome to see Blue Valentine tonight.  I know that I keep finding myself on the opposite side of the street from the bulk of the reviewers, but I just didn’t like this movie.

It has all the right ingredients–two fantastic actors, just acting up a storm.  A serious story about young love decaying into anger and disillusionment. An 88 on the Tomatometer.  If only I could like the characters, or at least not be actively repulsed by one of them, the husband.

Cyndy, played brilliantly by Michelle Williams, is a sweet young thing going to school, taking care of her aged granny, going out with a varsity wrestler.  One afternoon, she and the wrestler are making love and then all of a sudden she is furious, he is apologizing, and she won’t speak to him anymore.  I never did figure out why.

Dean is a low class loser, hauling boxes for a moving company.  He seems to have a good heart, artistic talent and plays the ukulele.  He meets Cyndy at granny’s nursing home, and tries to flirt with her.  Not having a phone number, he gives her the number where he works and hopes she’ll call.

A romance blooms.  A child is born.  They marry.The dog dies.  The romance dies. Cyndy is smart and educated–she is an ultrasound tech in a doctors office.  Dean likes painting houses because he can start drinking at 8:00 am.  Why would anyone think these two belonged together in the first place?

The performances in this film are first rate.  Michelle Williams, especially, brings a depth to her character that reminds you of what acting talent can be.  Gosling chews up the scenery, but his character is so unlikeable it’s hard to root for him.

We all bring our own baggage to the theater, and watching drunks scream at each other is never something I enjoy, so undoubtedly my own prejudices have colored my view of Blue Valentine, but Gail didn’t like it either, and she likes heavy hurtful drama. And for this I missed the Friday Night Fights.