Writers: Derek Cianfrance/Joey Curtis/Cami Delavigne
Year of Release: 2010
RECOMMENDED
It's so radically emotionally overwhelming. This flick really puts you through the motions. I think I can safely say this is one of the more intense viewings of the year (on par with Enter the Void or 127 Hours). It's not just a simple acting piece, it's lightning in a bottle. All those tragic or joyous moments in your life where you wish you could have just had a camera, what you would have learned, or felt the second time around. The air of redemption around this film populates it just as much as the somber, oppressive melancholy of it all. It's an ode to dark days and to happy memories that age like wine, to young love and lust, to the youth, the hardworking. It's a love story. A fully realized, brutally honest love story. What is probably most depressing about the whole sordid affair however, is that it reads like less of a cautionary tale and more of a slice of life (which in all fairness, it really is). The emotional weight this film carries delivers like a bulldozer, it is more shocking to the soul than it could ever be viscerally (I mention this due to it's original NC-17 rating in America), and I believe it is the staggering, bold truth contained within this film that is truly degrading to one's spirits. Now don't let me convince you that this film is soul shatteringly bleak, there are moments of true happiness captured on screen, consistently juxtaposing the good with the bad - not necessarily the most original narrative in the world but it is certainly executed appropriately here. There is a line towards the end of the film is which Gosling's character states "You said for better or worse... This is me at my worst, but I'm gonna get better". Blue Valentine is not a pessimistic, 'why bother with love'-esque film. It's an eye opener towards the extent of effort and hard work that goes into a marriage, trying your damndest to always be young and in love, and the frustration and sadness that comes with the realization that love really can dissipate. If you gain nothing from Blue Valentine, you'll at least be able to take a nod at those old couples you see walking together in the park, or going about their daily rituals, and to them give utter and sincere reverence.
Overall rating: 9.1
Status: MEGA AWESUM
No comments:
Post a Comment