Review of film: "BLUE VALENTINE" (the story of a decaying relationship)

Review of film:  “BLUE VALENTINE”

Relationships are never easy--  & that situation is deeply explored (on many different levels) in this new film… 

…  In a stream of flash-backs & flash-forwards, we see how Dean (RYAN GOSLING) has no particular goals in life, just “drifting” along using alcohol and other drugs & not caring about much of anything…  In time, he starts to work handling other peoples’ posessions for a moving company named Steinway…

…  Ryan is not a bad guy, in fact, he has a kind of SWEETNESS about him,  as shown by his concern for an old man he moves to a sort of Assisted Living residence…  There, he chances to meet a pretty young woman named Cindy (MICHELLE WILLIAMS) who is visiting her grandmother Gramma (JEN JONES) in that home…

…  In time, we learn facts about what’s “MADE” Ryan & Michelle the “way” they are as their characters in this film…  Michelle had an abusive upbringing, which leaves her “wary” in relationships and hesitant to make strong “decisions” in life…

…  Ryan is “taken” by nurse Michelle, who’d had an unpleasant relationship with a young guy named Bobby (MIKE VOGEL)…  In time, Ryan marries Michelle & they bring up baby daughter Frankie (FAITH WLADYKA), who Ryan is crazy about and devoted to (tho he seldom seems to take care of “business” properly as a responsible dad)…

…  Michelle has been offered a new “position” by the Dr. Feinberg (BEN SHENKMAN) she works for, but she’s generally indecisive as to what she should do…  Meeting an old flame leaves her “distressed”, & learning about it leaves Ryan especially JEALOUS, which causes even more friction in his life with Michelle…

…  Ryan tries to do things (like going to a “sex spa” type place) to “rekindle” things with Michelle, since they’d grown increasingly “distant” in their bond…  There are some very strongly graphic  SEXUAL elements shown in their relationship--  but, for the most part, emotionally, the “actions” come from MICHELLE (unless she’s “pushed” into things), whereas Ryan’s character is mainly a “REACTER” to what happens in life (and their deteriorating relationship)…

…  The film has a lot of “POWER”, again, mainly from Michelle--  tho Ryan gives her “highly-charged” elements to “respond” to.  It is NOT a movie for young people, since there are so many adult essentials inherent in it…

…  The way the story “FLIPS” between time lines, it’s often initially confusing to tell just WHAT “period” in their relationship the film is dealing with…  I found the acting to be very STRONG and impressive in general (especially on Michelle’s part), but the story left me overly “up-in-the-AIR” at the end…

…  Because of that & the way it’s intrinsically a MELANCHOLIC and inconclusive tale, I am rating it at 7.5 out of 10 stars…