Reviews by Matt

The best two words to describe The Motion Picture Association of America, the organization in charge of rating movies, is consistently inconsistent. If you watch the documentary “This Film is Not Yet Rated” explores their double standards and odd choices, and I highly recommend it for any movie fan. The most recent victim of their crazy logic is “Blue Valentine.” The film was given an NC-17 rating, but was eventually moved to an R when the studio appealed the decision.

Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) are going through a rough patch in their marriage. The movie cuts between their courtship leading up to their marriage and the breaking down of their relationship.

One reason why I love movies like this is that the plot synopsis is so much easier to write than other movies with a myriad of characters and plots that are hard to distill into a single coherent paragraph.

My true love of this movie is the performances. Williams and Gosling make these two performances real. There are times when it feels like you are watching a real marriage fall apart. They fight and argue almost as much as they show any affection.

Dean is a “jack of all trades, master of none.” In one scene Cindy tells him that he is so talented, but as settled for being just a painter. He tells her that all he wants is to be her husband and their daughter’s father. Gosling plays Dean a man who may want to believe that, but his actions tell a different story. If this were true, he would do things much differently. Things he says and does are counter to what he claims.

Cindy is a woman who is afraid of love. She has seen what happened to her parents, and is not one to believe that love makes everything better. Even as her marriage is falling apart, she is still trying to love Dean. She is willing to go away for the night to rekindle the romance, even though she has to work early in the morning. Williams plays this perfectly. She is probably the strongest character in the movie because of all she is forced to go through.

The beauty of this movie is how it is cut together. There are two stories going on. One is Cindy and Dean meeting and dating, the other is them falling out of love. We get to see the series of events that lead up to their marriage, but we never see what started them down the road they are on at the beginning of the movie. It is something that we do not need to see because, in the grand scheme, it is not important.

These are two amazing performances by two actors who shine in independent movies like these. They could (and should) have main stream success, but the fact that they stick to smaller movies is a sign of good judgment. These movies let them showcase their talents and find the best material.

9 out of 10
Rated R for strong graphic sexual content, language, and a beating.
112 min