Review of Blue Valentine (2010) by Byron B — 26 Apr 2013

I learned from the special features that the scenes with the young Dean and Cindy were filmed without much rehearsal, so that Ryan and Michelle were really getting to know each other in front of the camera, while Cianfrance gave them a month to live like a family before filming the more studied scenes portraying the end of their relationship.

There are some candid moments that wear uncompromising emotions on figurative sleeves, but I'm not sure if you can say it is sentimental or unsentimental primarily. Cindy and Dean have a complex relationship courtesy of the dysfunctional examples from each of their families.

As the story continues, and jumps back and forth in time, I found it hard to stay engaged. The characters of Cindy and Dean, who they are, and the way they interact are soaked in a greasy avant-garde style rather than reality.

This is despite Ryan's and especially Michelle's truthful acting.