Blue Valentine is a kind of sweet/kind of sad, beautiful, and honest look at relationships that is driven by wonderful direction and amazing turns by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams.

Following a young couple through the beginning and possible end of their relationship is where Blue Valentine takes us and the juxtaposition of these timelines is handled perfectly.  The film is just a marvel from start to finish and as honest as a romance can be on screen.  Raw and cutting no corners in showing these two’s emotions the film’s frankness will certainly surprise some.  Getting into the plot of the film doesn’t help much here as there isn’t a plot per say.  We follow the couple, Dean and Cindy, over a couple of days in the “present” in which their missing dog sparks a night out and a series of conversations that tries to get them to the bottom of their relationship.  This is played against the origins of their relationship a few years back in which Dean and Cindy meet by chance and circumstances at the time push them forward faster than expected.

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