Movie Review: Blue Valentine

I've been meaning to watch this movie since I first heard of it.  It has two of my current favorite actors in it.  Ryan Gosling & Michelle Williams.  WOW!! What an emotional roller coaster of a movie. The movie starts out simply with a young girl calling out, "Megan!!!!".  You find out quickly that Megan is a dog & that the little girl (around 6yo)Frankie is the daughter to Dean (Ryan)& Cindy(Michelle).   Dean & his daughter, who you can tell have an incredibly loving relationship, are unable to find the dog but later on when Cindy leaves work to get to daughter Frankie's school concert where Dean is waiting for her.  Cindy finds the dog dead on the side of the road.  What a melancholy beginning... huh???  Both Cindy & Dean are devastated over the dog's death &Dean wanting to "get out of this house", suggest that he & Cindy leave Frankie w/ her Grandpa & use a gift certificate they have to one of those cheesy love-nest "theme" hotels.  A seemingly nice thing for him to do.... Cindy doesn't seem so up for the idea but ultimately goes with it & this is the first "REAL" inkling that all is not right w/ their marriage.   The rest of the movie is basically a telling of the evolution of their relationship..  through flashbacks you learn about how they meet, quickly fall in love & must make fast decisions when a teenage Cindy finds out she's pregnant by her recently broke up w/ ex boyfriend. During the overnight stay at the hotel you learn just how far they have fallen in their relationship. The acting in the movie is superb & especially Ryan who plays Dean with such a sweetness & vulnerability that really endears you to him, so much so it's very difficult to feel sympathy for Cindy who you quickly suspect is not as in love with Dean.  Honestly while watching the flashbacks you wonder why Cindy would ever fall out of love w/ him.    At least that was the case for me.  Dean did all the right things, came to a young Cindy's rescue & although they try hard to show his faults, you still end up liking him. (Side Note... the film makers try very hard to make the older Dean appear un-attractive with receding hairline & thick glasses, however there is nothing they can do to make that six pack un-attractive LOL!, he's gorgeous.. bad hair and all!) This movie is both incredibly romantic & bitterly heartbreaking... it's so believable, for any person who's ever been in a relationship with anyone who at one point was exactly the person they needed & loved with all their heart, but still ultimately the relationship fizzled will connect with this movie so much. If you're like me it will leave you feeling melancholy too.  Even being left feeling that way, I was very happy that I finally caught this movie on Showtime.  Check it out if you haven't yet, it's definitely worth investing your time watching.