Review of "Blue Valentine"

There are moments of sheer romantic bliss in "Blue Valentine," but not many.
For the most part, this devastating look at modern romance revolves around bad choices, seething frustrations and good days gone bad. It is an acting showcase for two maverick talents that seems to go beyond mere acting and into another realm of aching revelation.
It's not an easy movie, but it is a powerful, unforgettable experience.
"Blue Valentine" tells the story of Cindy (Michelle Williams) and Dean (Ryan Gosling), lovers who quickly become husband and wife and then mother and father.
Director-writer Derek Cianfrance flashes back and forth in time with such an abandon that it's sometimes hard to tell what is when, but that experience becomes part of the film's intentional confusion — these people are probably always in love, just as they're always in conflict, conscious or not.
Less-than-ambitious furniture mover Dean meets aspiring nurse Cindy and they quickly fall in love.
But, in the future, we see their strained marriage, Dean's aimless desperation and Cindy's yearning. As the film moves forward from both then and now, love blossoms at the same time it is strangled.
The virtually unknown Cianfrance reportedly spent years getting this film made while earning a living making documentaries. It was time well-spent, especially since it led to Gosling and Williams taking on these roles. Each is frighteningly good — appealing, pained, raw and consumed.
There is one small scene where the young lovers pause at a storefront at night and Dean serenades Cindy on the ukulele while she does a silly tap dance that may be among the most charming interludes ever filmed.
But the dance grows ragged, the song dissonant, and darkness smothers the charm. "Blue Valentine" is as honest, and as terrifying, as love gets.