10 Genius Techniques Directors Used To Get Great Movie Performances

3. Derek Cianfrance Made Ryan Gosling & Michelle Williams Live Together During Filming - Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine is often cited as one of the most heartbreakingly authentic and believable movies ever made about relationships - specifically their breakdown.

The performances of Ryan Gosling and especially Michelle Williams were universally praised by critics - the latter earning a Best Actress Oscar nomination - and that's in large part due to writer-director Derek Cianfrance insisting that the two develop a close personal relationship prior to and during shooting.

This didn't just mean going out on a few dates or having a few nights on the town, though: Gosling and Williams ended up renting a house, filling it with their own clothes and possessions, buying groceries per their character's budgets, making home movies and taking a family portrait with their screen daughter, and even acting-out arguments.

This reportedly even extended to Cianfrance encouraging Gosling to enter Williams' bedroom and attempt to initiate sex with her, but when she rejected him, he ended up sleeping on the couch.

The results speak for themselves, because you'd be hard-pressed to think of a more convincing movie couple than this one.