12 Great Movies That You'll Never Watch Again (And Why)
3. Blue Valentine (2010)
What It's About: A deeply engrossing portrait of a marriage in contemporary America, this is the tale of Dean Pereira (Dan Gosling) and Cindy Heller (Michelle Williams), a couple who have been together for several years and are going through a rough patch in their relationship. While Cindy has grown into a new woman with new opportunities in front of her, Dean remains the same man he was when they met as young lovers, and he is fully aware that he is in danger of being left behind.
Why It's Great: Director Derek Cianfrance brings the story of the young American couple to life in this truly touching romantic drama, from the addictive passion of young love all the way through to marriage and all the complications that come with it. Gosling is brilliant, and Williams is even better, putting in a performance that quite rightly earned her a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars. Their on screen chemistry is complimented with a truly earnest screenplay and a superbly edited final cut.
Why You'll Never Watch It Again: The dissolution of Dean and Cindys marriage is difficult watch, and you feel somewhat drained by the time the credits roll, though you dont ever regret giving this film a go. Quite the opposite, in fact. Cainfrance points a microscope at the harsh truths of real love, and does not shy away from the fact that it can mean pleasure and pain in equal measure. This film is like a rump steak difficult to digest but totally worth the effort.