Derek Cianfrance’s ‘Blue Valentine’ is a heart-warming and heartbreakingly real account of falling in and out of love. The film follows the relationship between Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) juxtaposing the present with their tender and promising past.

As the story unfolds we learn more about how they’ve ended up in a marriage which is more frustratingly toxic than it is loveless. We’re introduced to Dean as a loving father who we see interact adorably with their daughter Frankie (Faith Wladyka) much to the disapproval of mother and wife Cindy who desperately wants a stable home and routine rather than Dean’s happy-go-lucky and at times childish attitude. Cindy is an ultrasound technician with an over-friendly boss and Dean drinks before setting off to paint houses with a cigarette always in hand.

However, this film is not to be mistaken with others of its sentimental and querying kind. Cianfrance makes sure of this through his filming artistry by contrasting handheld and digital techniques to give the intertwined stories a sense of chronological order. Both leads deliver memorable performances, especially Gosling, who seems unable to shake the comedic charm and sincerity we saw in ‘The Notebook’, in a good way.

The flashbacks tear so widely away from the tired Cindy and uninspired Dean we are introduced to that it is almost like watching two completely different characters. Younger Dean is a confident, strong and funny man equipped with a ukulele and one-liners such as “dying is for dummies”. This effortless charm adds much needed humour to the story. Whereas present Cindy comes across as serious and tainted by life experience, her past self is warm and ambitious.

Although the film deals with serious issues, it’s not all tears and uncomfortable viewing, there are some laughs and heart-warming moments too. ‘Blue Valentine’ is an honest account of two people who fall in and fall out of love following a series of events which are by no means glossed over in the film.

It’s of no surprise to audiences that this film has been a part of film festivals around the world with its combination of fresh camera techniques and intensely engaging storytelling. ‘Blue Valentine’ is a complex story about the ambiguous issue of emotional development and change and Cianfrance’s (who began writing ‘Blue Valentine’ twelve years ago) narrative is complemented further by its convincing lead cast and co-writers Joey Curtis and Cami Delavigne.