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My Favorite Year to Date Film
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 4:07PM 
Favorites are the topic of choice for this weekâs Monday Movie Meme as The Bumbles says to share on your blog a favorite year to date movie, as suggested by Sandy at Youâve Gotta Read This. After reviewing my Netflix streaming history, DVD rentals and trying to remember very movie that I watched in a movie theater since New Yearâs, here is my favorite movie of 2011.....so far.
Blue Valentine
Starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams
I waited in excitement while anticipating the release of âBlue Valentineâ on New Yearâs Eve and then found out that it wasnât going to be showing in my city until early January. This movie was well worth the wait.....it is sweet, funny and emotionally gripping because the characters and story seems so real. The relationship between Dean (Gosling) and Cindy (Williams) is fun and carefree until some unexpected news changes the direction of their lives in a way that causes both to re-evaluate their priorities and also compromise on their long-term romantic and professional goals.
âBlue Valentineâ is made in a non-linear fashion, showing how their relationship started and progressed while simutaneously chronicling the ups and downs of their marriage. I plan to buy âBlue Valentineâ on DVD and add it to my movie collection because it is a film that I would not mind watching again.
While I love âBlue Valentine,â my favorite year to date movie may change by the end of 2011 since there are 5 more months left during which I plan to watch dozens of more films. I still do not like the fact that Ryan Gosling got snubbed out of an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role in âBlue Valentineâ so if I find a later movie to be more of a favorite, heâll be âBest Actorâ in my book for 2011!
Gofita's Pages calls 'Blue Valentine' "A very well done but depressing unlove story" and no one could have described this movie any better.
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Reader Comments (14)
I like how you didnt reveal the "unexpected news", but as always with films of this type, its is so easy to work out just from your info on the movie what that news is. I have never been a fan of this type of relationship movie. Not one I will be watching I'm afraid, but glad you liked it.
Thanks for stopping by my blog also :)
I've heard of this movie but wasn't sure what it was. I didn't know that Ryan Gosling was in the film. I deffinately HAVE to check out this movie if he's in it. Ryan Gosling is super sexxi. He was awesome in The Notebook! That's my favorite film with Ryan Gosling. I want to see him in that other new movie Crazy, Stupid, Love. It looks really good. :)
I've never heard of this movie--
And I'm so sorry about the Harry Potter spoiler in my post today--the spoiler actually went with HP #6 not the new movie. Have you not seen HP #6 yet? If not I apologize profusely, I hate spoilers. When I bought HP and the Half-Blood Prince I had heard rumors and didn't want to know what was in the book so I shut myself in my house and didn't go out in public or watch tv until I was finished. I'll add the spoiler warning to my post. You really should read or listen to the books they have so much more in them than the movies do.
I think of those scenes where Dean helps that old gentleman move in to his room at the nursing home. I know Cindy wasn't there with him, but still, those glimpses into his dear soul made me forgive him anything! A very moving performance.
Dale,
Thanks for your comment. Our different tastes regarding "Blue Valentine" shows that people like what they like, lol. "Oldboy" isn't a movie that I would normally watch but I am willing to try it because you're writeup was so good :)
In fact, if I like that one, I may watch the other two in the series.
Amanda,
I have a friend who loves Ryan Gosling as well. I may check out that "Crazy, Stupid Love" movie just to support it. I bought "The Notebook" on DVD after a friend told me to watch hers because she swore the movie was sooo good and that it is a tear jerker. Well, she was right about it being good, but, I didn't cry....I wanted to though, lol.
Kaye,
I'm not surprised, as you are probably one of many who never heard of "Blue Valentine". It was released in a Limited amount of theaters in the U.S. and the release was pushed back after some controversy surrounding the ratings. It had promotion but I think it may have been promoted more on the arthouse circuit than in mainstream media....even when it came out on DVD, I didn't find many magazine advertisements or anything for it.
It is such a shame because I think that the movie deserved to shine larger than it did.
If you are thinking about checking it out and you like romantic movies and dramas, this movie may be something that you might enjoy watching.
Don't worry about the HP spoiler, I should have known that it was HP#6 and I must have forgot important aspects of the story in Deathly Hallows Part. 1 I only watched it that one time and the only thing I remembered about it was Herimone and Ron fighting and one of the other characters dying that was sad for me to watch. I may listen to the books. There are so many of them that I wouldn't get much done during my day if I sat down and read all of the books, lol. Thanks for stopping by to read this post and also for commenting on it.
The Gal Herself,
I agree with your 100% about Dean. He is such a caring and giving person, especially since he went back to visit that man and he didn't even have to....that goes to show that he at least thought about him and the old man was a total stranger. I think maybe the man's life and history, with all of his trinkets and accomplishments and photos and such gave dean a glimpse or reminder of how important it is to live life to the fullest and be happy.
This is in my queue. I am going to move it up after reading this review.
:-)
Kwizgiver,
I hope you like "Blue Valentine" when you watch it. I just moved added and movie a few movies up in my queue about an hour ago. Thanks for visiting.
Aw, thanks for using my one line movie review! It was an amazing movie. But I adore my happy endings and this one didn't have it. But amazing story and acting. Great pick for fave of the year!
Thanks for the intriguing introduction to another new-to-me film.
Wow. An "unlove story". Man, I *have* to watch this film! Glad to see that it's out on blu-ray right now. Excuse me while I head on out to the store....
hsmgofita,
It is my pleasure to use your one line review. As you know, I agree that "Blue Valentine" is an amazing film :)
The ending is among one of the things I like about this movie because it helped to make the story more authentic. I like and prefer happy endings as well. Sometimes, however, it is nice to watch a film that defies that Hollywood Disney ending. I appreciate that because life is hard for many people....for a lot of people, life is no Disney movie and relationships may sometimes be so complicated and so difficult to manage. The movie is a reflection of what people go through in real life and that is why I liked it.....I guess, maybe that's why they had the "Blue" in the titled instead of "Red". Maybe "Blue" stands for blues or something, lol.
The Bumbles
Are you serious? You've never watched "Blue Valentine" huh? I am surprised because you've likely seen many more movies than I have. I hope you check it out.
Herman,
Yes, an "unlove story" is exactly what it is. It does have sweet and romantic moments that make viewers either giggle in embarassment because they have either been on the receiving end or giving end or it makes viewers relive the good ol' days of their own relationship.
Here's a question for you though....why are you buying this on blu-ray instead of renting? What are you going to do with the thing if you don't like the movie? I hope that you and Karen (or at least you OR Karen, so the DVD can stay in your collection, lol) enjoy watching it when you return from the store.
I really want to see this one. I like real movies about marriage, depressing or no. Been in my Netflix queue for awhile.
stacybuckeye,
May you enjoy watching "Blue Valentine" when Netflix queues it up to send to you :)
For some reason, your comment just made me think of something regarding realistic movies about marriage and relationships.....
"Blue Valentine" is quite the contrast to "The Notebook," both movies in which Ryan Gosling has a starring role. So, I like how he kind of showed one relationship full of love that stood the test of time and distance to defy all odds (in The Notebook) and then he later flipped love on it's head (in Blue Valentine) by becoming a reflection of relationship dynamics that are present in real life, betweeen many couples from today and even generations before us as well.
I read a news report somewhere that talked about a real-life couple who broke up because the boyfriend refused to build a house for his girlfriend like Gosling's character did in "The Notebook" and that movie is sweet, romantic and everything but it does not look like the average relationship nor does it progress and end like the average love story. "The Notebook" is more of a fantasy while "Blue Valentine" basically shows one couple's relationship for what it is.....love, arguments, jealousy, sex, disagreements and everything else in between.
I didn't realize this until now, but Ryan Gosling has kind of played different types of boyfriends or lovers, helping to display relationships to the public in a variety of ways. It is great that he offers multiple examples of relationships between men and women.