Blue Valentine

I was really excited to see this movie - so much in fact, that I considered my 2010 Austin Film Festival experience a huge success if only I got to see this one movie. There has been some talk about it in the entertainment world recently, because it was given an NC-17 rating, which of course is BAD for the film, because regular movie theaters probably won't show it and nobody will get to see it. I was a little worried about just how NC-17 it was - but it wasn't as bad as I expected. There are a few sex scenes that push it a tad too far, which I think the whole rating was for.

So, how was the movie? It was excellent. Probably one of the best movies I've seen in the last 10 years. The performances by Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams are truly phenomenal.  They were so authentic as the once happy couple who is now trying to save their marriage.  It made me think of every divorced couple I know, including my own parents, and then made me think of the married couples I know and how sad it would be for them to go through this.  At times it is heart-wrenchingly sad.  I saw alot of teary women walking out of the theater at the end.  But at the same time - it is just so REAL, which always adds to the movie experience.  Because it's so sad, it's not for the faint of heart.  It sticks with you, and I was still thinking about it days after I saw it.  So overall, any film lover should definitely CHECK IT OUT.  It's haunting and powerful - I walked out totally in awe.