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Blue Valentine
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Metascore
81 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 42 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 190 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: John Doman, Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling
  • Summary: Blue Valentine is the story of love found and love lost told in past and present moments in time. Flooded with romantic memories of their courtship, Dean and Cindy use one night to try and save their failing marriage. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star in this honest portrait of a relationship on the rocks. (The Weinstein Company)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
  1. New Orleans Times-Picayune
    Reviewed by: Mike Scott
    Jan 28, 2011
    100
    It is beautiful, and it is difficult to watch. It is heartwarming, and it is heart-wrenching. It is absorbing, and it's unsettling.
  2. Tampa Bay Times
    Reviewed by: Steve Persall
    Jan 27, 2011
    100
    Sounds depressing, but Blue Valentine is a reminder that well-measured and expertly acted pain is as thrilling to watch as 3-D spectacle.
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Betsy Sharkey
    Dec 29, 2010
    60
    That meandering dialogue can be difficult to control, and at times the film feels as if the director has stepped away from the vehicle, leaving it to veer off the path. Still, it's an experiment that works more than it fails by giving Gosling and Williams both the motive and the means to create something extraordinary, a valentine that actually says something true about being in love.

See all 42 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 53
  3. Negative: 6 out of 53
  1. DC19
    9
    Cianfrance's directing is laid back, as in he lets the actors do the story telling. The emotional bond formed by these characters can be seen and felt, due to the two spectacular leads. The soundtrack provided by Grizzly Bear highlights the emotional strain just right.… Expand
    • 4 of 4 users said yes
  2. TVJerry
    5
    Stars Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams were also executive producers of this film, which explains the self-indulgent acting exercise that they've turned into a downer. It runs two parallel courses, when they meet and fall in love and several years later, when their marriage is falling apart. It took 3 writers to create the mundane dialogue and a director with a claustrophobic camera. Granted, the performances are award material, but the film is grim and painful for the characters and for us.… Expand
    • 4 of 7 users said yes
  3. darrrn
    2
    After watching Blue Valentine all I could feel was disappointment. The screenplay didn't do justice to the cast, who gave an outstanding performance considering.… Expand
    • 3 of 5 users said yes

See all 53 User Reviews

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