Well, I did it. At midnight I grabbed my sister and we went to go see The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I on opening night. Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. Obviously by now you know of my love for those Cullens. And naturally I have a whole lot to rant about….

Warning….Spoiler Alerts after the jump. Do not pass go.

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I finally had the opportunity to sit down and watch Blue Valentine, sadly after it was all said and done, I found myself longing for more. Maybe it was because I’d heard so much about it prior to watching, but my reaction to the film wasn’t what I had expected. By now most of you know the premise of the film or have already seen it, so there is no reason to give an in-depth synopsis. To sum it up quickly, Blue Valentine tells the story of Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), a married couple, and the evolution of their relationship. However, the relationship isn’t shown from start to finish, the film cross cuts between various time periods, and I think this is the reason that it didn’t leave any sort of impact on me. For example, the film starts out at the end of their marriage, and then cuts back and forth, so I was never able to form a true attachment to their relationship. I already knew they were upset, so I wasn’t expecting some grandiose ending where the two would repair what was lost along the way.

The majority of the people who spoke to me about it said that it was “amazing” or “you’re going to cry your eyes out” etc etc, however I felt completely opposite. At certain points throughout the film I found myself bored and looking at my watch to see how much time was left over. It just felt so predictable, almost leaving me with the same reaction that I had after watching Breaking Upwards.

Plot line aside, there is no denying the talent and skills that Williams and Gosling possess, the on screen connection made you believe it was a documentary about two real life people. The cinematography was beautiful as well, and I think I would have received it better had it been filmed differently. All relationships have faults and often times come to an end, but do you really want to spend two hours watching that? (let alone spend $10) Perhaps its the optimist in me, or the way I view films as an escape from reality and the hardships of life, that I found this film so blasé and contrived. I was honestly disappointed that the film didn’t move me the way I thought it would because I’d be looking forward to it for almost year. Can’t love them all though right?

What did you think of Blue Valentine? Was it all just hype or did you think it was a truly amazing film? Why?