Light on plot and heavy on expression, Derek Cianfrance’s “Blue Valentine” is a study in extremes. Essentially the anatomy of a break-up, it places exclusive focus on a young couple (Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams) as their marriage disintegrates. Cianfrance, whose directorial debut “Brother Tied” premiered at Sundance in 1998, spent over a decade working on this lyrical follow-up; his efforts come through in every artfully composed frame. Aided by Andrij Parekh’s bright, complex photography, images trump story in the best of ways.
The narrative follows a two-pronged approach, shifting back and forth from the birth of their relationship to its inevitable demise. As Williams and Gosling repeatedly clash and embrace, their ritual becomes a hypnotic process on which viewers can project their own experiences. It’s an all-inclusive portrait.
