30 Day Movie Challenge: Day 14- Blue Valentine (2010)

Today was the day I dreaded the most when I created this version of the 30 Day Movie Challenge. There have been a few occasions in my life when I had gone into a theater to watch a chick flick which is usually a film that is all about love and romance and it appeals to younger audiences who still want to believe in a prince charming. So the task for today and I'm glad it's the only one was to watch a chick flick and the film that I chose was 2010's Blue Valentine (I checked and it said it was) which was written and directed by Derek Cianfrance (The Place Beyond the Pines). The film stars Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain) and Ryan Gosling (Lars And The Real Girl) as married couple Dean and Cindy who have been recently having a rough time. The couple decides to take a weekend away and that is where we see the evolution of this relationship as it cuts back and forth between the past and present. The film also stars Faith Wladyka in her first role as Frankie, John Doman (You Were Never Really Here) as Jerry, Mike Vogel (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as Bobby, Jen Jones (Winter of Frozen Dreams) as Gramma, Maryann Plunkett (The Squid And The Whale) as Glenda, Ben Shenkman (Just Like Heaven) as Dr. Feinberg, Eileen Rosen (Baby Frankenstein) as Mimi, and Carey Westbrook (Starngeland) as Charley.

It was definitely an interesting way to structure the film as we see this couple begin to fall apart all because Michelle Williams runs into an old flame of hers from college. That was the cataclysmic event that moved the wheel forward as Gosling who they made balding when he was the older self struggle to connect with his wife and it gets awkward. It's definitely reality though because not everything in life is always going to be roses which is what I think a lot of people forget when they decide to get married. So, we are treated to the sweet and passionate days of when Ryan was courting her and while there are some hiccups there, he sticks by her side through the thick and the thin. The one thing I am going to really give this film credit for of course is the acting because Gosling and Williams were absolutely amazing in the film. If it wasn't for their acting, I don't think I would have enjoyed the film at all if I am being honest. One question that never gets answered in the film is whether or not Frankie is Ryan Gosling's kid or if it's the previous boyfriends? They never address it after they initially tells us and I am like why bring it up if you'll never answer it for us. There is nothing more annoying to me then that, but in the end it was a decent film. That is why I am going to give the film an B+ for a final grade because if it wasn't for Gosling and Williams this would be a B-.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

There are so many movies in the world that I have never seen for whatever reason and sometimes it's lack of desire or just not being in the mood. One of my favorite actors of the 2000's was none other than the legend, the late Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight). In 2005, Heath Ledger proved what kind of an actor he was when he took the role in director Ang Lee's (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) film Brokeback Mountain alongside Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko) which is today's film and one of the films I had been meaning to see for a long time. The film follows two ranchers (Ledger and Gyllenhaal) who because of one romantic linkup that summer changed the course of their lives as they struggled with the secret for the rest of their lives. The film also stars Randy Quaid (Independence Day) as Joe Aguirre, Michelle Williams (Manchester By The Sea) as Alma, Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises) as Lureen Newsome, Graham Beckel (L.A. Confidential) as L.D. Newsome, Linda Cardellini (The Curse of la Llorona) as Cassie, Anna Faris (The House Bunny) as Lashawn Malone, David Harbour (A Walk Among The Tombstones) as Randall Malone, Kate Mara (Tall Tales from the Magical Garden of Antoon Krings) as Alma Jr., and  Scott Michael Campbell (Flight of the Phoenix) as Monroe.

Let's get the one question out of the way because you are all wondering it anyways. Are their scenes that could be a little uncomfortable to watch? The answer to that question is an obvious yes especially if you are not comfortable in your own skin. The thing that everyone should worry about when it came to this film was what kind of a performance did these two put in to the film because it can't be easy to play someone who is bisexual or even Gay. The sad reality of this film is the fear these two men felt throughout the whole film because back in 1963 and beyond it was not OK to be a homosexual male especially in the states of Wyoming and Texas in those times. There was so much love between these two men that you could definitely sense how incredible they were in the film. You honestly felt like this was real because it shows the caliber of the two men and to this day Jake Gyllenhaal is still one of my favorite actors. I regret the fact that I had not seen this film anytime within the last 15 years and that is a big shame on me. One of the incredible elements of the film as well is that age transformation job they did for Heath Ledger who looked like he was getting worse for his age while Gyllenhaal still looked good for an older man. A friend of mine told me to check out this film because why not? If it's OK for women to make out on screen, then you should be OK with this and I was definitely OK watching the film. That is why Ia m going to give the film an A+ for a final grade because it had a great story, great cast, and some amazing cinematography to boot.