Why would this movie deceive me, you might ask. Well, instead of displaying a romance for the ages, or even a relationship that has meaning, it left me with a familiar sadness; a cynical one that I know all to well and that I don't need to be reminded of.
And that is: the fear of repeating your parents mistakes, marrying someone who shows you no respect or human decency, feeling trapped and limited from your dreams and ambitions. And that is exactly what this film gives you. The breakdown of their marriage is one thing, but the coming together of their marriage was a complete other. It's like they had half the film figured out (the depressing half) and half the film in disarray (the romantic foundation).
For a proper breakdown of the film: It's about a couple named Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), where we follow their lives together over several years, cross cutting scenes, with the beginning of their relationship to the end of it.
The thing that bothered me the most about this film was the lack of romantic chemistry between Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling during the formation or their relationship. It seemed almost juvenile and careless in its execution, making me think that Williams' character is basically a slut and Gosling's character was simply looking out for sexual opportunity. They try to smooth this over with cheesy lines like "I felt like I knew her...", when Dean glances at Cindy in the hallway. It just felt like they were trying so hard to make this film a certain way (a melancholic, rugged, dark, sexual and disturbed) kind of way, that it felt forced after a while. Which explains why they got the "depressed marriage" scenes down. They were so in tune with their inevitable fate that they did an excellent job of playing two very confused individuals in a marriage trap.
Now, I'm not saying that the acting wasn't excellent. It was. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling do a great job with their roles, for the tone of the film. It was the tone, however, that had me struggling. There were just some scenes that such a tone shouldn't be used; like when they are falling in love, for example. It just didn't add anything to the film. So what I guess I'm saying is, the tone should have had more variation.
But Gosling's physical change throughout the movie was very good. It was very realistic to me, which I liked. His hair receding and his belly jutting out the way it did, made the time periods in which he is shown, really stand out. This made the cut scenes easy to follow.
One last thing to point out is their little girl. The idea was supposed to be surrounding her, I think, and the fact that she is what came out of their love and they do everything they can to protect her. However, other than the obvious, I didn't completely feel the connection with their daughter. They were so wrapped up in themselves for most of the film, she more or less became obsolete. The little girl was played more as a pawn who was only acknowledged when the occasion called for it, rather than a true commodity to the parents who have to constantly consider her. I just didn't feel the parental dynamic as I should have.
But looking at the film as a whole, I acknowledge that my personal preference is seriously coming into play. I realize that all the elements that make a good film need to be looked at and that this film has most of them. But unfortunately, it's just not my kind of movie.
I give this film 8/10 for its acting, its purpose, but for lacking slightly in its execution of the overall tone of the movie.
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