Blue Valentine review

 Number 881 on the top 1000 films of all time is Derek Cianfrance's 2010 romantic drama 'Blue Valentine.'

Blue Valentine tells the relationship between under-achieving slacker Dean (Ryan Gosling) and his over-worked nurse wife Cindy (Michelle Williams.) The film flashes back and forth between the start of their relationship and their eventual breakdown and divorce.

I've watched a few Ryan Gosling films and while I think he is a versatile and charismatic actor, I have never liked the films themselves. They're either too sentimental or too dark or in the case of Blue Valentine too bleak. And bleak is putting it lightly. This isn't a film that will have you leaving the cinema with a warm, fuzzy feeling, but rather the saddest frown on your face. I imagine this was Cianfrance's intention, so in that sense, he succeeded in making one of the most depressing films since the Pianist.

There isn't anything inherently wrong with unremittently bleak films, but there has to be something more than the unremittent bleakness. True, there are the flashbacks to the happy start of Dean and Cindy's relationship - while these scenes were cute especially the tap dancing/ukulele scene, but they always played second fiddle to the present timeline where their marriage falls apart. Any warm, fuzzy feeling was replaced with a sinking stomach, as I saw this once happy couple scream at each other.

And due to the unrelenting bleakness you know it's only going to end in one way. These characters are never going to rediscover their love for one another and live happily ever after. There is nothing wrong with knowing how a film is going to end, but it does kill the narrative tension.

Cianfrance was inspired by his parent's divorce and the pain that caused him as a young man. And he wanted to create a film that charted the beginning and end of a relationship. In that sense, he succeeded. But did he have to make it so damn depressing? I do like Ryan Gosling as an actor, I'm just waiting to see a Ryan Gosling film that I actually like.

Precious review

 Number 894 on the top 1000 films of all time is Lee Daniels' 2009 drama film 'Precious.'

Claireece 'Precious' Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is an overweight, illiterate, black sixteen-year-old trying to survive in Harlem. Bullied at school and subjected to horrific abuse from her mother Mary Lee, (Mo'nique) her life is a miserable one. Upon falling pregnant again, she starts to attend an 'alternative' school, where she sees a way to escape her old life.

Word of warning, Precious is not a pretty film. It is raw, gritty and unapologetic. It grabs you by the throat and refuses to be shaken free. Showcasing the horrors of an abusive household, it's difficult to not flinch away at times. But none of this violence ever felt gratuitous. Unfortunately, this is the sad reality for many youths across the US and it's a reality that shall not be ignored. 

Also, could you believe this was Gabourey Sidibe's first acting role. The character of Precious was cast an open audition and Sidibe was selected despite having no prior acting experience. Precious is not an easy character to play - she carries the sexual trauma of being molested, raped and impregnated by her father. Not to mention, the terrible abuse she receives from her mother. But Sidibe was great in the role. She provided Precious with a humanity and a vulnerability. But she wasn't pathetic nor a character you pity. 

Upon attending the 'alternative' school and through the close tutelage of teacher Miss Blu Rain, (Paula Patton) Precious starts to learn how to read and write. As her literacy improves, so does her self-confidence. With a lot of troubled kids, all it takes is somebody to believe in them and that somebody can be a brilliant teacher like Miss Blu Rain.

Lee Daniels balanced the humour and heartbreak well. As a means of escapism, Precious imagines herself in a number of fantasy scenarios from singing in a gospel choir to performing on stage as a soul-singer. But the funniest had to be when she imagines her and her mother in an old black-and-white Italian film. Watch the scene at 3.30. These little fantasies, other than providing some much needed relief, also balanced the dark with some light. They were also a little sad - Precious was imagining a life, that to her, would always seem out of reach.

Mo'nique won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as the villainous Mary Lee and I can understand why. It was an absolutely brutal role and she did it well. Jealous that her boyfriend took more interest in his daughter than her, she takes out her frustrations on Precious. As Precious is financially dependent on her, she can't up-and-leave, as is the case for many abusive relationships. But 

Lastly, a quick shoutout to Mariah Carey who played Precious' social worker, Miss Weiss. All made-down, she was utterly unrecognisable. A last-minute substitute for Helen Mirren, she did the role justice.

This was a really good film. It will make you laugh and it will stay with you long after the credits have rolled. It might just be too brutal for a rewatch.