Blue Valentine

Data
Title: Blue Valentine
Year: 2010
Length: 112 minutes
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Writers: Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne & Joey Curtis
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams
Music: Grizzly Bear (and non-original music)
Oscars: nomination for Best Actress (Williams)
I saw it: in the theater, yesterday
Synopsis: a failing marriage hits its worst

My reaction
Concept:
Story: I find it extremely impressive that they can tell this story without alienating me from the characters, especially given that one is an alcoholic.
Characters:
Dialog:
Pacing:
Cinematography:
Special effects/design: I expect it was more the doing of the actors than the effects, but the subtle aging of the characters (by about five years) is very well done.
Acting: Damn, there is a lot to praise to be made about these performances. For one thing, there's a huge amount of information conveyed about the characters, the situations, their motivations, pretty much everything that makes the movie work, which is never actually conveyed in any way that I can pin down. You just sort of know it from watching them.
Music:
Subjective Rating: 6/10 (Okay, ). This is one of those movies that's almost impossible for me to like; the better it is (and it's really damn good, objectively), the harder it is to watch. It's advertised as the ups and downs of a relationship, but that is a lie. It's the horrible, crashing downs of a relationship, with all of the happy moments seen in the context of the misery to follow. Depressingness aside, this is one of the most effectively made "love" story films I've ever seen.
Objective Rating (Average):