Summary: The film depicts a married couple, Dean Pereira (Gosling) and Cindy Heller (Williams), shifting back and forth in time between their courtship and the dissolution of their marriage several years later.
To quote the Wedding Singer 'Love stinks', I hate to buy into the female stereotype but when it comes to relationship films I always yearn for a happy ending but this one keeps you guessing til the end. Cindy (Williams) is a disillusioned Mom who works as Nurse, frustrated with how her life has turned out. Cindy's bitterness, due to her lost ambitions, results in her taking her anger and dissatisfaction out on her doting husband Dean (Gosling) which is where this story begins.
Firstly Gosling is brilliant as the naive Dean, his emotional journey is gut wrenching. Throughout Dean clings on to the belief that true love will conquer all and that everything will work out in the end. His efforts to convince Cindy (Williams) of his love and devotion are not classically chivalrous but you always feel that he has a good heart and is trying to do anything within his power to convince her of this.
William as Cindy is harder to like, not because of poor acting but because of the character. Cindy is cold, selfish and angry, she fights against Dean every step of the way, always looking for a flaw or a regret rather than beauty and hope. I found it hard to have any sympathy for Cindy especially as the film develops and you realise that all her anger stems from her own actions.
Although the film is very much Cindy's journey it is very much Dean's role that holds it together and provides the emotional connection. Throughout the time shifts in the film both actors deal with the changes in their characters well but I do honestly believe that Gosling as Dean takes on a bigger and more successfully orchestrated challenge than Williams' as Cindy.
Overall: It's not an easy watch but I loved this. Gutted Gosling did not get a nomination. 4.5 out of 5.
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