Blue Valentine is a project twelve years in the making for director Derek Cianfrance: he started writing the movie more than a decade ago, but only recently has he found the ways and means to get the movie produced. In an interview on the “Director’s Notes” podcast, Cianfrance expressed gratitude for that extra time. “When the time finally came to make the film, I felt I was blessed,” said Cianfrance. “Twelve years ago, I wasn’t there…I didn’t have kids. I don’t think I had the experience to tell the story that I told today.”

And what a story he tells. The film focuses on a young couple, Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams), whose marriage falls apart in front of the audience’s eyes. The film is all about contrast, as jumps through time show the beginnings and the end of the relationship. Cianfrance plays up those contrasts by shooting the happy moments in the past in handheld Super 16mm, which provides a warmth and nostalgia to the look of the film; sequences in the present are shot on a Red camera, capturing the events in all their detail. Cianfrance’s background in documentary makes for a stark and realistic humanity to these characters, accentuated by the performances of the two talented young actors, and the freedom allowed by shooting on inexpensive digital video allowed Gosling, Williams and Cianfrance to take their time in creating honest, emotional moments.

Blue Valentine left Cannes and Sundance as Official Selections and with plenty of buzz, but not only because of the generally positive critical and audience reactions: the movie has also earned a surprise NC-17 rating due to its adult themes. The scene that seems to have tipped the censors past the point of “R” involves the couple attempting to save their marriage by spending the night in a hotel room. The sex scene involves little nudity and no violence to speak of, but is emotionally painful to watch…whether there was another scene that caused a stir with the censors is unclear. Those involved with the film, especially producer Harvey Weinstein, were shocked at the rating, and Weinstein is expected to appeal.

As the finishing touch, Blue Valentine will be mostly soundtracked and scored by indie phenoms Grizzly Bear, who are contributing eight songs, including “Lullaby” and “Easier”. Grizzly Bear will be joined on the soundtrack by Matt Sweeney and Bjorn Yttling (of Peter, Bjorn and John), among others. Blue Valentine opens on December 31st.