Out this week on DVD and Blu-ray is the Oscar-nominated Blue Valentine (Anchor Bay). As much as I love Ryan Gosling, I secretly dreaded seeing this end-of-relationship drama. But director Derek Cianfrance's film is exceptionally good. it's a raw, bracingly honest portrait of a couple -- Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams, nominated for Best Actress) -- who were once in love and share a child. But while Cindy dreams of moving on, Dean is a sweet fuck-up who will probably never change. And Dean's desperate attempt to recharge their love over a weekend at a tawdry motel ends very badly. The story, however, is very believable thanks to the lacerating performances of the leads. There's a nice John Cassavettes feel to the way a lot of this plays out, and in the end it's quite heartbreaking.