Blue Valentine was rated NC-17 for a single sexual scene (later changed to R after appeal). Critics praised its unflinching realism. Roger Ebert wrote: “This is not a movie about love. It is a movie about the space between two people who once loved.”
: The "past" scenes were shot on film with wider frames to show togetherness, while the "present" scenes were shot on digital with tight, suffocating close-ups to emphasize isolation. Blue Valentine -2010-2010