Thoroughly depressing, thoroughly enjoyable. I think it was better than Blue Valentine.

I dropped half a star because I thought that the film went a little too far. It was entertaining and gripping from start to finish, but the last third wasn't as believable as the first two.

Gosling and Cooper's characters and stories reflect each other in a captivating way. They are both in different situations, one coming from a 'bad' background trying to do good through more illicit…