This movie presents a bleak portrayal of two individuals coming from troubled pasts who form a relationship—she with a young child from a previous connection—and face ongoing hardships. Ryan Gosling portrays Dean, a working-class man satisfied with his job as a handyman and painter, while Michelle Williams plays Cindy, a nurse harboring slightly loftier ambitions for their future and her daughter's. The narrative unfolds in segments that attempt to connect their individual, rather disheartening journeys to where they are now, along with the problems they currently confront. There was affection between them at one point, but it has since been overtaken by feelings of bitterness, annoyance, and even some envy, ultimately leading to a notably unfortunate evening spent together at a hotel. The story's inescapable trajectory is evident from the beginning, and despite the film’s competent production values, that doesn’t manage to lift it above being an uninspired, angry melodrama.

Source on TMDB