The Place Beyond the Pines

What he have here is a story about fathers and their sons. In fact, three separate stories - each one leads into the next. A lesser movie would have just told one story, but "The Place Beyond the Pines" is larger in scope and needs all three parts to tell the complete story. A life is not just about your life but those you affect and those you leave behind for years to come.

The first father is Luke (Ryan Gosling) who didn't know he had a son until a girl whose name he happens to remember shows up with a one year- old son. Prior to that moment he was a daredevil with no ambitions, no money, and no care for his life. Now he's a father. A father with no money nor job. Wearing a dirty, inside-out, torn t-shirt and tattoos covering his arms, neck and face, he is the epitome of trash. But you know, the quiet, reserved, soulful, good-looking trash. And now that he's a father, he's going to care for his son however he can. He hooks up with his partner in crime, literally - Robin (Ben Mendelsohn). Together they are like a Hall & Oates version of Bonnie and Clyde.

In Schenectady, New York - the place beyond the pines - the only thing dirtier than the trashy criminals are the cops themselves. And then the second father is introduced. The character of Avery (Bradley Cooper) is carefully crafted into what should be the greatest human being on planet Earth. And he's a cop. And he's a father. And he's a son to a father who might have been but probably wasn't the greatest human being on planet Earth.

The film went for editing and filming styles to echo the characters' situations and actions. You can guess what that would look like when Gosling is racing through the forest on his motorcycle. But as we approach the more expansive ending, there are some beautiful shots of the trees lining Schenectady's countryside roads. That works particularly well with Cooper giving a remarkable performance of Avery constantly coming to grips with his life.

The final act tells a story very different from, but completely connected to, the two that came before it. It could have been tightened up a bit, but "The Place Beyond the Pines" isn't telling a quick story. It's telling the story of multiple lives, of death, family, love, honour and obedience. Employing overall themes of revenge, ambition, and what it means to be a father, and a son. I say it succeeds in its larger scope, even if it doesn't just tell a story the way one would want it to.

I had no idea what to expect from this, but I'd seen and liked Ryan Gosling in DRIVE so I thought I'd give it a go. And the director has clearly been taking a few pointers from that film, because stylistically it's very similar: slow paced, scenes shot the same way, the same type of music. Hell, even Gosling is playing a similar character, a guy who best communicates through violent action.

The first hour of this film is fantastic: gripping, edge-of-the-seat stuff, with another excellent performance from the star. Then things go in a different direction for the second hour, with the less-interesting Bradley Cooper becoming the focus of the story. This part's still pretty good, if more familiar. It all rounds out again with a third act which ups the suspense to a satisfying climax.

THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is an actor's film, and indeed there are some great performances here: Gosling, an almost unrecognisable Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn, and Dane DeHaan all give very good performances, and it's a treat to see Harris Yulin (SCARFACE) on the screen again. But the technical values and the mature script easily match the calibre of the acting, making this an all-round winner. It's not perfect - some sections are too slow, and some characters just don't hold the interest like others - but fans of DRIVE should like it nonetheless.

If I have to be honest here, I cried my eyes out like a baby during most of the film. For some reason, this drama just hit a very sensitive spot for me. - I am almost certain that it was Ryan Gosling's outstanding performance that hit me deep in my gamut of emotions, resulting in various intense feelings of compassion and sympathy that just seemed to keep appearing throughout the film - he represents such a heartwarming yet melancholic character who you can't help but to sympathize with. In the most beautifully portrayed way, we undergo af journey starting from Luke Glantons' (Ryan Gosling) unfortunate situation to smoothly transitioning into Avery Cross' (Bradley Cooper) life whilst issues such as fraud within police departments, abandonment, poverty and social heritage are illuminated in the thrill of it all - and the crazy mixture of different perspectives and issues all makes sense. More I can't say, or else I will reveal the whole plot. The only thing left to say is, if you don't know what you're going to expect from this movie, you're going in for a storytelling told untraditionally, composed perfectly ending with a somewhat circular structure. - Trust me, this only makes sense in the end. To finish off with a sentence: This movie represents a classic example of your unethical actions coming back to taunt you.

Greetings again from the darkness. With an extended tracking shot to open the film, we follow Ryan Gosling, a motorcycle stunt rider, from his trailer through the carnival grounds and right into the metal sphere with his co-riders. It's an exhilarating start to the film and introduces Luke (Gosling) as a heavily tatted star attraction on the carnival circuit.

This is director Derek Cianfrance's follow-up to his 2010 critically acclaimed Blue Valentine. While that film painfully presented the misery of a bad marriage, this latest shows multi-generational fallout from poor decisions and even worse father-son relationships. Cianfrance has quite an eye for well-intentioned, but inadequate personality types. This latest is presented in triptych format ... three distinct story divisions. The first segment is mesmerizing and follows Luke's attempt to "do right" by his newly discovered infant son - the result of last year's carnival trip to this same town and a tryst with Romina, a local gal played by Eva Mendes.

Gosling is especially effective (yet again) as he falls in with local mechanic played by a terrific Ben Mendelsohn (frightening in Animal Kingdom). The two hatch a scheme to capitalize on Luke's bike riding skills by robbing banks. These "jobs" allow us to see the other side of Luke, who seems sincere in his desire to provide for the child and win back Romina. Things go badly when Luke crosses paths with rookie street cop Avery Cross (played by Bradley Cooper). Watching Gosling's contradictory personalities is quite amazing ... he flips from quietly charming to cold-blooded brutal bank robber in the blink of an eye.

The story then shifts to follow Avery and his strained relations with his wife (Rose Byrne), their infant son, and Avery's former state Supreme Court judge father (Harris Yulin). A sub-plot brings in police department corruption led by ... who else? ... Ray Liotta. Mr. Liotta still possesses the ability to scare the crap out of his fellow actors and anyone watching the movie. This corruption and the idealistic and ambitious nature of Avery aren't a very pleasant mixture, but it sets the stage for the final act.

Flashing forward 15 years, brings us to a fairly predictable situation that still proves interesting. The previous stories focused on the failed relationships of Luke and his father, Luke and his mis-fired attempt at being a dad, and the awkwardness of Avery and his father. Now we see the resulting mess that are the two now teenage boys. The sons are played by Emory Cohen and Dane DeHaan (who was memorable as Cricket in Lawless). DeHaan especially shines as the Gosling/Mendes prodigy.

Sean Bobbitt is the film's Director of Photography and he deserves special mention for his work with Cianfrance in bringing a different and intimate look to the characters, setting and story. Also, Mike Patton's unusual score fits perfectly and keeps the viewer on track. This is a very uncomfortable movie to watch, but those who enjoy tough, artsy films will be rewarded. www.MovieReviewsFromTheDark.wordpress.com

This is one of Gosling's older films that is just raw and beautiful. Two stories colliding into one. The pacing can be slow but it'll still keep you engaged all the way.