The Place Beyond the Pines

"The Place Beyond the Pines" is the second feature film with the director/actor pair of Derek Cianfrance and Ryan Gosling. The two together are a two man wrecking force who show resemblance of a DiCaprio/Scorsese dynamic. In this film, they tackle an ambitious, emotional and completely original tale about fathers and sons, sins of the father, generational consequences, and how one moment can send shockwaves lasting a lifetime.

The movie is broken into three acts, each as compelling and unpredictable as the one before it. The film centers around three main characters, somehow, all connected to each other. It stars Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Dane DeHann as the leads. Ryan Gosling channels the brooding reticence of his unnamed badass from "Drive" and the cool swagger of Tyler Durden from "Fight Club." Bradley Cooper displays a lot of versatility as he plays a nervy rookie cop. Some other actors who shine here are Ben Mendelsohn, Mahershala Ali, Bruce Greenwood, and Ray Liotta (with his signature menacing intensity). The actors really own their roles and allow for the viewers to connect with the portrayal of their sympathetic characters. The only problem here is that the newcomer actors (Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen) don't carry their act as effectively and emotionally as Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper did.

The story here is ambitious and succeeds in telling a new and refreshing tale that filmgoers have not seen or experienced on this level of deep sophistication in ages. The film transcends movie tropes and plots as it takes a realistic, gritty, and life-like spin on traditional storytelling. "Pines" is more than just a movie. It is an exploration and examination of the human experience, spirit, and conscience.

To match the film's sensational storytelling and acting is the phenomenal directing, cinematography, and music. Everything about the filmmaking craft helps enhance the emotional impact, and real life gravity of the film. It isn't just some action crowd pleaser or CGI-infested cash grab. Nor is it some black and white 'good guys vs bad guys' rehashed plot Hollywood has been spewing out for the last quarter-century. It's an emotional, heart- wrenching, and enriching drama in which you see every character as a human person capable of love, forgiveness, and sinful actions. It is a powerhouse of craftsmanship. Director Derek Cianfrance expertly weaves together a complex and emotionally draining epic that puts an emphasis on how one moment/decision can affect generations to come. He also concocts immersive third-person POV tracking shots which greatly add to the occasional thrills of the film. The cinematography and music create a hurricane of emotions to further augment the viewing experience.

It is a travesty that "The Place Beyond the Pines" has not gotten the attention it deserves. It's mandatory viewing for any film buff or life enthusiast. Because what this movie is is life on screen.

The Place Beyond the Pines starts out with motorcycle stunt rider Luke (Ryan Gosling) who starts robbing banks in order to provide for his baby. A son he belatedly discovers he has because he broke up with his girlfriend Romina, (Eva Mendes) who is now living with another man.

Luke's plans to be a good father does not end well as his luck runs out. Avery (Bradley Cooper) is a novice cop who goes after Luke and later gets in some bother with corrupt cops in his department. The ambitious Avery uses this to get into the District Attorney's office.

The third act of the movie is set 15 years later as the children of these two men cross paths. Both children are delinquents in some ways.

The film goes for an epic scope with interweaving stories. There is a great opening with Gosling as he goes out to ride the wall of death.

The film loses its focus when it concentrates on their kids because the story is not that great. However director Derek Cianfrance has made an intriguing film. It is a shame that he runs out of his narrative drive by the end.

I really recommend not to go through any spoilers about this movie and try to enjoy the emotional and reasonable depths of its story. There are more than three dimensions filmed inside The Place Beyond the Pines, where many ideas are dealt with, each is rich enough to make a movie by its own.

The 2 hrs 10 minutes of the movie is in fact the time where at least four different yet connected perspectives are shown, with every one being taken care of as the main one and all main actors in those parts are superstars.

It is so good because it has excellent story, actors and directing.

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.

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.