I’ve really become a big fan of Ryan Gosling. The Place Beyond the Pines was a film that I’d never heard of until this year. However, after hearing about it once it starting popping up in all my film circles. After watching it, I finally understand why film people love it. There is a lot to love about the film and I give it the Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy rating.
The Place Beyond the Pines is an interesting story with a great cast
Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a stunt rider that turns to robbing banks in order to support his love and their new newborn child. This puts him on a path that leads to an inevitable confrontation with Avery (Bradley Cooper), a rookie cop, who is navigating a department ruled by corrupt officers.
Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, Ben Mendelsohn, Dane Dehaan, and Emory Cohen are the standouts in the film. Eva Mendes and Rose Byrne do a solid job, but definitely take a back seat story wise. The film is structured in three distinct segments. The first act follows Gosling, the second Cooper, and the third Dehaan and Cohen take center stage. I won’t say how their stories are intertwined, but it’s intriguing and extremely interesting. The story is very compelling and shows the idea of legacy. Will the son repeat or pay for the sins of the father?
Director and writer Derek Cianfrance did a great job with the film. I love the opening sequence which is a oner that follows Gosling. We see him walk through a fair and into a huge caged globe. He and two other stunt riders perform a crazy feat before the scene concludes. The symbolism seems strong that Luke is trapped and desperate. He is thrust into fatherhood and attempts to embrace it, but is definitely not sure what it takes. He has nothing to offer and Ben Mendelsohn gives him a direction.
Final thoughts on the Place Beyond the Pines
I really feel that this film has a lot to offer. There is a great chase scene, some interesting heist moments, and some great performances. Bradley Cooper was terrific in this film and his interaction with Ray Liotta is pretty great. The film is one that I plan to study a bit. There seems to be a lot going on visually that needs to be analyzed. It is one to check out if you’re a fan of any of the cast.
Berkreviews.com 