'The Place Beyond The Pines'
A couple of days ago I caught an outstanding, intelligent and engrossing crime thriller by the name of 'The Place Beyond The Pines'. This film so impressed me, I left the cinema thinking I had just seen a modern day classic. I believe this work will stand up in years to come. 'Pines' was made by Derek Cianfrance, who back in 2010 released the poignant 'Blue Valentine', which beautifully caught the pain and emotion of a couple breaking up, but on screen the story was told in reverse, beginning with the split and working it's way back to how the love affair between the two first blossomed. The lovers were played (to perfection) by Michelle Williams, who received an Academy Award nomination, and Ryan Gosling, who I thought deserved a nomination, but was overlooked.
Being fully aware that he is not just another pretty boy actor, but can in fact deliver the goods, Cianfrance enlisted hot A-lister actor Ryan Gosling again, this time to headline 'The Place Beyond The Pines', alongside another hot A-lister, Bradley Cooper (the heat still evident from his recent Oscar nominated box office hit movie, 'Silver Linings Playbook' and what will surely be one of this summer's biggest money makers, 'The Hangover Part 3') in essentially what is a double header. The story itself is told in a grand epic style and actually crosses generations, spanning over 17 years. Though crime is featured quite strongly in the tale, it is not the heart and soul of the film. The theme that resonates the most is that of fathers and sons and choices made that can be life changing, in both good and bad ways.
Being fully aware that he is not just another pretty boy actor, but can in fact deliver the goods, Cianfrance enlisted hot A-lister actor Ryan Gosling again, this time to headline 'The Place Beyond The Pines', alongside another hot A-lister, Bradley Cooper (the heat still evident from his recent Oscar nominated box office hit movie, 'Silver Linings Playbook' and what will surely be one of this summer's biggest money makers, 'The Hangover Part 3') in essentially what is a double header. The story itself is told in a grand epic style and actually crosses generations, spanning over 17 years. Though crime is featured quite strongly in the tale, it is not the heart and soul of the film. The theme that resonates the most is that of fathers and sons and choices made that can be life changing, in both good and bad ways.
Ryan Gosling as Luke in 'The Place Beyond The Pines'
The film begins in the 80's where we find Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) as a motorcycle stunt rider in Synecdoche, upstate New York. His life is not really anchored as he travels around performing his death defying tricks. Unbeknown to him when he leaves town, his girlfriend Ramona (played by Eva Mendes) is carrying his child. He discovers the truth when he returns to find he has a 6 month old son. Wanting to do right by his newborn and the mother Ryan decides it's time to straighten up his act and provide for both of them. The problem is he has no money and has quit his stunt work. Enter a car repair man (played by Ben Mendelsohn) who persuades Luke the quick way to make cash is to rob banks.
Without giving the plot away, Luke does indeed rob banks, but this illegal activity brings hime across the path of Avery Cross (played by Bradley Cooper), a uniformed police officer who also has an infant son. It is at this point of the film that the story centres on Bradley Cooper's character. Through his dealings with Glanton (Gosling), Cross is wounded on duty and hailed as a hero, even though he himself knows himself not to be one. An interesting twist is made when he comes into contact with several crooked cops including a particularly menacing type played by Ray Liotta ('Goodfellas'). As soon as he appeared on screen I just knew he was going to be trouble, with a capital T. Of late Liotta seems to be the go-to guy when Hollywood need a convincing crooked cop! This section of the film reminded me of the classic New York cop corruption movies made by the late, great Sidney Lumet, 'Serpico' and 'Prince Of The City'.
After much drama over the pangs of conscience going on with Avery Cross (Cooper), this epic tale (which runs at 140 minutes) jumps 15 years and we see the baby sons of the main characters now fully grown teenagers crossing paths. Neither have any knowledge that their fathers did exactly the same thing to tragic consequences. Their relationship, amongst other things throws up feelings of anguish that connect directly to their fathers, and their own feelings towards their fathers. The script allowed the questions of how we feel and react, as well as connect to people and situations (sometimes out of our control) to rise to the surface. The film was beautifully shot and the action sequences (especially the bank robberies) had me gripped to my seat. 'The Place Beyond The Pines' (which is what the town Schenectady means in the Mohawk language) is a drama with heart and class.
Without giving the plot away, Luke does indeed rob banks, but this illegal activity brings hime across the path of Avery Cross (played by Bradley Cooper), a uniformed police officer who also has an infant son. It is at this point of the film that the story centres on Bradley Cooper's character. Through his dealings with Glanton (Gosling), Cross is wounded on duty and hailed as a hero, even though he himself knows himself not to be one. An interesting twist is made when he comes into contact with several crooked cops including a particularly menacing type played by Ray Liotta ('Goodfellas'). As soon as he appeared on screen I just knew he was going to be trouble, with a capital T. Of late Liotta seems to be the go-to guy when Hollywood need a convincing crooked cop! This section of the film reminded me of the classic New York cop corruption movies made by the late, great Sidney Lumet, 'Serpico' and 'Prince Of The City'.
After much drama over the pangs of conscience going on with Avery Cross (Cooper), this epic tale (which runs at 140 minutes) jumps 15 years and we see the baby sons of the main characters now fully grown teenagers crossing paths. Neither have any knowledge that their fathers did exactly the same thing to tragic consequences. Their relationship, amongst other things throws up feelings of anguish that connect directly to their fathers, and their own feelings towards their fathers. The script allowed the questions of how we feel and react, as well as connect to people and situations (sometimes out of our control) to rise to the surface. The film was beautifully shot and the action sequences (especially the bank robberies) had me gripped to my seat. 'The Place Beyond The Pines' (which is what the town Schenectady means in the Mohawk language) is a drama with heart and class.
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