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.

In an attempt to give away as little as possible about this film, obviously so that you can enjoy all of the phases as I was able to do, I would like to simply highlight my opinion about this movie. It was a great film and was very entertaining. I'd recommend you take a chance and go see this film. Expect some theatrical diversity and in the end it all comes back full circle.

I have nothing negative to say. The acting was mature and accurate. Each character was playing a role that suited their own set of talents superbly.

Try not to read too many reviews and just go and see this movie. You will not be disappointed.

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.

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.

"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.