The Place Beyond the Pines Film Review

 

 

 

 

 

Ryan Gosling, a.k.a. Captain Smolder, stars as Luke, a mysterious motorcycle circus rider who seems to gaze through life as though he has no purpose.  When an old fling, Romina (Eva Mendes), shows up to inform Luke that the last time he came through Schenectady, NY he left a gift in the form of a baby, Luke realizes that he has to learn to provide for his son – no matter the cost.  He partners up with Robin, a local mechanic with a troubled past, and begins utilizing his getaway skills in the art of bank robbery.  Luke soon begins to feel alive…and more volatile.

Bradley Cooper also stars as Avery, a beat cop with a law degree.  He is a new father and is under constant personal pressure to not be the man and lawyer his own father desperately wants him to be.   Avery unwittingly becomes a hero cop and is then put directly in the path of police deceit and corruption.  Avery then has to decide if he wants to continue to look the other way, or use this as the boost his career needs to go another direction.

The film follows these two as their lives cross paths over many years, but the underlying current of the film is the simple story of fathers and sons.  The path our fathers put sons on, as well as what course the sons will take.  It’s a direct storytelling device with various nuances to separate it from the numerous versions you have seen before.

Ryan Gosling owns the screen.  Yes, I often mock that the man smolders all day in his films, but if you are this good at it then smolder away.  It’s extremely hard to take your eyes off of him and the way the actor handles subtle rage, calm one minute to off the deep end the next, is simply mesmerizing to watch.  That doesn’t take away from Bradley Cooper though, as his Avery is one of the more well-rounded characters Cooper has done.  Avery and Luke are both good men with good intentions at their core, unfortunately upbringing affects how either of them handle their situations.  I should add that, with this and his stellar turn in Silver Linings Playbook, Cooper is turning into one exceptional actor.

The remainder of the cast is relegated to bit parts.  Mendes does a nice job as a single mom trying to do what’s right, Ray Liotta shows up to do his dirty cop act which is a little too familiar at this point, and even Bruce Greenwood pops up as the well-intentioned DA with a mustache to die for.  There are other actors with stellar performances, but the more told, the less you will be surprised.

Believe me when I tell you this much: Place Beyond the Pines is one of those slow burn dramas that you do NOT want to investigate much prior to seeing.  Watch the trailer, if it interests you, see the film.  The more you know going in, the more the experience will be taken from you.  It does not unfold the way you think it will, and director Derek Cianfrance does a very nice job keeping you invested even as the characters and situations change.

This is not a crime thriller, this is a character drama and as a character drama, the film lives or dies on its story and acting.  The story takes several unexpected turns but keeps your attention throughout, as well as the film offers two of the most dynamic young actors in film today giving stellar performances.  Though the film does have a few drawn out spots in the last 1/3, it is still one of the more riveting drama’s experienced so far this year.

If $10 is the full price of admission, this one is worth $7.50

Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider Podcast
You can also listen to Aaron’s review in Episode 89 of The HO!