The Place Beyond the Pines
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta.
This is a film all about characters, their interaction with one another and a storyline that spans generations as two sons feud over the sins of their fathers.
Director Cianfrance does a superb job, keeping the pace taut and the action tense as Gosling’s character transitions from dare-devil motorcyclist to dare-devil motorcycle bank robber. The bank robbing scenes are aggressive, tense and well filmed and these are the most riveting moments of the film where the audience will no doubt be backing the anti-hero trying to provide for his estranged girlfriend and son. Bradley Cooper’s character of the ever-honest street cop is very interesting, he is beyond corruption, even when under extreme pressure from the shady element of his division, in the form of Ray Liotta and his less-than-on-the-level cronies.
Ryan Gosling has been in a lot of movies recently. The Place Beyond the Pines is thankfully less violent than Drive in which his character barely spoke but also carried out psychotic violence. It’s more interesting and compelling than Blue Valentine. Gosling does what he basically does a lot of, broody, aggressive, petrol-headed, red-neck. And he does it with some genuine style and ability, although we have seen it all before, it’s still compelling.
Bradley Cooper is clearly trying to show that he can do more than just be in silly movies such as The Hangover but he doesn’t really get many genuine opportunities here, it’s basic stuff. It’s a character that could have gone a lot deeper and more internalised in terms of his feels of guilt and remorse.
Eva Mendes, has clearly gone method for this film, loosing weight and looking gaunt and trashy. It’s a fine performance on her part proving that she has genuine acting ability beyond rom-coms and following up her great turn in Bad Lieutenant. Sadly her character is somewhat sidelined. Rose Byrne doesn’t even get a chance to register which is a shame as she is a good actress.
In the final third of the film the two young actors Dane Dehaan and Emory Cohen playing the sons of Gosling and Cooper’s characters trade blows and lines brilliantly. Dehaan stands out as a great young actor, ready to take on bigger roles and with a resemblance to Gosling he is perfect in the role of his troubled son. Cohen doesn’t quite measure up to Dehaan but still puts in a decent performance.
A film about real people with real worries and problems, elevated above the everyday by their slightly over the top situations and crimes The Place Beyond the Pines will be a film watched and studied for years to come as a very good example of cinema and storytelling. It’s great performances from a committed cast make it something special.
