The Place Beyond the Pines
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'The Place Beyond the Pines' (written/directed by Derek Cianfrance, who gave us 2010's Blue Valentine), set in Schenectady, NY, is a sprawling family drama that unfolds over 16 years in 3 distinct acts. Act 1 (comprising 50 of the film's 136 minutes) introduces us to motorcycle daredevil Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), a loner who finds his life turned upside down when he learns that he's the father of a baby boy as a result of a brief affair with local waitress, Romina (Eva Mendes). Fatherhood is important to Luke. He never had a relationship with his dad. So he wants to be a part of his son's life, but doesn't quite know how. He starts by getting a job working for a cooky mechanic (Australia's Ben Mendelsohn) who teaches him that there are more lucrative ways to get $$ ... robbing banks.
Officer Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) is an ambitious, if jittery rookie cop who finds out - after a tragic encounter with Luke - how difficult it can be to carry the label of "hero"; especially when he has self-doubt about the nature of his "heroics". Act 2 covers this law-school graduate who joined the police force to fight injustice. He is given a dispiriting lesson in the line of police work by a network of corrupt cops (including a slimy detective played by Ray Liotta). Avery's wife, Jennifer (Rose Byrne), resents the danger of his cop profession & his own conscience refuses to let him take the easy way out. Then Act 3 flashes forward 15 yrs. to where 2 high school kids, misunderstood loner Jason (Dane DeHaan) & outspoken ne'er-do-well AJ (Emory Cohen) form an unlikely friendship based on Jason's drug-dealing contacts & AJ's easy access to $$. Jason & AJ share a deep-seeded secret of which neither is intially aware. Drama ensues.
'The Place Beyond the Pines' - whose title comes from the Iroquois Indians meaning Schenectady - takes a coincidingly epic, yet intimate look at fateful decisions & their lasting reverberations. The screenplay never simplifies anyone to good or bad, hero or villain: these are all complex people facing difficult situations in the only ways they believe they can. But their choices lead to Greek tragedy-like consequences, at times. There's intriguing pathos in the way Luke copes with the sudden news that he has a son & in the knee-jerk desperation that drives him to rob banks to provide the child with a better upbringing than he had.
Similarly, Avery is a character who must cope with issues rarely addressed in films: when cops react in the line of duty and are deemed a hero, how do they actually process it? In Avery's case, the reaction is believable & somewhat heartbreaking. With this 3 Act structure, Avery emerges as the most fully-rounded figure, giving Cooper some considerable narrative heft to deal with. Delivering, for me, the best performance of his young career, Cooper plays Avery as a tortured hero who must face one ethical decision after another; not knowing where to turn when sh*t hits the fan. Gosling is also superb as the enigmatic Luke. Sure, he comes up with a striking look (bleach-blonde hair, tattoos everywhere), and embodies a too-cool-for-school type, but the tender look in his eyes when he's with his young son shows his true character. And Dane DeHaan is terrific; subtly mirroring some of Gosling's mannerisms for a convincing portrayal as his wayward son.
Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt finds gritty beauty in even the most squalid of settings. I'm reminded of a long, unbroken shot in the opening minutes where we follow the buff, tattooed Gosling as he dresses, smokes, & walks with screaming fans through the depressing carnival grounds en route to the steel cage where he performs his death-defying motorcycle act. From an editing standpoint, there's a car/motorbike chase accomplished in one seemingly unbroken take, and it is awesome. Portions of 'TPBtP' are quite suspenseful. I was always on edge; wondering if something awful was going to happen around each plot point. But then, whenever something bad did occur, it was handled so realistically, so deftly, that it's effect was never an actual downer.
'The Place Beyond the Pines' poses the question: are we trapped in our own destinies or can we break from it & make a new path in the world? The answer isn't so clear-cut, which makes this film as slow-burn compelling as it is. You know, the plot spends a lot of time lingering on the darkness in men's souls & ethical/literal corruption. But I wouldn't call the entire movie 'grim' because there's a cyclical sense of balance & closure to the proceedings and an element of hope in the way it ends. Overall, while the film has some flaws (parts of Act 2 & 3 have fits & starts), the ambition on display is impressive; the characters are interesting; & they capture our sympathy. This sorrowful, haunting identity story about fathers, sons, sins, & personal redemption is very powerful.
Officer Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) is an ambitious, if jittery rookie cop who finds out - after a tragic encounter with Luke - how difficult it can be to carry the label of "hero"; especially when he has self-doubt about the nature of his "heroics". Act 2 covers this law-school graduate who joined the police force to fight injustice. He is given a dispiriting lesson in the line of police work by a network of corrupt cops (including a slimy detective played by Ray Liotta). Avery's wife, Jennifer (Rose Byrne), resents the danger of his cop profession & his own conscience refuses to let him take the easy way out. Then Act 3 flashes forward 15 yrs. to where 2 high school kids, misunderstood loner Jason (Dane DeHaan) & outspoken ne'er-do-well AJ (Emory Cohen) form an unlikely friendship based on Jason's drug-dealing contacts & AJ's easy access to $$. Jason & AJ share a deep-seeded secret of which neither is intially aware. Drama ensues.
'The Place Beyond the Pines' - whose title comes from the Iroquois Indians meaning Schenectady - takes a coincidingly epic, yet intimate look at fateful decisions & their lasting reverberations. The screenplay never simplifies anyone to good or bad, hero or villain: these are all complex people facing difficult situations in the only ways they believe they can. But their choices lead to Greek tragedy-like consequences, at times. There's intriguing pathos in the way Luke copes with the sudden news that he has a son & in the knee-jerk desperation that drives him to rob banks to provide the child with a better upbringing than he had.
Similarly, Avery is a character who must cope with issues rarely addressed in films: when cops react in the line of duty and are deemed a hero, how do they actually process it? In Avery's case, the reaction is believable & somewhat heartbreaking. With this 3 Act structure, Avery emerges as the most fully-rounded figure, giving Cooper some considerable narrative heft to deal with. Delivering, for me, the best performance of his young career, Cooper plays Avery as a tortured hero who must face one ethical decision after another; not knowing where to turn when sh*t hits the fan. Gosling is also superb as the enigmatic Luke. Sure, he comes up with a striking look (bleach-blonde hair, tattoos everywhere), and embodies a too-cool-for-school type, but the tender look in his eyes when he's with his young son shows his true character. And Dane DeHaan is terrific; subtly mirroring some of Gosling's mannerisms for a convincing portrayal as his wayward son.
Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt finds gritty beauty in even the most squalid of settings. I'm reminded of a long, unbroken shot in the opening minutes where we follow the buff, tattooed Gosling as he dresses, smokes, & walks with screaming fans through the depressing carnival grounds en route to the steel cage where he performs his death-defying motorcycle act. From an editing standpoint, there's a car/motorbike chase accomplished in one seemingly unbroken take, and it is awesome. Portions of 'TPBtP' are quite suspenseful. I was always on edge; wondering if something awful was going to happen around each plot point. But then, whenever something bad did occur, it was handled so realistically, so deftly, that it's effect was never an actual downer.
'The Place Beyond the Pines' poses the question: are we trapped in our own destinies or can we break from it & make a new path in the world? The answer isn't so clear-cut, which makes this film as slow-burn compelling as it is. You know, the plot spends a lot of time lingering on the darkness in men's souls & ethical/literal corruption. But I wouldn't call the entire movie 'grim' because there's a cyclical sense of balance & closure to the proceedings and an element of hope in the way it ends. Overall, while the film has some flaws (parts of Act 2 & 3 have fits & starts), the ambition on display is impressive; the characters are interesting; & they capture our sympathy. This sorrowful, haunting identity story about fathers, sons, sins, & personal redemption is very powerful.