The Place Beyond the Pines (2011)

 Starring- Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ben Mendelsohn, Dane Dehan, Emery Cohen, Mahershala Ali, and Ray Liotta.

Directed By- Derek Cianfrance.

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Robin- "You know something, Luke? If You ride like lightning, you're gonna crash like thunder."

The first 45 minutes of this movie are very good; the story has all sorts of potential & possibilities. Touching and intense with raw performances from everyone. The story slowly pulls you in, with Lukes' destructive character, then breaks your heart as you go for the ride (literally) the soundtrack is beautiful and it’s essentially three stories into one, each showing how choices affect everyone around us.

I found the film very absorbing from the start with Ryan Gosling's character development on fast forward so at least 3 massive life events all happen in the first 20 minutes of the film. There's not a lot of action scenes but when there are they're very tense and exciting.  Ben Mendelsohn should really be recognized for Best Supporting Actor here. Gosling gives a great performance as an Outlaw type, but also a caring man who just wants to provide for his son.

 Cooper also does great acting here! At first you will hate his character, but as you realize what is going on, you will almost forget about the first act and now focus on the story of Avery!

The main problem with the film is it's length and not knowing when to stop. The first part of the film is constantly engaging and would be a nine out of ten if the film stayed like that the whole way through. When the focus shifts from characters however it really doesn't feel as exciting and almost feels like the start of totally different movie. A movie that isn't bad but is nowhere near as good as the one you've just seen.

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.

Trust me, this only makes sense in the end. To finish off with a sentence: This movie represents a classic example of your unethical actions coming back to taunt you.

My Rating- 7/10

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