The Place Beyond the Pines

Apparently it's just as depressing as the place before the pines...

                                                 Apparently the wings tasted like shit

DIRECTOR: Derek Cianfrance

CAST: That actor who mumbles all of the time, 'Face', nipples, Henry Hill, the Australian guy who needs to wash his hands, 'Harry Osborn' and a 23-year-old teenager...

PLOT: Tattooed, blonde-haired thug (not Eminem, Ryan Gosling) is a motorcycle stuntman who travels with a fair, but when he finds out that an old fling (Eva Mendes) resulted in a child (Dane DeHaan later on) he decides to rob banks for a living instead, in an attempt to provide for his not-so-loving family... 

Well, that's the first 50 minutes or so, and then Bradley Cooper gets caught up in some police crooked police work, but more on that to come... 

If ever there was a film that moved me and infuriated me at the same time, it would be Derek Cianfrance's second feature-length Ryan Gosling starring film, 'The Place Beyond the Pines'. This is because the film is excruciatingly a film of two halves, with the first half being much stronger than the second. The narrative more or less changes completely, only keeping to the same themes of family, the relationships that father's hold with their son's and the skeletons in the closets of those attempting to live the American Dream. The pace is changed, and we see a transition from seething family drama with a pinch of crime to a seething crime drama with a pinch of family. 

The second half, which is brought about by a huge inciting incident, is by no means bad as a film or a story, and Bradley Cooper continues to win plaudits since his Academy Award nominated outing in 'Silver Linings Playbook', but when it's compared to the astonishing first half which has Ryan Gosling front and centre, who continues to display why he is one of the most sought out actors in the world right now, you just find your arse beginning to ache as the long running time begins to stretch and you wish you were reliving the beautiful opening hour.

Right from the get-go you instantly get the feeling that you are in for a special ride as a wonderful long-lasting tracking shot follows Gosling's 'Luke Glanton' playing with a butterfly knife in his trailer at the fair - the kind of fair that we all envision when we think of the forgotten US, away from all of the mansions and swimming pools - until he is called to perform and we then watch him walk through the fair from behind, only seeing his tattoos and the smoke of his one of many cigarettes being puffed out like a train until he reaches his motorcycle being cheered on by lots and lots of rednecks. It's an impressive shot and we're all reminded as to why Cianfrance is one of the most exciting directorial prospects in the US after his praised 2010 effort 'Blue Valentine'.

                                         A wonderful shot of Gosling struggling to count

But it's the acting that much of the film relies on as it is essentially a character study above all the exploration of society and crime, with a hugely popular and talented ensemble of attractive people showing their ugly sides in bare and brave performances. Cooper continues to show everyone that he can do more serious roles than films such as 'The Hangover' and its un-respective sequels, Eva Mendes shows that she's not just a pretty face, Dane DeHaan follows up on fantastic performances in both 'Chronicle' and 'Lawless', Ben Mendelsohn is brilliant as always as a sleazy but an apparently well-meaning partner in crime and Ray Liotta out-sleazes everyone. The only member of the cast who is questionable is Emory Cohen as Bradley Cooper's irritating son and pigmentation confused thug whose voice will make you want to get hit my a hammer to the temple. He doesn't come across as a poor actor, it's just a rare example of poor casting, as he's supposed to be playing a 17-year-old when in reality he's built like a brick shit house and looks as if he's pushing 30; plus he looks nothing like Cooper.

However, it's Ryan Gosling who will rightfully win over the majority of the critics, who is surely pushing for a well-deserved Academy Award nomination and only makes me more excited for his upcoming drama/thriller, 'Only God Forgives'. Surely the best at conveying emotions from a performance without the extensive use of dialogue, only adding to the seething tension and drama. His high-pitched shouting during robberies is expertly utilised to highlight the fish-out-of-water, the man who is desperate to be rich in a nightmarish America rather than a dreamy one, screeching orders to bank employees with fear and worry. A small touch, but an inspired one that digs deep down into the cracks of the cool and calm persona that has been attached to Gosling since 'Drive'. 

The performances and wonderful cinematography give 'The Place Beyond the Pines' its depth and grace, and lack of grace many a time. The themes are deep and welcomingly explored and the story is a realistic strum of the heart strings. It's just a shame that the best came first and the film rather fizzled out as it continued to plod along. If the film improved as it went along this review would be a lot different, perhaps even pushing five stars. It's never bad, it just feels forced at times, as Cianfrance tries to say too much and confusing the pacing with too many characters and inciting incidents. A story like this might have been better told in a TV drama series, but then we would suppose the ensemble cast, the main strength of the film, would have been near-impossible to obtain for a television programme. 

* * * ½