Movie #831 "The Place Beyond the Pines" was a movie I wanted to see since I spotted the trailer. Why? well, Ryan Gosling, of course. I don't want to give anything away, but I must tell all of the Gosling fans that he isn't in the whole film. Not at all. And when he leaves, it is VERY noticeable. Now the director must have thought Bradley Cooper could cover up the fact that Luke (the character he plays) is no longer in the film, but he doesn't --- I don't think it's Cooper's fault, because the second part of the film is just a dud because we've seen it already, with different people. We know the police can be corrupt, and what happens to the cops that spill that information.....I was about ready to turn this long film off, when the two teenage boys (progeny of Gosling and Cooper) appear in the third act here, and they are worth watching. Such stunning performances from these two boys --- they just take over the film, and end it quite well ---- thematically, it deals with the sons pay for the sins of their fathers. The scope is pretty wide here ---- I think perhaps too wide, in that it tries to cover too much time and too much stuff that has gone on during that time. Gosling is mesmerizing as Luke, in that he has a bunch of nuances that make him interesting to watch, even though he is a very quiet person. This director worked with him in blue Valentine and I know he depends on improv, and that is shown here again in this film. Scenes esp. between Gosling and Mendes are very real, and i enjoyed those. I'm hesitant to recommend it because it is long and tries to cover too much, but if the plot below, and the comments above pique your interest, Gosling very rarely disappoints.
The Place Beyond the Pines2012R140 minutes 3.5 out of 5 stars
Luke is a professional motorcycle rider who turns to bank robberies to support his newborn son, but when he crosses paths with a rookie police officer, their violent confrontation spirals into a tense generational feud.
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