2012 Movie
Dir. Derek Cianfrance · United States of America · English, Spanish
The movie starts with Luke (Ryan Gosling) as a stunt driver who learns he has a newborn child. Luke wants to properly provide for him, so he turns to robbing banks. That causes conflict with the mother (Eva Mendes) and a police officer (Bradley Cooper), which ends up spanning two generations. The Place Beyond the Pines is gritty and emotional, and at the heart of it, a good take on father-son relationships and long-term consequences.
A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.
"The film points out how tough it can be to escape from cycles of violence, how misguided attempts to speed ahead only set someone on the road to ruin, and how the compulsion to ride like the wind is inextricable from the fear that you’re getting nowhere."
— Gayle Sequeira
"Grand, plangent and innervating, Cianfrance's latest is more than adequate proof that he's as cut out for the big as for the small of cinema."
— Thirza Wakefield
Nat. Board of Review
1 nom
This is best described as a special movie. It’s really a piece of art: beautiful, resounding, with a mournfully soft tone to it. The ambition of the story it’s telling, the flawless acting, and the overwhelmingly human themes make The Place Beyond the Pines a movie that will undoubtedly subvert, surpass, and surprise all the expectations you have for it. I would recommend not watching any trailers, reading any synopses, or really knowing anything about this movie going into it. I cannot stress this enough: it’s a very unique and special movie, with great acting, some good visual moments, but most of all, just a captivating and special story that deserves recognition and praise.