The Place Beyond the Pines

A motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing banks as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective.

Regular readers of the blog will already be aware of my appreciation for Ryan Gosling's talent as an actor. The Place Beyond the Pines is yet another showcase of his skills, but that is by no means all it has to offer.

There's an awful lot of material covered in the film, even given the running time of around two hours twenty. The extensive cast of characters are all essential to the plot and in addition to the central themes, there are several subtopics that are delved into. It's an epic in scale, not time, that begins with the smallest of events and follows the consequences as they play out over the course of almost twenty years.

The most noticeable, and indeed effective, aspect of the movie is the sound. Whether it be the deafening roar of a motorcycle engine being tested to its limits, or the pounding bass of a drug-addled teenage house party, the presence is almost that of an extra character. It adds an additional dynamic to many scenes, palpably upping the tension, though at no point feeling contrived. The tension could easily survive on its own merits, but is pushed to the edge of overkill by the thundering accompaniments, whilst effortlessly avoiding what could so easily have been a huge pitfall.

In addition to Gosling, the rest of the cast also turn in memorable displays. From the smallest bit parts to the biggest chunks of screen time, each and every one of them is on top form. The roles that they fill are reasonably deep for the most part, though there are some cookie-cutter conceits here and there, but not so much as to be distracting. The course of each individual's life is changed in at least some small way by the consequences of the initial action that takes place and the plot flows almost poetically as each event collides with the next, sometimes drastically altering the outcome.

Writer/director, Derek Cianfrance, seems to have a flair for bringing to life believable relationships. As with his previous film, 2010's Blue Valentine, there's an undeniable sense of reality in the way in which the characters relate to each other and how this affects them. He shows us love, but not cheesy romance. It's a point which colours the entire feel of the picture and makes a terrific sense of immediacy unavoidable. It also helps a great deal in identifying with the plights of those whose lives we are following. Ultimately, his approach to these things leads you to care about how all this might turn out.

Short of divulging enough of the plot to spoil things, there is much more to enjoy than I can explore here. All I can do is encourage you to see what is a very special film.

The Verdict:

8/10 
Poetic, beautifully written and high on the tension. A must-see film that will leave a lasting impression.