Review – The Place Beyond the Pines

One might be forgiven for seeing the trailer for this film and expecting Drive with motorcycles. Ryan Gosling is once again a man of very few words, who divides his time between stuntman and outlaw, but The Place Beyond the Pines is a long way from Refn’s car-orientated classic. This is art-house thriller territory, a three-act epic by the director of the somber Blue Valentine.

The story follows criminal (Ryan Golsing) and a cop (Bradley Cooper) and the effect that their encounter has on each other’s lives. There are bank robberies, corrupt cops, broken families and plenty of other good drama ingredients. Saying much more would spoil the unique structure of the film, which changes focus with each act. This storytelling method might be alienating for some viewers who prefer a clearer plot. Admittedly, this reviewer had difficulty guessing where it was all headed, which was sometimes suspenseful and at other times exhausting.

The cinematography is beautiful and naturalistic from the bright lights of the carnival to the picturesque state of New York. There is a particularly thrilling chase sequence around the middle of the film that is much more visceral than a typical action movie. We are amongst the chaos, up in characters’ faces (often uncomfortably so), allowing us to see Gosling and Cooper without the movie star gloss. It’s a stylistic choice that reminds the audience that we are certainly not watching a summer blockbuster.

The performances are strong and nicely complement the up-close-and-personal cinematography with Cooper as the ‘hero-cop’ being of particular note. Supporting performances by Eva Mendes and Ben Mendelsohn (playing an American crook) are both excellent.

The Place Beyond the Pines is a very well made film but it is quite ambitious in its epic narrative. There are some superb elements amongst the narrative that some people will love to discuss but will possibly trouble others. This reviewer appreciates challenging films that allow the audience to elicit meaning, but it will leave some viewers with something valuable and others scratching their heads.

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