The Place Beyond the Pines

Audience Reviews

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Theodore L Mar 21, 2019 Anyone who did not enjoy this movie does not have their head connected to their heart. A beautifully made and structured movie and has become my all time favourite. It is a captivating and thought provoking movie with complex characters that are played with authenticity and raw emotion. It echoes the boldness of Shakespeares writing but not once loses its originality. The story tells the tale of the inheritance of sin, the privilege of social class and how two separate lives become enterwined indefinately. It is one that you definitely will not forget. See more

Albus L Mar 16, 2019 Sad and beautiful film about forgiveness and grace.

Draco R Mar 4, 2019 An ambitious crime drama with an outstanding cast! Director Derek Cianfrance repeats the success of his realistic family drama Blue Valentine (2010) with his follow-up film: The Place Beyond the Pines (2012). Cianfrance directs The Place Beyond the Pines with an eye for peaceful natural shots and intimate revealing close-ups of his actors for genuine performances. Cianfrance follows the indie director ethos of actually allowing his actors to breathe and act naturally amongst their castmates. Cianfrance steps back to give his actors a space with communicate with the audience so beautifully. His direction is striking, while simultaneously emotionally harrowing. Cianfrance understands the human drama has to feel real in order for the crime elements to hit his audience. I found the look of The Place Beyond the Pines to resemble a realistic version of reality, while giving this fictional story verisimilitude. The narrative structure of The Place Beyond the Pines is intriguing as it creates its own history by delving into the lives of a few key characters over 15 years. Itâ(TM)s all parallels between fathers and sons, while asking us the virtue of crime.Two men commit crimes of different natures, on different sides of the law, for different reasons, but both have to deal with their consequences. Their sons repeat or differ accordingly with fascinating choices. I think the real parable is that we all get a choice what to do with our lives. The key is to know when and how to do the right thing. Cianfranceâ(TM)s script is brilliant and clever with intertwined narratives and grounded dialogue. I never felt like any character would never say his or her lines. Cianfranceâ(TM)s expertise is in realistic dialogue and natural storytelling, in how he lets his stories play out how they might in real life, rather than aggrandizing them beyond into standard movie fare. His themes of family, fate, justice, and fatherhood are all strung together into one harp of discord within The Place Beyond the Pines. The Place Beyond the Pines features a score from Mike Patton. His quiet and pretty score accompanies The Place Beyond the Pines beautifully. I was never distracted by the music, but it certainly added some nice ambiance and atmosphere to each scene. Patton is more understated than ever before in his compositions for The Place Beyond the Pines and he works wonders for the film. Next, The Place Beyond the Pines boasts a massive cast of incredible talent. Foremost, Ryan Gosling leads as Luke, the carnival driver turned criminal outlaw with an honest intentions and an ill advised trajectory. Gosling is really cool and commanding whenever he is on screen. His presence is palpable. All the tattoos, Metallica shirt, tough stance, soft words, anxious yells, real motivations, and gentle attitude make his character a truly complicated figure. Gosling is a master of nuanced acting and Cianfrance got another classic performance out of him just like Blue Valentine. Then, there is Bradley Cooper. I honestly think that Cooper gives his most genuine and sincerely greatest performance of his acting career in The Place Beyond the Pines. He only appears about a third of the way into the film, but you will never forget his portrayal of a guilty conscious, negligent parenting, corrupt police work, lying to a district attorney, and facing up to his shame. Cooper delivers a complex character that hits on many of the movieâ(TM)s themes. Similarly, the supporting cast of The Place Beyond the Pines is excellent as well. Eva Mendes is so emotional and sympathetic, while you empathize with Rose Byrne and feel she is realistic as a copâ(TM)s wife. Both supporting ladies are lovely, but their real charm in The Place Beyond the Pines is their gripping depiction of women devastated by tragedy and the decisions of the men they once loved. Likewise, I must mention the treasure trove of supporting actors. Mahershala Ali gives a nice performance a poignant father figure years before his triumphant portrayal in Moonlight. Ben Mendelsohn delivers a grisly and gritty turn as a dirty character actor with a gravelly American accent. Ray Liotta is a corrupt cop that harks back to how intimidating and believable Liotta was in Goodfellas. Bruce Greenwood and Harris Yulin bring a sense of respect and authority to their possibly shady government figures. I have to commend Emory Cohen for depicting such an unlikable spawn of Bradley Cooper. They do look alike, but Cohen loses the casual charm of Cooper in favor of a brutal high school bully persona that is someone to be reckoned with when you least expect him. Lastly, I am perhaps most impressed by Dane DeHaanâ(TM)s very prominent and subtle role as Ryan Goslingâ(TM)s son Jason. The Place Beyond the Pines contains DeHaanâ(TM)s best acting thus far. He is compassionate and thoughtful with a reserved icy glare that he lessens as his emotions flair. DeHaan has the potential to ascend to a great actor if he picks better roles than Tulip Fever or Valerian. I hope he can rekindle the magic he conjured in The Place Beyond with Pines with more dramatic and independent roles in the near future. Before long, Dane DeHaan will hopefully be appreciated for his convincing and moving portrayal in The Place Beyond the Pines. I need say no more. The Place Beyond the Pines is an exhilarating and touching film from Derek Cianfrance. He is a director I will continue to watch for after his fantastic films Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines really got me. See more

Poe S Mar 3, 2019 Just saw this Amazing movie on Netflix and it just blew me away this movie is so unpredictable in a good way

Leia W Feb 21, 2019 Thematically profound and richly-acted, this sprawling drama uses its three act structure to tell three interwoven stories, held together by the acts, or sins, of the fathers at its center. It's an ambitious drama and mostly excellent, just short of masterpiece status when it loses some steam in the third act. See more

Finn R Jan 28, 2019 Slow moving, and manages to drag a an already long movie into what feels like three long movies. However, if you can persevere through the long parts, the end ties together what before may have seemed like a disjointed mess. I give it a higher rating because of the jobs done by the Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, and there best of the cast. Each seems to have embraced their role and been cognizant of how their part plays in the bigger scheme designed by the ever ambitious Cianfrance. The theme of what goes around comes around will leave you thinking about this film a good bit after you've seen it. See more

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The Place Beyond the Pines

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