I love going to the movies and expecting a film to be good and discovering that it is great. That was the case with writer/director Derek Cianfrance's The Place Beyond the Pines. The construction of the film and its three story arcs are seamless and riveting. The first arc centers around Luke Glanton (a searing Ryan Gosling), a professional motorcycle stuntman who works for a traveling state fair. Luke is quiet, yet intense. Caring, yet cold blooded. He is a walking contraction and someone who you do not want to meet in a dark alley under the wrong circumstances. Before the fair hits the road once again, Luke is visited by an old flame, Romina (Eva Mendes), who informs him that he has a child, but she has moved on and does not want Luke to be a part of the baby's life. However, Luke is determined to be a father and quits his job at the fair to be close to his son.
Working minimum wage jobs does not enable Luke to take care of his child, so he asks his new employer, Robin (Ben Mendelsohn), for money, only to be offered a chance to participate in a bank robbery. The quick cash appeals to Luke, so he agrees and is successful, but then does not want to stop. He enjoys the rush of adrenaline and the control he exerts over the helpless bank employees, who fear for their lives. Eventually, Robin wants out and has a falling out with Luke, who continues to rob banks, but finds going solo is not easy and soon finds himself face to face with the law.
The second arc centers around a cop, Avery Cross (a conflicted Bradley Cooper), who confronts Luke, which results in life changing events for both of them. For instance, Luke shoots Avery in the knee, causing permanent injury, which causes him to be assigned to the equivalent of a desk job. The transition is not easy and becomes more difficult when some of his "friends" from the police force do him a favor that he never asks for in the first place. This leads to problems down the road when they ask Avery for a favor in return. The once likable cop becomes torn over his dilemma and finds a way out, while paving a solid future for himself.
The third act flashes forward 15 years and mainly centers around Avery's teenage son, AJ (Emory Cohen), who meets a new friend at school, Jason (Dane DeHaan). The youngsters quickly get into trouble with drugs and face legal problems, until Avery saves both of them after realizing that Jason is the son of Luke Glanton. The past still haunts Avery, who demands that AJ not have anything to do with Jason. Meanwhile, Jason asks Romina for information about his father, but she refuses to divulge anything. As a result, he searches online and finds what he is looking for, but it is damning. Soon thereafter, AJ invites Jason over for a party, where Jason sees a picture of Avery hanging on the wall and recognizes him as the cop who ran afoul of his father. The two teens have a violent encounter and Jason decides that he wants to exact revenge on Avery.
The storytelling is relentless, dramatic and thoroughly interesting. While it is difficult to find any of the characters likable, except, perhaps, Jason, I actually cared about what happened to all of them. Cianfrance's direction reels viewers in and refuses to let them go and, in this case, a longer run time (nearly two and a half hours), is beneficial. Cianfrance co-wrote the outstanding screenplay with Ben Coccio and Darius Marder. In addition to the strong writing and direction, the performances are terrific. Ryan Gosling portrays a character similar to the one he played in the 2011 film Drive, but Luke's vulnerability is more obvious and his violent side is more apparent when his face is hidden, as opposed to his "in your face" style in Drive.
Bradley Cooper delivers a complex performance as the conflicted and sometimes sleazy Avery. He starts out as sort of a victim, but soon finds himself turning the tables on those who cross him and eventually becomes a ruthless opportunist. However, parts of his past still haunt him and he is never totally at peace. The younger actors are also quite good, but Dane DeHaan is the stand out as the heartbroken, yet determined Jason, who learns the hard truth about his father, but wants to emulate him, not shy away from his legacy. Jason looks like he could be Luke's son and shares the same quiet intensity and vulnerability that makes him unpredictable. The supporting cast features strong work from Ray Liotta and Bruce Greenwood. The Place Beyond the Pines is one the best movies I have seen this year and has my highest recommendation. The DVD is now available, so rent this one ASAP and thank me later. Oh, and the cinematography, by Sean Bobbitt, is exceptional.
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