Place Beyond the Pines

Place Beyond the Pines (2013)
Directed by: Derek Cianfrance
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

A little while back, I reviewed Blue Valentine which is another one of Cianfrance's films. I really enjoyed the emotion and gravity of the film so when I saw the trailer for Place Beyond the Pines, and saw that Cianfrance was at the helm again, I got excited. The trailer sets up the story nicely without revealing too much to the viewer. It was released nationwide yesterday and I took the opportunity to score a matinee price this afternoon. Before you read my review, I strongly encourage you to watch the trailer if you haven't already.


Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) is a daredevil dirtbike rider. He makes a living traveling with a carnival and performing stunts inside a metal cage. The film opens with Luke walking from his trailer to the tent where his bike and cage await. We see that Luke is heavily tattooed and has bleached blonde hair. He looks like white trash. After his performance, Luke is signing autographs for the children that watched him perform. At this point, a woman catches his eye. It is revealed that Luke knows the woman, Romina (Eva Mendes), from the year before. He takes her home and tells her that he is leaving for another year tomorrow. The two part ways but Luke begins to contemplate staying with Romina. He rides back to her house and Romina's mother answers the door. She is holding a baby and informs him that he, Jason, is his son. Luke holds Jason for a few moments, hands him back to Romina's mother, and heads to the diner where she works. He confronts her about the child and says that he is going to stick around. He quits his job with the carnival the next day and goes to ride his bike in the hills. He is spotted by Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) who is out riding his four-wheeler. Robin offers Luke a ride into town and he accepts. As they ride, Robin discovers that Luke knows a lot about engine mechanics so he offers him a job and a trailer to sleep in. After some time passes, Luke mentions that he needs more work because what Robin is paying is not enough to support Jason and Romina. Robin tells Luke they could rob a bank and Luke laughs off the suggestion. Robin details the plans for the robbery stating that he has done it four times over a decade ago; he was never caught. After an altercation with Romina's boyfriend, Luke agrees to the robbery. Place Beyond the Pines is a film about the decisions we make and how they affect our lives and those around us. It's about the lengths that a father would go through to protect and to provide for his child.

**OBLIGATORY SPOILER WARNING**
Place Beyond the Pines feels like three separate films. The first part is about Luke, Romina, and the bank robberies. The second part is about Bradley Cooper (yeah, he's in this), Avery Cross, a young Schenectady police officer that catches Luke. The last part is about Cross's son, AJ, and Jason fifteen years after Luke is caught. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it segments the film and can feel jarring. As I was watching the film I checked the time more times than I like to while I am supposed to be engrossed in what I am watching. I am not saying the film was bad, actually, it's quite the contrary. It just felt...disjointed. The most exciting aspect of the film was the bank robberies. When Robin tells Luke his plan it seems too easy. Luke parks his bike at the front door of the bank he is robbing, he wears coveralls and his helmet, and he goes in and demands that the tellers empty their drawers. Luke puts the bills in his bag himself to ensure there are no dye packs. He then exits the bank and rides his bike, really fast mind you, to a truck here Robin is waiting. Luke rides the bike up into the truck, Robin closes the gate, and the two ride off without a trace of the robber. These scenes keep you pulled in. We want Luke to succeed because he is doing this for his family. However, things get dicey when Luke feels the need to rob more and more banks. He becomes addicted to the rush and to the feeling he gets by providing for Ro and Jason. This is Luke's decision that changes his life forever.
Avery Cross ends up catching Luke and is awarded by the department for his bravery. He is then taken to Ro's house by fellow officers to search the premises for evidence of the money that Luke stashed. When one of the officers finds fourteen thousand dollars, they leave and split it amongst them (with Avery getting the largest cut). When Avery brings this to the attention of the captain, he is chastised for trying to indict his fellow officers. Officer Deluca (Ray Liotta), the leader of the crooked cops, instructs Avery to follow him in his car because he needs to discuss something with him. Deluca leads Avery out into a dirt road in the woods and Avery stops his car, reverses, and speeds away. He then goes to the DA (Bruce Greenwood) with evidence against a group of officers and demands to be made an assistant DA. He is asked if he is sure he wants to go through with the case. Avery says he does. This is Avery's decision.
Fifteen years later, Avery is now seeking public office and is in the thick of the election season. His son, AJ, has come to live with him and is not fitting in well (he talks like a Jersey Shore reject). Jason, Luke's son, is the same age as AJ and is a loner at school. The two become friends until the truth about AJ's father is made known to Jason. Jason must decide how he will handle that information. This is Jason's decision. Ultimately, as I stated above, Place Beyond the Pines explores the decisions we make, how they affect the situation, and how that affect will continue for years to come.

No BS

Place Beyond the Pines is a cerebral film. It makes you think about what you would do if placed in the position that the characters are in. Would you react in the same way? Would you be so quick to be the hero or would you take an easy way out? While I did enjoy the film, I felt it was a little long and disjointed. I'd recommend seeing it once it hits RedBox or Netflix (sorry Derek).

My Score: 7/10