The Place Beyond the Pines

2013 • 140 minutes

About this movie

Academy Award nominees Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper star in this epic, riveting crime drama about the unbreakable bond between fathers and sons. Luke (Ryan Gosling) gives up his job as a motorcycle stunt performer in order to provide for his new family. Avery (Bradley Cooper), an ambitious rookie cop, struggles to make his way in a corrupt police department. Their two worlds collide when Luke takes part in a string of bank robberies and the consequences of their shocking confrontation will reverberate into the next generation. From the acclaimed director of Blue Valentine and co starring Eva Mendes and Ray Liotta, this engaging and powerful thrill ride has critics raving, "5 Stars! The Place Beyond the Pines is huge in its ambition, huge in its achievement!" (Mick LaSalle, The San Francisco Chronicle)

Ratings and reviews

SPOILER ALERT!! The Place Beyond the Pines is an OK movie. For about the first half of the movie before Gosling's character is killed, the movie has some potential. Gosling plays his hard-luck character very well and totally believable. I liked the chemistry between him and Eva Mendes even though it was not developed much. After Gosling's character is killed, the movie becomes somewhat mundane. The overall story line could have been more interesting and involved but it seemed to be rushed. Too much happened in too short a time leaving the characters undeveloped and the story thin. There is a saving grace though in that the ending is different than I thought it would be and pretty much redeems the movie. Besides Gosling, the actor who plays his son is very good. Bradley Cooper is, well, Bradley Cooper. The other characters were OK.

Just for one thing, how did the honorable Cooper character wind up with Charles Manson for a son? For another, am I really supposed to believe the Gosling character had such an effect on a kid that never knew him? It's silly. Well acted hoax, like a bad guy's 3 Musketeers or something. Way, way too many holes in it. I'm still flabbergasted this decent cop winds up with this heinous son. Wtf was this movie trying to say? Father/son stuff, my butt! They tried too hard for zero.

Given the time you will invest in watching it and the satisfaction you will derive from watching it, I cannot recommend it. This was two or three movies in one. The various plots are sort of connected, but could have been separated. I did not feel fulfilled at the end.