Writer: Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, Darius Marder
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendez, Rose Byrne, Ray Liotta
Tomatometer: 73/63/83 (all critics, top critics, audience)
Spoiler-free Summary: Ryan Gosling is a stunt motorcyclist. As it turns out, he’s got a son. Hoping to get himself on a the straight and narrow, Ryan decides to start robbing banks. Makes sense. Unfortunately for Ryan, Bradley Cooper is a dedicated (and moral) cop with a bit of an ego.
Two Cents: It’s official. Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper are the real deal. For The Pines, they teamed up with Cianfrance, an up-and-coming director who previously worked with Gosling on Blue Valentine. (As you may recall, Michelle Williams earned an Oscar nomination for her performance in Blue Valentine, but many were outraged over Gosling’s snub for his.) It’s easy to see that Cianfrance has a knack for creating incredibly deep characters and making a simple story seem monumental. I’m willing to bet an entire bag of Doritos that he’ll be nominated for a Best Director Oscar for one of his next two films. Of course, a director is only as good as his actors allow him to be, and Derek lucked out with his cast.
Gosling may have walked directly off the set of Drive and into the role of Luke, a dark loner of a stuntman. His blond hair doesn’t look natural, but everything else about his performance sure does. He has the power to make the audience fall for Luke, despite the motorcyclist’s unsavory personality. Too bad Gosling is planning to take a break from acting.
Bradley Cooper has further solidified his position at the top of my personal man-crush list. His talent is undeniable, and he continues to make excellent career choices. I’m sure the third installment of the Hangover trilogy will be a bit of a pothole, but it should allow Cooper to add another hot tub to his deck. When I first heard Cooper was doing a movie called The Place Beyond the Pines, I thought it would be more like this, but I’ll get over it.
Eva Mendes is not awesome. But, in The Pines, she ain’t half bad. Kudos to you, Ryan’s girlfriend. I’m still not sure why Wardrobe didn’t provide you with a brassiere, though.
Ray Liotta, one of my favorite a-hole actors, was a very wise choice for a character that was probably originally named Ray Liotta.
Rose Byrne was the weak link in the cast, but that’s not a jab at her. She’s been cast here, at least, in part, for her face. She’s just not on the same talent level as the other actors.
Two of the great supporting performances were turned in by Emory Cohen and Dane DeHaan. I wasn’t previously familiar with Cohen, but DeHaan has been building a nice little résumé for himself, most notably as Andrew in last year’s Chronicle. (Watch it.)
A couple of infants was cast in supporting roles, but I wasn’t very impressed with their work. I don’t foresee much stardom for either baby. One of them actually had a very off-putting arrogance about himself, as if he’s the best baby ever. I beg to differ. He was an average baby, at best.
Should I/Shouldn’t I: If you’ve been waiting for the first truly impressive movie of 2013, you haven’t seen Spring Breakers. If you’re looking for a more conventional plot line, then The Place Beyond the Pines is the movie you’ve been waiting for. No, I don’t see it getting any Oscar nominations, but, had it been released in December, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it get some nice buzz. It’s a simple story, but it’s got loads of heart. You may not remember this movie two years from now, but, for a few months, you’ll be very glad you saw it.
Sundae Rating: Two scoops with whipped cream
Sunday Morning Screenings 