The Place Beyond The Pines (2013)

The Place Beyond The Pines (R) - Review

"When you ride like lightning, you're gonna crash like thunder"

An unswerving look into the many trials and tribulations of the American Father, TPBTP is a long tale told in a trilogy of stories which all relate but are surprisingly not interwoven together.  In this day and age of complex film narrative ala Tarantino, not having the stories intercut feels almost experimental and refreshing.  Almost.  Yet its successes are due to director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine) and enigmatic performances by Ryan Gosling (Drive) and Ben Mendelsohn (Killing Them Softly).

First there is the circus motorcycle outlaw Luke (played with more grime than glitz by Gosling), who has just recently discovered that he has a son mothered by Roni (Eva Mendes) in pastoral Schenectady, New York.  He turns to a new friend and a criminal enterprise to help his bid to becoming the man of the house.  This is the strongest of the stories, with good naturalistic acting and raw scenic beauty mixed with the breakneck motocross stunts.

The second story is of Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), a rookie cop and rookie dad who has a violent confrontation with Gosling.  Bradley is the son of a Judge and a nonpracticing lawyer who has been hooked into the fraternal world of the Schenectady Police Department.  The consequences of his actions soon have him questioning his profession and safety when his friends the crooked cops, led by the man who almost invented the role of authoritative lizard-like menace Ray Liota, come asking for favors and bearing unwanted gifts.

The third story is Gosling's and Coopers sons, now aged 15 years and attending the same High School though unaware of their father's histories.  The teenage sons plot is the weakest of the three tales, but the ending is both unpredictable and worthwhile.  Getting there is just a bit too long on the road, and with a movie this front loaded you can really feel the miles as it enters its second hour.  The yearning for the past is steeped into the third act, while us filmgoers look back 2 hours and say "that was a promising beginning'.

6.5 Unfortunate Tattoos out of 10 (GOOD)