I'm going to start off with the plot of the film which anybody after reading the synopsis will agree that it seems like your average crime/drama narrative. What I was really looking at for something special was the direction and execution of this plot by Derek Cianfrance; who previously directed Blue Valentine also starring Ryan Gosling.
Referring to this direction, I thought that Cianfrance did a good job of handling the story for the most part. I felt it took necessary twists and turns in the narrative to allow it to break away from a generic crime movie. I also didn't see some of these coming so it was a nice surprise to be shocked within the film and it had me wondering what was going to come next. This of course invested me into the story a lot more than if it was just a typical film from the particular genre it fell into.
Tieing into Cianfrance's take on the film as well as the director of photography's work, I truly appreciated the stretched out shots that were used. Something so simplistic but effective such as Ryan Gosling's character walking to the arena in which he performs his motorcycle stunts in the opening of the film was very captivating. Right off the bat it appealed to me in a peculiar way and I was almost invested from that moment in. This wasn't the only time that these long shots were used. Another was the car chase scene in which Gosling's character is being chased through the graveyard after pulling off another heist. It was shot from a unique perspective via the dashboard of the police vehicle which I thought was a nice touch. It really immersed me into that scene and what was already turning out to be a great chase scene, added more value and appreciation from myself. I actually think that all of the action sequences within the film were captured ever so well and only helped but immerse me into these events even more.
As for the score used, I thought it was perfect. Probably one of the better scores for a film that I've seen from this year that's for sure. There was just something so simplistic yet immersive about it. It wasn't exactly anything groundbreaking but I think that it just matched up with the visuals perfectly. Of course, this added to my enjoyment of the film and if the music wasn't nailed; could have easily hindered the movie for some people including myself.
Linking back to feeling that it had to shy away from conventions of the crime/drama genre and bring something new to the table was something it certainly did. Derek Cianfrance and Ben Coccio made a ballsy move to kill off their protagonist in under an hour of the film's running time. Now even if you didn't necessarily like this element, like myself, as I had mixed emotions about the decision, undoubtedly I appreciate the fact that they were willing to make such a bold choice.
I'm not sure if this was just me but I thought we were going to see a lot more of Ryan Gosling's character than we actually did. As I've said, I appreciated the decision they made but this is where my mixed emotions come into play. I felt he could have carried this film in areas where it lacked some movement and development as he is a phenomenal actor. I also felt that there could have been some more development of his character as his arc was certainly the most interesting. I got the idea that Gosling was going to be the main focus from the trailers and posters etc. Which he was I suppose because other character's arc's were related to him and based on his death but I thought that his screen time and presence were going to stretch much further than they actually did.
But what I didn't enjoy about the film and actually ruined a lot of it for me was the final third. Of course after being introduced to Cooper's arc I realised where the film was heading and had an idea how it was going to play out. Then, the final story arc we get is believed to be Cooper's son's at first, until it is revealed that it is in fact Gosling's son's story. This came across unbelievably forced and the whole feeling I got was that the story was trying too hard to completely tie up all loose ends and make the story 'full circle'. All of the decisions and events happening after this reveal I was not on board with. The whole thing felt like one big coincidence and I was disappointed with this route being taken. This could have been made more unenjoyable for me as I'm not a fan of Dane Dehaan. It's not that I feel he's a particularly bad actor, but he has no range whatsoever. He plays the depressed teenager in each film that I have seen him in as of yet, and it doesn't look as if he can or will break away from this.
As for the acting overall, nothing mind-blowing but nothing that was hideous and left me unable to watch.I'd say honorable mentions were Gosling who was good for the short time that he had within the film. He was given plenty of screen time within the first act that he had but of course, but I still felt that he was underused because of his death being so early on. Bradley Cooper was also pretty good. Being his usual self and bringing everything to a character that he normally would.
All in all, I enjoyed The Place Beyond The Pines for the most part, I appreciated some of the irrational decisions that it made to break away from being a generic film. Although it did fall into this trap on many occasions, I couldn't help feeling that if it had taken a couple of different directions towards the climax, I would have loved this film. Sadly it didn't, and I only enjoyed it.
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