The Place Beyond the Pines

After seeing the trailer I was sure The Place Beyond the Pines would be an action-packed Ryan Gosling film. To my surprise, this short clip was quite deceiving. This movie is not solely based on the story of Ryan Gosling's character. Although this was disappointing, I did enjoy the film. The foundation of this production is based on a motorcycle stunt rider, Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) who decides to rob banks in order to support his family. Although he has a bad temper and fights often, he truly cares about the wellbeing of his child. After successfully robbing a number of banks, the cops start to closely follow his case. Without much trouble, a new cop, Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), defeats Gosling. The majority of the film then focuses on the corruption within Avery's police force and the lives of both Luke and Avery's sons. To go further would spoil the film.

 

My favorite aspect of this film is the cinematography. Nature is exemplified with the help of camera shots throughout this film. Wide shots are used to really examine the land in which the characters thrive in. They are constantly hanging out, traveling, or riding deep in the woods. We are able to catch various shots that focus on the nature surrounding each character. Wide shots of the forest capture the true beauty of the film. The nature also represents a great deal of symbolism in this film. As total corruption disturbs the local towns, many character's discover the truth while in the forest. Nature is a place where they can escape from the lies and find truth within themselves and others. This theme stays strong throughout the entire movie. The music is very powerful throughout the film as well. It is utilized very specifically in order to enhance the emotions throughout the film. In addition, Bradley Cooper does an exceptional job portraying his character. At first he is a rookie cop who is mistreated at the bottom. As time goes on he becomes a hero and makes his way to the top. His image and personality constantly changes and grows throughout the film. Bradley is able to really capture each chapter of Avery's life. Although The Place Beyond the Pines is a tad eccentric, I thought it was shot beautifully and had a few exceptional features.