THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 12:51pm

Sunday afternoon, I went to see this film starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes and haven't been able to get it out of my head since. This is one of the most ambitious films I can ever remember seeing that is so enormous in it's scope and it's themes that when it finished I just sat there until the clean up crew came in, just stunned at what I had seen. I think this will be one of those rare "early in the year" movies that will more than be remembered come awards season since it's setting the bar so impossibly high for any other film that will come out this year.

Now all that said, I think that because it's such an epic film, disguised as a simple drama it might put some people off. Some of the reviews I've read say that it's muddled and doesn't know what it wants to be, which I find fascinating. This is a story of cause and effect told in a way that I've never seen done before. Directed by Derek Cianfrance (BLUE VALENTINE), he proves again that he's one of the best new filmmakers working today.

But I'm really interested to know what other people think because I know this one is going to really divide people.

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 1:02pm

Haven't seen it yet, but I saw the trailer before a movie this past weekend, and it seemed very intriguing.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 1:24pm

It was shot in my hometown. I know people who were PAs and extras. I even know somebody who became Bradley Cooper's personal chef during filming. I fear there is no way I can look at this movie in an objective manner at all. I know exactly who the filmmakers sought for resources and references and that they definitely did stuff like the robbery scenes with a lot of research and care.

I hear that the common complaint is that there is no depth to the way these characters are written despite its run-time or that is too melodramatic but frankly I think American movies focusing and looking back on their own industrial ruins (and what a great time with the reminder of Margaret Thatcher's death as the 80s became the death-nail of Fordism) would be a nice step. We need our own Ken Loaches, Mike Leighs, Alan Clarkes, and Shane Meadows (technically we had/have one with Charles Burnett and conveniently ignored him).

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 2:12pm

Strummer, I'm so glad you brought up the point of America needing out own versions of those incredible filmmakers. And while I wasn't directly thinking of that exactly, I feel it's what we're getting with Ciangrance and why I'm so excited to see what else he gives us.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 2:26pm

Jordan, how much was the "Globe of Death," featured? My dad, being an old hippy, old carny, (his parents owned a show) and a motorcycle lover, he's a bit obsessed with them. I will have to tell him it's featured in this.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 2:28pm

It's in the opening scene of the film only.

[JerseyGirl2]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 2:39pm

Well, crud. lol

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 2:57pm

The place beyond the Pines? That would be the Grove!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 5:44pm

Actually, the Meat rack then the Grove.

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 7:35pm

Bingo! (says one who was dragged unwillingly through there too many times.)

[SNAFU]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 7:48pm

OH, come on, dragged? LOL!

[Jane2]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 8:10pm

Come on, you and I both know that isn't a place for a girl. My friends thought they were funny doing that to me!

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 9:53pm

Strummergirl and I must be neighbors. I went to the local open call for sh*ts and giggle and both my partner and I got callbacks for minor parts (didn't get them). Everyone around here seems to have some story about its making.

It opens locally Friday...going Saturday or Sunday.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 10:44pm

We all must be neighbors, because The Place Beyond the Pines which translates to Schenectady is also my home town. I just hope it does not really depict Schenectady in a horrible light. Schenectady has tried to hard to revive itself and turn it from one of the last great American industrial cities into an Arts and Cultural area.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 4/9/13 at 11:13pm

I already knew you guys were my neighbors!

Honestly, Schenectady late 80s, early 90s was the pits. There is no getting around that. You do have to show warts and all. That was the story of a lot of American towns who relied on one industry that all suddenly came crashing down when everything got outsourced and severely downsized. Honestly, I feel like the city had to know about the script, they were so involved in assisting the filmmakers of the bank robbery and police scenes (not to mention I believe Bradley Cooper did some training with them). I am assuming anything that made Schenectady 'look bad' was brushed off because it is never specifically about true events and also about the past. Also, I don't think Schenectady minds being the back-drop to future movie productions and would like to be in the business of that. Might as well start off with being so central as a setting.

Focus Features, after initially balking, is having a special Thursday night screening at the Bow Tie Cinemas on State Street. My parents are going. I believe Derek Cianfrance will be in attendance.

I do wonder about that "Globe of Death" scene opening. One of the screenwriters went to HS around here (he, Ben Coccio, also happened to direct a really underrated indie movie called Zero Day that fictionalizes the Columbine story with a found footage pretense), that scene just reads like a specific local, regional reference.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/13/13 at 1:39pm

I hate to disagree with JC about anything--but he's right this will divide people. I thought it was awful. I saw it last night, and it reminded me of Crash in its forced coincidences (I say this as a devoted soap opera and Victorian novels fan who can handle most coincidences) and implied messages. I think I would have like a film about any of the three parts and some *focus* on them much more.

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/13/13 at 6:25pm

I'm in total agreement with Eric on this one. I saw the film this morning and couldn't wait to leave the theater.

SPOILERS************

I liked the first segment a good deal, and thought Gosling gave a terrific performance. He was the only character I found likable, and as soon as he was killed off I got worried.

I hated the Bradley Cooper segment that followed. It was nothing more than a cliche-ridden episode of NYPD Blue, and frankly NYPD did it better. Everything unfolded exactly as telegraphed to the audience and I found it very hard to care about this new set of characters thrust upon us.

The real kicker was the final segment 15 years later. If I didn't care about Cooper, I certainly didn't care about the kids. I never bought that a career politician like Cooper would have a son that acted the way he did. Gosling's kid had a great home life too, and the step-father was perhaps the nicest character in the movie.

This movie in no way justified the run time, and the trailer was rather deceptive in how things would play out. After liking Blue Valentine so much I couldn't have been more disappointed in The Place Beyond the Pines.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/13/13 at 6:58pm

Spoilers abound







Did the kid even seem like he could be their kid? Like in what universe? The women were all great in their scenes--but their roles were thankless. The more I think about the movie the less I like it.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/13/13 at 7:03pm

I will say that it WAS ambitious--and I appreciate that.

[strummergirl]

Posted: 4/13/13 at 8:08pm

All I'll say about the police scenes is that the filmmakers worked a lot with the local police departments and Bradley Cooper personally trained with them. They interviewed police people and criminals about how to do the robbery and police work right. That still seems to have zero effect on how well written the characters were, however.

I am not sure where Ben Coccio or the other writers got the Emory Cohen character from but there was indeed a Congressman's son in the area who behaved exactly like that (and got into some serious legal trouble) where I can easily see being the inspiration for the character.

My parents have not really said much about the premiere except my mother talked to the director and Cohen along with sending me and my sister really grainy quality phone pics of Bradley Cooper who stopped by last-minute (he is filming that David O. Russell Abscam movie that is my most anticipated movie for 2013). They did, however, say how beautiful the movie was shot. Other than that, I heard no real complaint about the pacing or plotting or performances from them but they were not really in an atmosphere to have a deep critical discussion because the premiere was followed by an interactive reception.

Updated On: 4/13/13 at 08:08 PM

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 4/13/13 at 8:59pm

I liked it overall but the third section was definitely the weakest and I had a huge problem with the AJ character. I have no problem with the character being a thug, but given his parentage, a preppy thug would make a hell of a lot more sense than the "Long Island" thug on display.

Edited because I had a brain fart and couldn't remember the kid's name. Updated On: 4/14/13 at 08:59 PM

[larrystyles]

Posted: 4/14/13 at 1:21am

Bradley Cooper is our generations Clark Gable except more talented and good looking.