A Place Beyond The Pines
Derek Cianfrance is already such an accomplished actor. His works have truly evoked all kinds of emotions, whilst delicately weaving this completely humanistic story beneath it. While he hasn’t directed a heavily amount of films, his portfolio certainly smatters of heavy yet exquisite films. His most prolific work, and was widely seen by filmgoers and critics, was Blue Valentine. The film is a wonderful and heart-wrenching tale of love told through the disintegration of the now verses the vibrancy of the past. Yet in 2013, his evocative drama A Place Beyond The Pines captured the intensity of a small town, locked in the forests of forests of New York.
A Place Beyond The Pines stars Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Bradley Cooper. The film focuses on the interlocking stories that follows after the fall out of stunt motorcyclist Luke Glanton. When he returns to the small town, and finds out he has a son, he drops out of his profession to rob banks in order to score money for his family. However, his ex-girlfriend Romina has moved on – causing tension between the pair. As a heist he goes on leaves him face to face with the police, everyone involved will find the course of their lives changing forever.
This film has may seem like a complete long drawn out narrative that may lose people’s focus as the drama dwindles into emotive confrontation rather than gunshots and violence. Yet, beneath this slow burn is this emotional charge that beats wildly within the film. It almost becomes this Greek tragedy, where the action is met by the relationships of the characters. The chaos that surrounds the events unfurls in a paced way that is kinetic and ferocious in its undertones. The brilliance year, regardless of the fifteen year old gap, is how the moments interlock – how a chance affair bounces into a family and then swims into a tragic event that in turns, effects the characters in the future. Enganging, Cianfrance has enough astute direction and passionate screenwriters around him who drive the force of this film through character, rather than explosions. This is stellar writing and is enhanced greatly by all actors involved, absorbing you into the wrought emotions without overcomplicating.
The film is exquisite cinematography and imagery wise. The captivating greenery that hides secrets within it are all used by Cianfrance to set this sleepy tone that directly opposes the emotions of the population of Altamont. Through the emerald caught leaves and the panning over rural America, the film offers nature and entwines it with human nature. It looks completely beautiful and stunning, rather than oversaturating or relying too much on the beauty to ignore the pain. All the while, smattering of Cianfrance’s signature tone.
Though the third act may feel as though it doesn’t match the rest, launching the film over a decade into the future and conflicting two sons against one another, it all is vital to the film. The mirror between good and bad and how parenting can never really offer a safe outcome, no matter how hard you try, is exquisitely done. Cianfrance is daring with A Place Beyond The Pines. He isn’t creating cinema for the audience to sit back and zone out. He has created this film for all to explore it’s scenery, dabble in the brooks of the spirits within and come away feeling impacted.