The Place Beyond The Pines depicts the catastrophic journey of Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling, above), a motorcycle stunt rider who becomes involved in bank robberies after discovering he has a child with a former lover Romina (Eva Mendes). This risky decision puts Luke on a direct collision course with ambitious police officer Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper).
After seeing the trailer for The Place Beyond The Pines at the cinema last time I went to see a film, I was already underwhelmed and wasn't really fussed about seeing it. However, I was forced into it last night, with protests that it was 'brilliant'.It wasn't brilliant.
For me, the complicated structure of the plot, in which a plot enclosed a plot which enclosed another plot, rendered the film pointless as it didn't seem to go anywhere. Yes, there was action, but not really any resolutions. Take the final plot, which follows the sons of Avery and Luke as they coincidentally become friends at school, with no knowledge of the history between their father's. Both are pretty messed up, and bond over their drug-taking. But their relationship soon turns sour when Jason discovers the identity of his father, and consequently AJ's. A rash gun-point hostage situation ensues, before Jason breaks down when finding a photo of himself as a baby, with his mother and father, in Avery's wallet. Nothing happens. He just runs off, and Avery carries on the life he has had for the past 15 years in politics (a successful life at that). What annoyed me was the injustice of Avery's success after his wrongdoing in the death of Luke, as well as his initial partaking in the whole money scam with his fellow officers. I just didn't feel like that was the right direction for the film to go in, and consequently I didn't really enjoy it.
I was really shocked at the suddenness of Luke's death; prior to seeing the film I assumed, like many, that Gosling was the main actor in the film, but he was killed off within the first hour of the film. I think this was too rash, and the film would have been improved by more development into the character and his relationship with his son and Romina. It was heartbreaking to hear his last words, however, begging Romina to not tell Jason about him, clearly out of shame and remorse for his actions.
Overall, I was very confused by the film. Not because lots of things happened which were confusing, but rather the fact nothing happened. It was all very anticlimactic. Great, Jason has bought a motorbike with the money he took from Avery at gunpoint, and now he's going to follow in his dad's footsteps. Not exactly the ending I was expecting. But then again, in my head Luke was staying alive throughout the whole film and having a 'happy ever after' with Romina and Jason. Life just isn't like that. Life is pretty anticlimactic.
Another thing which confused the hell out of me, and kind of annoyed me too, was the name of the film. I couldn't see how The Place Beyond The Pines linked with any of the film, apart from the fact Luke rode down a road with pines on. Surely it wouldn't be that tenuous?
After research today, it turns out the setting of the film - Schenectady, N.Y - loosely translates to something about pines. Still, a bit too cryptic for me.
Reflecting on watching the film, I can't really think of any moments I really enjoyed in the film. The only incident which really stands out is the death of Luke, and that's because it was so sudden. The film really is a raw, hard representation of life. For me, films need a bit of happiness to cheer me up; I don't want to be depressed at the end.
Have you seen The Place Beyond The Pines? What did you think? Comment below!
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