The Place Beyond the Pines

SPOILER ALERT!! The Place Beyond the Pines is an OK movie. For about the first half of the movie before Gosling's character is killed, the movie has some potential. Gosling plays his hard-luck character very well and totally believable. I liked the chemistry between him and Eva Mendes even though it was not developed much. After Gosling's character is killed, the movie becomes somewhat mundane. The overall story line could have been more interesting and involved but it seemed to be rushed. Too much happened in too short a time leaving the characters undeveloped and the story thin. There is a saving grace though in that the ending is different than I thought it would be and pretty much redeems the movie. Besides Gosling, the actor who plays his son is very good. Bradley Cooper is, well, Bradley Cooper. The other characters were OK.

I remember seeing this when it came out in theatres. I was disappointed that Ryan Gosling was not in it all the way through, but now watching streaming, I see that he is always present in every character. I think the performances by Gosling, Mendes, Cooper and the two "sons" is stellar. It is a very emotional father-son story and I highly recommend it to all men and all mothers, like me, and all young women with brothers and boyfriends and husbands. Stellar.

I rented this movie with low expectations, but I've kept reading the reviews from people and decided "oh, what the hell". I'm glad I did, it's great how everything just comes back in full circles. As a father my self, there is nothing that a dad, not father, a dad won't do for their children, I myself had to sell illegal narcotics for a little bit so my child can eat, then I found a job and didn't have to do it again. Great movie, highly recommend it.