The
Pines
are
known
to
reverberate.
In
this
case,
The
Place
Beyond
The
Pines
literally
means
to
reflect
and
look
beyond
yearning,
aches
and
longings.
The
movie
The
Place
Beyond
The
Pines
is
a
multi-layered
emotional-dramatic-suspense-thriller
that
deals
with
human
actions
and
results
in
the
backdrop
of
father-son
relationships.
It
is
a
story
of
super
dads,
narrated
in
a
subtle
multi-chaptered
manner.
Symbolically,
the
story
has
no
heroes
but
only
ruthless
circumstantial
details
of
the
protagonists'
convoluted
frenzy
set
against
the
backdrop
of
a
rural
town,
where
there
are
banks,
farm
houses,
travelling
carnivals,
small-town
corrupt
police
officials
and
most
of
all
there
are
the
back
roads
that
lead
to
the
pines.
Revealing
the
story
would
be
a
spoiler
because
the
way
it
unfolds
with
its
innovative
plot
structure
creates
a
distinctive
curiosity
that
keeps
you
glued
to
your
seat
till
the
very
end.
It's
not
the
type
of
film
that
would
appeal
to
every
audience,
nevertheless
the
non-serious
fans
of
cinema
would
appreciate
and
applaud
the
attempt
made
by
director
Derek
Cianfrance.
It's
the
story
of
two
fathers
-
Luke
Glanton,
a
tattooed
daredevil
motorcyclist,
and
Avery
Cross,
a
super
hero
cop
who
later
becomes
a
politician
-
and
their
sons
-
Jason
Glanton
and
AJ
Cross,
respectively.
The
story
unravels
how
their
lives
are
intertwined
by
fate.
Also,
on
the
periphery
are
two
other
dads
-
Albert
Cross,
Avery's
dad
and
Kofi
Jason's
foster
father.
Supporting
them
are
Romina
as
Luke's
one-night
stand
and
the
mother
of
his
son,
Robin
as
Luke's
accomplice
and
the
rest
of
the
names
in
the
cast,
as
police
officers
and
colleagues
of
Avery.
The
film
can
be
divided
in
three
chapters.
Chapter
one
is
Luke's
story.
Chapter
two
is
Avery's
story
and
Chapter
three
is
Jason
and
AJ's
story.
The
three
chapters
are
distinct,
yet
seamlessly
merge.
Within
each
chapter
Cianfrance
and
his
co-writers
Ben
Coccio
and
Darius
Marde
manage
to
script
a
powerful,
passionate
and
stimulating
drama
with
fascinating
characterisation.
What
enhances
the
film
is
the
performance
by
the
cast,
which
is
raw
and
exciting.
Ryan
Gosling
as
the
charming
Luke,
vacillating
between
a
caring
dad
and
disturbed
bank
robber
plays
his
part
effortlessly.
Luke
is
perhaps
the
most
fascinating
character
in
the
story,
and
Gosling
positively
makes
himself
worthy
of
such
attention.
Bradley
Cooper
as
Avery
Cross
gives
a
fine
performance,
but
he
is
constantly
forced
to
underplay
due
to
his
character's
uncertainty.
Ben
Mendelsohn
as
Robin
and
Mahershala
Ali
as
Kofi
breathe
genuine
life
into
what
are
otherwise
minor
yet
consequential
characters
in
Luke's
chapter
of
the
story.
Eva
as
Romina
may
not
be
as
effective
as
the
others
in
the
film
as
her
character
requires
her
to
be
in
the
margin,
but
the
off-screen
vibes
between
her
and
Gosling
are
very
much
evident.
Dane
Haan
as
Jason
and
Emory
Cohen
as
AJ
are
emerging
actors
with
bundle
of
talent.
Sean
Bobbitt's
cinematography
consisting
of
long
panning
shots
of
the
backdrop
along
with
the
quiet
and
still
shots
is
exemplary
and
attractive.
It
just
shows
his
strength
as
a
cinematographer
who
has
an
eye
for
scene
composition.
Apart
from
the
visuals,
the
soundtrack
enhances
the
viewing
experience.
With
lyrics
like
-
"Would
you
leave
me
alone,
there
alone"
and
"...all
seeing
god
is
watching
over
us",
match
the
mood
of
the
film.
In
addition
to
the
film's
background
score,
there
are
soundtracks
by
Mike
Patton,
Vladimir
Ivanoff,
Arvo
Park,
Bon
Iver
and
Ennio
Morricone,
which
are
worth
a
mention.
With
powerful
exploration,
Cianfrance
ensures
that
the
tightly
constructed
plot
of
the
film
is
never
forced.
Unfortunately,
it's
the
final
moments
that
you
feel
it
is
slipping
especially
with
its
curtailed
ending.
It
leaves
you
pining
for
more.
Nevertheless,
it
is
a
good
film
overall,
definitely
worth
a
watch.
Producer:
Lynette
Howell,
Sidney
Kimmel,
Alex
Orlovsky,
Jamie
Patricof
Director:
Derek
Cianfrance
Cast:
Ryan
Gosling,
Bradley
Cooper,
Eva
Mendes,
Ray
Liotta,
Mahershala
Ali,
Ben
Mendelsohn,
Dane
Dehaan,
Emory
Cohen,
Harris
Yulin,
Robert
Clohessy,
Bruce
Greenwood
and
Rose
Byrne
Music:
Mike
Patton
Cinematographer:
Sean
Bobbitt