6 more reviews

1. ›The Place Beyond the Pines (8/10) - "He's my son and I should be around him. I wasn't around my dad and look at the fuckin' way I turned out."@dedicatedguy1884d

   

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   Main names associated with the film

   The cast in this film is spectacular. There are several well-known actors and actresses such as Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta (although he plays a secondary character) Dane DeHaan, and Rose Byrne (who also plays a secondary character).

   The ones that are probably not as popular are Dane DeHaan and Rose Byrne. In the case of Dane, this guy has been the main actor in some great movies of the past decade such as The Cure for Wellness and Chronicle. He was also the villain in a Spiderman movie and has participated in other well-known productions such as Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and the series ZeroZeroZero. Every time I see this guy he plays his role perfectly.

   Rose Byrne, on the other hand, is well-known mainly for her performances in the comedy and the horror genres. She plays one of the main characters in the Neighbors comedy movies, and she also was important in the Insidious movies, which were quite scary back in those years.

   I don't mention specific movies from the rest of the main cast because I believe they are popular enough and most people will know who they are. When it comes to, Derek Cianfrance, the director, he hasn't created many productions so far. There are only 2 other productions that I consider worth watching, Blue Valentine which coincidentally also has Ryan Gosling as its main actor, and I Know This Much Is True, an HBO drama series where Mark Ruffalo plays the role of 2 twin brothers, one of whom is mentally ill. So this director doesn't create many movies/series, but when he does they tend to be of high quality and with a great cast.

   Nombres principales asociados con la película

   El elenco de esta película es espectacular. Hay varios actores y actrices conocidos como Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta (aunque interpreta a un personaje secundario) Dane DeHaan y Rose Byrne (que también interpreta a un personaje secundario).

   Los que probablemente no son tan populares son Dane DeHaan y Rose Byrne. En el caso de Dane, este tipo ha sido el actor principal en algunas grandes películas de la última década como The Cure for Wellness y Chronicle. También fue el villano en una película de Spiderman y ha participado en otras producciones conocidas como Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets y la serie ZeroZeroZero. Cada vez que veo a este tipo, interpreta su papel a la perfección.

   Rose Byrne, por otro lado, es conocida principalmente por sus actuaciones en los géneros de comedia y terror. Ella interpreta a uno de los personajes principales en las películas de comedia de Vecinos, y también fue importante en las películas de Insidious, que fueron bastante aterradoras en esos años.

   No menciono películas específicas del resto del elenco principal porque creo que son lo suficientemente populares y la mayoría de la gente sabrá quiénes son. En lo que respecta a Derek Cianfrance, el director, hasta ahora no ha creado muchas producciones. Solo hay otras 2 producciones que considero que vale la pena ver, Blue Valentine, que casualmente también tiene a Ryan Gosling como actor principal, y I Know This Much Is True, una serie dramática de HBO donde Mark Ruffalo interpreta el papel de 2 hermanos gemelos, uno de ellos con una enfermedad mental. Este director no crea muchas películas/series, pero cuando lo hace, tienden a ser de alta calidad y con un gran elenco.

   

   ^{My own screenshot | Mi propio pantallazo}

   What was the movie about?

   This film is, in my opinion, about the long-lasting consequences of having either an absent father or one who is always preoccupied with his job. The film can be divided into 3 parts, the first one is with Ryan Gosling as the main actor, the second part would be with Bradley Cooper as the main one, and in the last part, we have Dane DeHaan playing the main character.

   Gosling's character is an aimless motorcycle rider, he doesn't have any money and the only thing he is good at is just riding his motorcycle. He works as a stunt driver in some type of carnival and that's it. Eva Mendes plays his ex-girlfriend. He ends up discovering by chance they had a baby together, and this will completely change the course of his life. He decides to stay in the city and quit the carnival. His only problem is that he doesn't have any skills or resources to provide for his son. So you might ask, what could be a good "job" for a motorcycle rider? And the answer would be to become a bank robber.

   The guy thinks he is on top of the world after his first robbery turns out to be successful thanks to his mastermind partner. They are happy with the money, and he uses it to get close to the baby and his ex, who doesn't know anything about the robberies. Even though his escape plan when doing robberies is effective, it is clear this is no plan that can work for the long term. His impulsivity will eventually create problems in his personal life, and his method of obtaining money will get complicated. Things will reach an ugly climax as a result of his crappy decisions.

   Bradley Cooper plays a cop. He is an honest guy that is willing to put in the necessary effort to succeed in his career. He understands his responsibilities as a cop and fulfills them perfectly. His life will end up intertwined with that of Gosling's character after they encounter each other in one persecution.

   His mind is strategic and he will figure out what to do to survive the corrupted forces in the police department he works for. However, time will prove that even though he excels at his job, he has a lot of shortcomings in his personal and family life.

   ¿De qué trataba la película?

   En mi opinión, esta película trata sobre las consecuencias duraderas de tener un padre ausente o uno que siempre está preocupado por su trabajo. La película se puede dividir en 3 partes, la primera es con Ryan Gosling como actor principal, la segunda parte sería con Bradley Cooper como principal, y en la última parte, tenemos a Dane DeHaan interpretando el personaje principal.

   El personaje de Gosling es un motociclista sin rumbo, no tiene dinero y lo único que se le da bien es montar en moto. Trabaja como conductor de acrobacias en algún tipo de carnaval y eso es todo. Eva Mendes interpreta a su ex novia. Termina descubriendo por casualidad que tuvieron un bebé juntos, y esto cambiará por completo el curso de su vida. Decide quedarse en la ciudad y dejar el carnaval. Su único problema es que no tiene habilidades ni recursos para mantener a su hijo. Entonces, uno podría preguntarse, ¿cuál podría ser un buen "trabajo" para un motociclista? Y la respuesta sería convertirse en ladrón de bancos.

   El tipo cree que está en la cima del mundo después de que su primer robo resulta ser un éxito gracias a su socio que planifica todo. Están contentos con el dinero y él lo usa para acercarse al bebé y a su ex, que no sabe nada de los robos. Aunque su plan de escape cuando comete robos es eficaz, está claro que no es un plan que pueda funcionar a largo plazo. Su impulsividad eventualmente creará problemas en su vida personal y su método para obtener dinero se complicará. Las cosas llegarán a un clímax desagradable como resultado de sus malas decisiones.

   Bradley Cooper interpreta a un policía. Es un tipo honesto que está dispuesto a hacer el esfuerzo necesario para triunfar en su carrera. Entiende sus responsabilidades como policía y las cumple a la perfección. Su vida terminará entrelazada con la del personaje de Gosling después de que se encuentren en una persecución.

   Su mente es estratégica y descubrirá qué hacer para sobrevivir a las fuerzas corruptas en el departamento de policía para el que trabaja. Sin embargo, el tiempo demostrará que a pesar de que sobresale en su trabajo, tiene muchas deficiencias en su vida personal y familiar.

   

   ^{My own screenshot | Mi propio pantallazo}

   Finally, we have Dane DeHaan. I prefer not to say which character this actor plays because even though it wouldn't be a big spoiler, it is better to just discover this while watching the film. It is through this character that we will see all the consequences of accumulated deficiencies finally manifesting themselves. He has been deprived of a normal upbringing due to bad decisions taken many years before by other people, and all of this results in a very troubled life.

   This film is a crime-drama so during several points of the story the viewer will feel like a tragedy is imminent. I believe the story was well written although I was expecting a different type of ending, this ending felt kind of tame.

   How were the performance and the settings?

   All the important character played their roles perfectly, and with such a great cast this shouldn't be a surprise for anyone. However I think the best performance was from Ryan Gosling, his character was the most challenging one to portray, and this is a great example of how talented this actor really is. Dane DeHaan's performance is also worth mentioning. His looks in this film were great for the type of character he was playing and his demeanor was spot on.

   The settings were generic. I feel like this type of story could take place pretty much everywhere, and the attention was mostly on the story and not on the settings.

   Final thoughts

   This is one great film about crime but also about drama. The importance of having a good father is implied throughout the film, and I believe that is the deeper message the director was trying to share with the viewers. The movie is longer than usual lasting around 2 hours and 20 minutes, but the story is certainly worth it. If you are in the mood for those 2 genres this would be a great flick to watch. It has everything any viewer might want.

   Finalmente, tenemos a Dane DeHaan. Prefiero no decir qué personaje interpreta este actor porque, aunque no sería un gran spoiler, es mejor descubrir esto mientras mira se la película. Es a través de este personaje que veremos finalmente manifestarse todas las consecuencias de varias deficiencias acumuladas. Ha sido privado de una educación normal debido a malas decisiones tomadas muchos años antes por otras personas, y todo esto resulta en una vida muy problemática.

   Esta película es un drama criminal, por lo que durante varios puntos de la historia, el espectador sentirá que una tragedia es inminente. Creo que la historia estuvo bien escrita, aunque esperaba un tipo de final diferente, este final se sintió un poco manso.

   ¿Cómo fueron las actuaciones y la ambientación?

   Todos los personajes importantes interpretaron sus papeles a la perfección, y con un elenco tan bueno esto no debería ser una sorpresa para nadie. Sin embargo, creo que la mejor actuación fue de Ryan Gosling, su personaje fue el más desafiante de interpretar, y este es un gran ejemplo de cuán talentoso es realmente este actor. También vale la pena mencionar la actuación de Dane DeHaan. Su apariencia en esta película fue excelente para el tipo de personaje que estaba interpretando y su comportamiento fue perfecto.

   La ambientación era genérica. Siento que este tipo de historia podría tener lugar prácticamente en todas partes, y la atención se centró principalmente en la historia y no en los escenarios.

   Reflexiones finales

   Esta es una gran película sobre crimen, pero también sobre drama. La importancia de tener un buen padre está implícita a lo largo de la película, y creo que ese es el mensaje más profundo que el director estaba tratando de compartir con los espectadores. La película es más larga de lo habitual y dura alrededor de 2 horas y 20 minutos, pero la historia ciertamente vale la pena. Si estás de humor para esos 2 géneros, esta sería una gran película para ver. Tiene todo lo que cualquier espectador pueda desear.

   

   ^{My own screenshot | Mi propio pantallazo}

   The Best

   Lo Mejor

   
   
   

   • Well-written story.
   • Awesome performances from the cast.
   • Important deep message.

   • Historia bien escrita.
   • Actuaciones increíbles del elenco.
   • Mensaje profundo importante.

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   The Worst

   Lo Peor

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   • The movie gets less intense as it continues to advance.
   • I wonder what will happen to the important character that appears in the final scene?
   • I would have preferred a more explosive ending. It has a tamed one.

   • La película se vuelve menos intensa a medida que avanza.
   • Me pregunto qué pasará con el personaje importante que aparece en la escena final.
   • Hubiera preferido un final más explosivo. Tiene uno muy manso.

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   Review: AAA
   In numbers: 8/10

   
   Crítica: AAA
   En números: 8/10

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2. ›The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) - The Long Take@lionsuit2889d

   

   Cianfrance delivers all around on Pines. He shows an eloquence of visual storytelling grammar and communication that is exciting.

   

   

   (Story structure was the focus of my last post on this film -- very interesting structure. https://steemit.com/movies/@lionsuit/the-place-beyond-the-pines-2012-delicious-story-structure)

   He knows when to use a tight, wide, handheld, locked off, shallow focus, deep focus, angles up and down, fast edit speed, the long take, etc.

   

   Every choice with the camera or the edit razor can add to or detract from the story, from the point of the scene, from the characterization or the character's connection with the audience.

   The choices in Pines so often amplify these things. The opening shot is a great example of this.

   

   We are introducing a main character, the core or foundation of the film.

   Who is he? He is a capable, man of the people, a traveling showman, a skilled motorcycle rider.

   

   All this we see in the opening shot. Several minutes, no editing. We start on his abs and his knife, follow him out through the carnival from behind, he gets to his bike and sits and turns--we see his face for the first time.

   

   It is an epic presentation. It almost makes you wonder if it is there to make up for or distract from where Luke goes later in the film.

   

   A phenomenal opening. Great vibes. Great visuals.

   

   Another note: the shot ends on three motorcycles spinning in a metal cage as we watch from just outside the bars. The first two takes they did, director of photography Sean Bobbitt got into the cage, but the bikes crashed, obviously putting Sean into huge danger. Cianfrance made sure he stayed out from then on.

   

   Be well. http://www.LionSuit.com

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3. ›Film Structure Analysis #3 - The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)@lionsuit3000d

   

   To return to Pines...

   The play with fire story structure of this film is pretty exciting.

   Directed by Derek Cianfrance, written by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder (screenplay only).

   It acknowledges classic story structure points, but in a somewhat similar way to No Country for Old Men, these points become setup for a twist paid off when the story seems to be handed off from one character to another (in No Country it isn't actually handed off though, as it was Ed Tom's story the whole time, i.e. the opening monologue).

   

   Here Cianfrance and team create a triptych. It seems all over maybe at first glance, but after looking further, I see 8 sequences.

   

   Simpler Version:

   Act 1 breaks into Act 2 like a more normal film: robbery, celebration, and a moment with Romina and Jason. Luke is on his way to connecting, to helping, to something he feels he needs to do. It continues some beyond that as a standard action-drama-romance... for a bit.

   

   The main question of the film revolves around lineage. I don't want to try to nail it down. Could be something like, "Can I help this baby?" or "Can this child be okay, be safe?" It could later reveal itself as the latter more and more.

   

   You think, like most films that the story is contained in timeline, but as it unravels over years, what you think is the core story, core question, something focused on Luke becomes something much bigger. The structure is a twist in of itself. Awesome.

   3 sequences to Luke (and Jason) 2 sequences to Avery 3 sequences to AJ and Jason

   

   The question is lineage. The first three sequences, Luke's sequences, aren't about Luke the apparent "subject" any more than they are about the "object" of the action of the film to that point--Jason, the baby.

   We realize that Jason is the subject, or perhaps this is a rare rare film that truly shares two main characters, that the subject is both the father and the son, which either way would or could set a perrrfect stage for the core question of the movie. More specifically, we see that the structure grows from the core question. Impressive.

   

   We could go on, and probably will, but I'll leave it there for now.

   Be well.

   Also, for the real answers on all this, ask the filmmakers :-) Earlier post on Cianfrance's direction in Pines: https://steemit.com/film/@lionsuit/the-place-beyond-the-pines-2012-the-power-of-a-documentary-director

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4. ›The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) - The Power of a Documentary Director@lionsuit3014d

   

   I re-watched the first 30 minutes of this film today. It's a must see. Directed by Derek Cianfrance, story by Cianfrance and Ben Coccio, screenplay by Cianfrance, Coccio, and Darius Marder.

   I'll paraphrase a quote I heard Cianfrance say once: "I don't like cool. I don't want my movies to be cool. Cool is close to cold, and cold is like death."

   

   Pines is a film about legacy, about generations, about family.

   What struck me this time around (again) was the directing. Not only can Cianfrance run n gun with the best of them--the film starts with a 4+ minute handheld shot that crosses a carnival, and that's just the start--but he can let actors work freely at times in ways that I've rarely seen, both in delivery and preparation. There's a looseness within the firm, precision focus.

   

   The cathedral baptism scene was written as rage. It came out as sadness and tears. Eva Mendes cast her mother herself. Gosling picked his own tattoos. You see the prop photo in the film of the family actually taken on screen in the film, and on and on.

   I'm only touching the surface. He's not afraid to mix in documentary style because that's his history. That's his background. And he does it so well in his narrative films.

   

   Watch the baby calm down after the wrench attack in the crib scene. That's not done with sound effects and editing. Watch the Cops-style motorcycle chase. Unreal.

   Like I said, that's just the start of it. Cheers to Cianfrance.

   Be well.

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5. ›The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)@lionsuit3077d

   This may be my favorite film of 2012.

   I started it flat on my back in bed, and by the end of the first shot I was sitting up on the edge of the mattress, leaning forward to the screen.

   Derek Cianfrance is a phenomenal writer-directer (Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines, The Light Between Oceans, more). He has a history in sports and documentary, which gives his films an inspiring sense of confident, controlled, sharp as a tack recklessness. Maybe it's better said -- he isn't afraid to shoot a narrative with a doc style. He is not afraid to play a scene "real."

   In an interview I saw of his once he said he doesn't want his films to be "cool." He said something like, "Cool is close to cold, and cold is like death." His honesty, his care for human connection, and his interest in it, in the reality of it, that is part of what grabs me.

   This film is about legacy. About fathers and sons and more. See it or see it again. There is a ridiculous motorcycle chase scene that is shot in a "COPS" style, amongst many other great moments.

   Also, check out his Dick's Sporting Goods commercials. They are sollllid. Notice how many edits there AREN'T.

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6. ›The Place Beyond the Pines - Movie Review@coldsteem3221d

   

   The Place Beyond The Pines fell short of my expectations.  With a cast that includes heartthrobs Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling starring alongside sexy Eva Mendes, I had high hopes for this film.  Especially Gosling who has been one of my favorites dating back to his quirky performance in Lars and the Real Girl.

   The Place Beyond The Pines is sort of mini-trilogy.  The film is divided into three smaller stories connected by the characters.  The first portion of the film focuses on Luke (Gosling), a stunt motorcyclist with a traveling circus.  This portion of the film was tense and interesting, although one-dimensional at times.  The film next focuses on Bradley Cooper, a rookie cop who bucks the good-old-boy network to expose corruption in his own police department.  Although interesting, the section became tedious at times.  We finish by concentrating on two boys with a common past that they are unaware of.  The boys expose their common pasts through their indiscretions, leading to a somewhat lame, unrewarding finale.

   

   I was a bit miffed by the arc of this story.  The characters were intriguing enough, but not thoroughly developed.  This created a somewhat stilted atmosphere that felt superficial.  The plot also felt contrived more than it seemed intriguing.  Rather than shocking plot twists, we are left with manipulative drama that fails to reach us on our gut level.  We don't know these people.  They don't relate to us in any way.  Their decision matrix, personalities and worldview are foreign to us.  There is nothing in the dialogue or character development to connect us to the characters or action.  I felt like I was watching from outside when I would rather become engrossed by the film.  The concept was interesting enough, the characters were unique, although flat at times, and overall I enjoyed the story.  But this film could have been much better.

   

   One of the highlights of this film was the acting.  With veteran performers like Gosling, Cooper and Mendes on the ticket, it was bound to at least deliver the drama.  All three were excellent.  They were joined by a lesser known veteran, Ben Mendelsohn and relative newcomers Emory Cohen and Dan DeHaan.  The younger actors were convincing in their respective roles, adding some depth where the writing failed them.  The cast helped this film turn the corner for me, allowing me to give it a mild recommendation rather than a "thumbs down."

   

   I was somewhat surprised that The Place Beyond The Pines earned an R Rating from the MPAA.  The rating seemed rather harsh for a film that has somewhat modest violence and no sexual content.  There were some sexual references, drug and alcohol use and strong language.  But the violence was a small aspect of the film and remained contextual.  There was one graphic scene that I recall, but nothing like a first-person-shooter game.  I would probably have gone with PG-13.  Viewers younger than 13 might be okay as well, depending on their maturity.

   I feel like The Place Beyond The Pines let me down.   The cast included some of my favorite actors.  The concept was intriguing to me, although the trailers did not adequately depict the flavor of the film.  There were some decent action sequences, great performances and a solid concept.  However, the film didn't hold together at the end, falling short at tying everything together.  For a film made of interconnected vignettes, it is imperative that the ending hold up.  For me, it fell short of the mark.  In the end, I enjoyed the film (although I enjoyed it less toward the end).  I would give a mild recommendation of 6/10.

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