By Mackenzie Linehan
Staff Writer
When I heard Ryan Gosling was appearing in a new movie, I didn’t even care what it was about. All I knew was that I could stare at his beautiful face for a solid 90 minutes; what more could you possibly want? But the crime drama “The Place Beyond the Pines” turned out to be so much more than that.
Ryan Gosling (“The Notebook” “Drive”) plays Luke Glanton, a locally famous motorcycle stuntman who travels to perform at state fairs, showing off a lot of cool twists and tricks. When one of his stops is Altamont, N.Y., he decides to visit an ex-lover of his, Romina (Eva Mendes, “Hitch”). He learns quickly that she has a son, and to his surprise, he finds out the child belongs to him.
Luke knows what it is like to grow up without a father figure, and doesn’t want the same for his own son. He ends up quitting his job in order to stay closer to Romina and the baby, but finds out she doesn’t want him involved in their lives since she is in a relationship with Kofi (Mahershala Ali, “Predators”).
To prove he really wants to be in his child’s life, he takes a job at an auto repair shop in their town that is run by Robin (Ben Mendelsohn, “The Dark Night Rises”). Luke still needs more money than his minimum-wage earnings, so he asks Robin if there is anything more he can do. Robin then reveals he used to rob banks, and asks him if he is interested in becoming partners. That is when Luke makes the deal with the devil by accepting his offer.
If this information is already too intense for you, I recommend not seeing it. The movie only provides more twists and turns that you wouldn’t believe. The plot thickens and becomes so complicated that you have to pay close attention to every detail so you don’t miss anything. “The Place Beyond the Pines” is a thrilling movie that keeps you on your toes the whole time. Each scene in the movie is more suspenseful than the last and keeps audiences riveted.
Gosling is in his prime, playing this badass, dirt-bag biker role to the best of his ability. Bradley Cooper really shines in his role as the cop. You feel compassion for him; the struggles he endures during the film make you want to jump through the screen to comfort him. I have been a fan of Ben Mendelsohn since his role in “The Dark Night Rises,” but I was not on his side in this movie. When it came to the times he should’ve been a strong male role, he failed to convey the right emotions. Besides this slight flaw, the cast for the most part was pretty great.
“The Place Beyond the Pines” is a movie that appeals to all audiences. If you liked the movie “The Town” (featuring Ben Affleck and Blake Lively) you will certainly be a fan of this flick. But really, who doesn’t like a classic crime drama?
