The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

 

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes

Directed By: Derek Cianfrance

Written By: Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, Darius Marder

Rating: R

My Rating: 4 / 5

 



On the outside, The Place Beyond the Pines has you believe that it's a typical three-act storyline with Ryan Gosling as its tattooed, macho-man lead being pursued by an honest-to-goodness cop (Bradley Cooper). But that's simply not the case. While Cianfrance does follow the traditional three acts, the division between the acts in this film are so clear cut you would be hardpressed to miss them.

 

I don't want to give too much away but the film ends up being three mini-stories all wrapped up into one main plot. While that was the last thing I expected to see going into it, I can't say I was disappointed. In fact I was actually more engaged because even though it's easy to follow (as well as a tad predictable) the theme of fatherly love and hardship had me hooked. Cianfrance does an excellent job keeping this theme throughout the journey while also having plenty of tense moments and action sequences.

 

Gosling's role as a criminal with a heart of gold is memorable but too familiar. If you've ever seen Drive you'll get the sense that these characters are one in the same. They're both daredevils on wheels (Gosling sports a motorbike this time around), strong, soft-spoken, and stubborn. Nonetheless I found myself wanting more scenes with this guy. And yes ladies, Cianfrance gives you some eye candy right off the bat so heads up.

 

Bradley Cooper's role isn't something we're accustomed to seeing from him but he fits surprisingly well as a cop. Eva Mendes still struggles to find her way out of being type-casted into the man-troubled, single female roles. She says she's trying to avoid those types of characters but time and time again... anyways she gives a typical performance here.

 

I would say the most engaging part of Pines lies in the well-written characters and plot. While it may look like a typical thriller/drama on the outside, it has a lot more to say than you might think. Definitely worth a watch just not if you're expecting a lot of action.

 

 

Summary

What I liked:
Ryan Gosling
Bradley Cooper
well-written characters
good mix of action / suspense

What I didn't like:
Eva Mendes
somewhat predictable plot points
 

 

Life of Pi (2012)

 

Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain

Directed By: Ang Lee

Written By: David Magee, Yann Martel (novel)

Rating: PG

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

 

 

 First I'll say that Ang Lee has a knack for creating Oscar-buzz type of films and this one is no exception. The visuals make Life of Pi a true work of art that should not be overlooked under any circumstances. The sea life is just plain cool to look at, with vibrant colors that almost jump off the screen. Even the tiger (I still find it funny his name is Richard Parker, but I guess that's better than Pissing lol) has a glow about him that keeps your eyes locked onto him. Even having read the book I found the film to be very entertaining and the predictability factor... well, it wasn't much of a factor. I found myself so engaged with the cinematography I didn't care that the story was familiar.

The most interesting aspect here would be that the film tells you a spectacular, unbelievable tale but in the end Pi's forced to tell a more down-to-earth version. It leaves you pondering which version's better and whether it really makes a difference if what Pi says happened to him really did happen in the manner he tells us. To me the story's truthfulness mattered not. Yes, it's hard to fathom a carnivorous island in the middle of nowhere housing millions of meerkats which aren't the slightest bit afraid of humans. But who cares? That island looked pretty darn amazing.

Even if you've read the book you gotta give this one a look. I promise you will not be disappointed... even if novel-turned-films aren't your cup of tea.


Summary

What I liked:
cinematography
very likable characters
entertaining plot

What I didn't like:
run time
the ending