The Place Beyond the Pines ~ DVD

The daring new movie from the director of Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines is a sweeping emotional crime drama powerfully exploring the unbreakable bond between fathers and sons. Luke (Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling) is a high-wire motorcycle stunt performer who travels with the carnival from town to town. While passing through Schenectady in upstate New York, he tries to reconnect with a former lover, Romina (Eva Mendes), only to learn that she has given birth to their son Jason in his absence. Luke decides to give up life on the road to try and provide for his newfound family by taking a job as a car mechanic. Noticing Luke’s ambition and talents, his employer Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) proposes to partner with Luke in a string of spectacular bank robberies – which will place Luke on the radar of ambitious rookie cop Avery Cross (Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper). The Place Beyond the Pines Reviews “A brilliant, towering picture, The Place Beyond The Pines is a cinematic accomplishment of extraordinary grace and insight.” The Playlist “An enormously satisfying film: carefully observed and consistently compelling, it feels like an instant American classic, if a minor one.” Time Out London “The music, the cinematography, the acting choices, the daring plot leaps — not a single element is timid or safe…The Place Beyond the Pines earns every second of its 140-minute running time.” Chicago Sun-Times “Don't let the quiet, indie stylings of The Place Beyond the Pines fool you. This is a big movie with a lot on its mind. Slowly, it unfolds into a kind of epic.” New York Post “In trying to tell an enormous amount of story it can spread itself too thin and leave some strands feeling unfinished, but when it’s at its best, this is beautiful and bold filmmaking.” Em­pire “Cianfrance is the real deal, and anyone who can persuade talented Hollywood stars to enact nonironic, intelligent, ambitious drama should be encouraged, especially when the result is something like this.” Portland Oregonian “Gosling and Cooper use their star currency to power a slow-burn, heartsick drama. "Blue Valentine” director Cianfrance is a serious talent." Total Film “The Place Beyond the Pines is a worthy follow-up to Blue Valentine, both for filmmaker and star. It's not a film for those looking for the easy pleasures of a typical action film, but for those who want a character-driven drama with plenty of visual flair will appreciate what it offers.” DVD Verdict “That the movie succeeds both as a high-stakes crime thriller as well as a far quieter and empathetic study of angry, solitary men proves that Cianfrance has a penchant for bold storytelling and an eye for performances to carry it through.” INDIEWire “A riveting crime thriller, it's also a multi-generational familial saga that approaches Greek tragedy.” USA Today “I can't speak highly enough of this film. It's well directed, well acted, and intense and won't be soon forgotten by the time the credits roll. It was overlooked in theaters, but hopefully will find a new life on DVD and Blu-ray.” DVD Talk