The Place Beyond the Pines
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A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.
What critics thought
Derek Cianfrance's three-part generational saga won over many critics with its cinematography, performances, and willingness to pursue difficult themes across decades — but the film's structural ambition also became its most contested feature, with the final third drawing repeated fire for feeling slack, over-signposted, and melodramatic. Admirers saw a sweeping, humanistic American epic; skeptics saw a self-important film that mistakes length and gravity for depth.
“ambitious epic that is cut from some of the same thematic tissue as Cianfrance's previous film, but expands the scope into a wondrously widescreen tale of fathers, sons and the legacy of sins that are passed down through the generations”
Kevin Jagernauth·IndieWire
“The Place Beyond the Pines flirts with exhaustion and threatens credulity with its extreme generational conflicts and use of coincidence. Cianfrance and his sterling cast keep it all together [...] There's a palpable sense of teamwork that brings out the best in all of these players.”
Peter Howell·Toronto Star
“The people in it really do seem like people, not pieces of plot”
Michael Phillips·Chicago Tribune
“The Place Beyond the Pines is ambitious and epic, perhaps to a fault. It's a long, slow watch in the final act, a detour into the next generation that sees the sons of Luke and Avery pick away at their daddy issues together. Cianfrance signposts the ripple effects of crime with giant motorway billboards, then pootles along, following a storyline that drops off Mendes and Byrne before winding on to its obvious conclusion.”
Henry Barnes·The Guardian
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Derek CianfranceDirector
Ryan GoslingLuke Glanton
Bradley CooperAvery Cross
Eva MendesRomina Gutierrez
Rose ByrneJennifer Cross
Ray LiottaPeter Deluca
Dane DeHaanJason Kancam
Emory CohenAJ Cross
Mahershala AliKofi Kancam
Bruce GreenwoodBill Killcullen
Ben MendelsohnRobin Van Der Hook
Harris YulinAl Cross
Robert ClohessyChief Weirzbowski
Mike PattonComposer
Darius MarderWriter
Sean BobbittCinematographyThe Place Beyond the Pines
A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.
What critics thought
Derek Cianfrance's three-part generational saga won over many critics with its cinematography, performances, and willingness to pursue difficult themes across decades — but the film's structural ambition also became its most contested feature, with the final third drawing repeated fire for feeling slack, over-signposted, and melodramatic. Admirers saw a sweeping, humanistic American epic; skeptics saw a self-important film that mistakes length and gravity for depth.
“ambitious epic that is cut from some of the same thematic tissue as Cianfrance's previous film, but expands the scope into a wondrously widescreen tale of fathers, sons and the legacy of sins that are passed down through the generations”
Kevin Jagernauth·IndieWire
“The Place Beyond the Pines flirts with exhaustion and threatens credulity with its extreme generational conflicts and use of coincidence. Cianfrance and his sterling cast keep it all together [...] There's a palpable sense of teamwork that brings out the best in all of these players.”
Peter Howell·Toronto Star
“The people in it really do seem like people, not pieces of plot”
Michael Phillips·Chicago Tribune
“The Place Beyond the Pines is ambitious and epic, perhaps to a fault. It's a long, slow watch in the final act, a detour into the next generation that sees the sons of Luke and Avery pick away at their daddy issues together. Cianfrance signposts the ripple effects of crime with giant motorway billboards, then pootles along, following a storyline that drops off Mendes and Byrne before winding on to its obvious conclusion.”
Henry Barnes·The Guardian
Genres
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Derek CianfranceDirectorRyan GoslingLuke GlantonBradley CooperAvery CrossEva MendesRomina GutierrezRose ByrneJennifer CrossRay LiottaPeter DelucaDane DeHaanJason KancamEmory CohenAJ CrossMahershala AliKofi KancamBruce GreenwoodBill KillcullenBen MendelsohnRobin Van Der HookHarris YulinAl CrossRobert ClohessyChief WeirzbowskiMike PattonComposerDarius MarderWriterSean BobbittCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy