The Place Beyond the Pines

Set in Schenectady, NY, writer-director Derek Cianfrance's multi-generational epic unfolds over 16 years in three distinct acts. Act one introduces Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling), a motorcycle daredevil/drifter in a traveling carnival, who discovers that he is the father of a baby boy, Jason, the product of a one-night fling with Romina (Eva Mendes). Determined to take care of mother and child—despite Romina's continuous rejections—Luke partners with a mechanic (Ben Mendelsohn) to rob banks, a plan that ends in a disastrous encounter with an ambitious rookie cop, Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), whose father (Harris Yulin) is a State Superior Court Judge. Act two traces conflicted hero/cop Cross's political rise, despite run-ins with menacing, corrupt detective Deluca (Ray Liotta) and an irritable DA (Bruce Greenwood). Cross futilely attempts to balance his professional life with his marriage to Jennifer (Rose Byrne); significantly, their son, AJ, is the same age as Jason. Act three flashes forward 15 years, following the two central characters' respective sons—teenagers Jason (Dane DeHaan) and AJ (Emory Cohen)—who share a fateful legacy. A story about the sins of the fathers, The Place Beyond the Pines is a somberly crafted film that also suffers somewhat from melodrama. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by co-writer/director Derek Cianfrance, deleted and extended scenes (10 min.), a behind-the-scenes featurette (5 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for an uneven film.] (S. Granger)