The Place Beyond the Pines

Just as raw and formally austere as the last Eastwood films (Gran Torino, Mystic River), or Haggis's Crash. Here, in addition, with a script and concept of certain scenes (mise-en-scène, lighting, editing, music) that are at a higher level than the examples mentioned above (similar to Fincher's Seven or Zodiac), with a fantastic atmosphere and above all a brilliant script that has no equal within the genre. Dense, suspenseful, completely unpredictable, without a single misstep, which is truly unheard of in today's mainstream Hollywood. And consider that it is very difficult to come up with something original given the number of films being made today. I must say that I have never seen anything like this before. If in Drive it was Ryan Gosling's cool jacket, here Gosling himself was cool and it doesn't end there, quite the opposite, which is one of the top moments of the film that you will get. It's a pity the ending is a bit weaker. I expected a bigger showdown. (24/08/2014)

One of those rare American epics with big Hollywood stars that we don't see much anymore — maybe one or two a year, if we're lucky. It feels like writers these days aren't tackling stories that span decades and generations as often, probably because crafting a family saga full of tragic twists isn't for the faint of heart. But I really enjoyed this one. The only downside is that it essentially splits into two different stories. Ryan Gosling shines in the first half, and just when you’re hooked on his character, the focus shifts to Dane DeHaan, who takes over the screen. It might feel a bit uneven and could frustrate some viewers, but when you step back and look at the film as a whole, it's a really intriguing piece of work. (30/06/2021)

No, at the beginning it seemed like it would be a repeat of "Blue Valentine", more or less with the same cast, but in the end there was a significant twist. And then it continued in the style of the film "Blue Valentine". Director and screenwriter Derek Cianfrance has a gift for stories that breathe such a depression on you from the beginning that you won't be able to shake it off until the end. The world of his films has colors, only to quickly lose them and remain in dark shades. There is no hope here. Lives fall apart and you can't really do anything about it. (20/11/2013)

A powerful drama assembled from three interconnected lives. A raw, realistic story and precise directing highlighted by great acting. The movie loses its oomph a little when Ryan Gosling disappears from in front of the camera, but it still has a lot to say. The fourth star is for the great cross-country chases in the first third. (01/01/2014)

I have with this movie the same problem I had with Cianfrance’s previous one, Blue Valentine. Once again, the director-screenwriter attempts to present a broad indie social drama, but he’s unable to convincingly deliver and defend any of the conflicts that make the basis of the plot. As a result, the whole thing feels like disingenuous and manipulative stuff that wants to look important, and that’s all there is to it. In the first act it still works somehow, thanks mainly to Gosling’s charisma. Things start to grind in the second act, and the last act is, well, almost ridiculous. I’m very disappointed, I was really looking forward to it, but it seems that with Derek we don’t see eye-to-eye. 5/10 (10/05/2013)