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Ambitious to a fault, The Place Beyond the Pines finds writer/director Derek Cianfrance reaching for -- and often grasping -- thorny themes of family, fatherhood, and fate.
All Critics (214) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (170) | Rotten (44) | DVD (2)
What Cianfrance has written has scraps of surprise and a fine chase sequence, but it doesn't reach for the stars or the emotional cosmos -- or, at least, it doesn't know how to get there. Jan 3, 2014 | Full Review…
What Cianfrance has written has scraps of surprise and a fine chase sequence, but it doesn't reach for the stars or the emotional cosmos -- or, at least, it doesn't know how to get there.
Wesley Morris
This naturalistic drama is ambitious to the point of being unwieldy... But once the story has advanced from one generation to the next and its thematic sweep has become apparent, these flaws seem much more tolerable. Apr 12, 2013 | Full Review…
This naturalistic drama is ambitious to the point of being unwieldy... But once the story has advanced from one generation to the next and its thematic sweep has become apparent, these flaws seem much more tolerable.
J. R. Jones
"Pines" is hardy stuff, but it's at its toughest when Gosling's on screen. Apr 12, 2013 | Rating: B | Full Review…
"Pines" is hardy stuff, but it's at its toughest when Gosling's on screen.
Tom Long
The Place Beyond the Pines is hackneyed and dull: Not a single moment rings true. Apr 11, 2013 | Rating: 2/4
The Place Beyond the Pines is hackneyed and dull: Not a single moment rings true.
Rene Rodriguez
This is a story about legacy, the sins of the father, the restlessness in our souls. It's powerful, it's bold, it hits you hard. Apr 11, 2013 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
This is a story about legacy, the sins of the father, the restlessness in our souls. It's powerful, it's bold, it hits you hard.
Steven Rea
Cianfrance and his sterling cast keep it all together, vanquishing doubt and soap suds. There's a palpable sense of teamwork that brings out the best in all of these players. Apr 11, 2013 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Cianfrance and his sterling cast keep it all together, vanquishing doubt and soap suds. There's a palpable sense of teamwork that brings out the best in all of these players.
Peter Howell
It's possible to admire lots of things about The Place [Beyond The Pines] but still feel like the movie stumbles on its own ambition. Feb 26, 2019 | Full Review…
It's possible to admire lots of things about The Place [Beyond The Pines] but still feel like the movie stumbles on its own ambition.
Molly Templeton
Cianfrance, aided by cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, peaks far too early this time round, offering up a sweeping three-parter that only ever 'sweeps' when in the company of its resident James Dean, before stuttering to a crawl. Feb 12, 2019 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…
Cianfrance, aided by cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, peaks far too early this time round, offering up a sweeping three-parter that only ever 'sweeps' when in the company of its resident James Dean, before stuttering to a crawl.
Daniel Green
The structure is certainly brave and director Derek Cianfrance...has a gift for naturalism. Naturalism, however, isn't the same thing as realism, and the more the filmmakers insist on their theme, the harder it is to buy into it. Jan 25, 2019 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…
The structure is certainly brave and director Derek Cianfrance...has a gift for naturalism. Naturalism, however, isn't the same thing as realism, and the more the filmmakers insist on their theme, the harder it is to buy into it.
Abbie Bernstein
Nevertheless, Cianfrance's Pines is thoughtful, transfixing and a solid study on the skepticism of reinventing ourselves regardless for whatever price we must pay for our indelible fate to be unleashed. Nov 18, 2018 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…
Nevertheless, Cianfrance's Pines is thoughtful, transfixing and a solid study on the skepticism of reinventing ourselves regardless for whatever price we must pay for our indelible fate to be unleashed.
Frank Ochieng
A riveting tale of parenting and legacy that spans many years, The Place Beyond The Pines is like three movies in one. Nov 1, 2018 | Rating: 8.5/10 | Full Review…
A riveting tale of parenting and legacy that spans many years, The Place Beyond The Pines is like three movies in one.
Jennifer Heaton
Underneath all the drama, there are glimmers of greatness; but it just doesn't break all the way through. Oct 22, 2018 | Full Review…
Underneath all the drama, there are glimmers of greatness; but it just doesn't break all the way through.
Sarah Gopaul
Cianfrance puts a lot of effort into generating apprehension, but he is unable to find any direction in this terribly misguided soap opera that relies on an absurd amount of contrived coincidences and is predictable, artificial, unfocused and ultimately pointless.
Super Reviewer
Not just a decent family drama but an unusual look at how the sins of the father reverberate throughout the whole community, and throughout their generations. All of the featured players bring home the bacon but it is Gosling's often silent portrayal of unbearable longing the cinches this baby up quite nicely, devouring the screen.
The connection between the characters is pretty interesting and executed well. Sadly the second half is not quite as engaging as the first, up until the somewhat anti-climatic solution. That may be realistic but feels a bit like the movie was going nowhere. Overall, the great acting and cinematography make it worth your while, though.
The scope of Cianfrance's follow-up to ''Blue Valentine'' may be larger than that film, but the director still has the ability to create engrossing characters and produce outstanding performances from his actors. Gosling gives one of his best performances and Cooper shows why his Oscar nomination for ''Silver Linings Playbook'' was no fluke. The cinematography, editing, music and direction are all pitch perfect but what makes Cianfrance's third feature so special is the themes it tackles and the way Cianfrance chooses to tackle them. There are many opportunities where the film could fall apart but Cianfrance structres the film in very assured fashion and never comes close to losing the audience. ''The Place Beyond the Pines'' is a surprising, sprawling and thought-provoking tale of old and young generations and what happens when certain people's morality is put to the test.
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