I let The Place Beyond The Pines cycle through the theater before taking the time to see it back in 2012. I wasn’t really sold on the all-star cast led by Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper despite coming off from hit films like Drive and The Hangover respectively. There was always something not connecting to draw me in. Now, having the chance to see it via Netflix, I am honestly glad I waited.

First of all, this film is misleading for a number of reasons. It’s much more akin to The Departed or Goodfellas in that it is broken into 3 major acts, each about 40 minutes. But unlike them, the flow retires the characters from the previous segment from the focus of the film, and thus you go through 3 emotional arcs. To imagine this experience, think about binge watching your favorite show, all 24 episodes in one sitting. That’s what watching Pines is like. It screws with your traditional circadian rhythm set aside for watching singular narrative arcs. Titanic, Avatar, and Lord Of The Rings feel shorter even though they have runtimes 40 minutes or more longer.

What I will praise is the acting and the cinematography. No actor ever steps on anyone else’s toes and everyone is just as important. Not only that, but they play to the actors strengths. So in this case, RyeGos is a silent and brooding until he looses it, which makes it all the more powerful. Ray Liotta gets to use his signature eye lined baby blues and icy stare to play a scary, calculating police figure. Cooper is your all american good guy whose morals are being tested. Eva Mendes is a mother caught between responsibility and young love. And every shot is picture perfect, drawing your eyes where they are needed, pulling out the vibe of the scene, and coloring your perception of these characters.

Honestly, this film is a trek. You could watch it as each chapter unfolds, pausing in between, and still get the full effect. It seemed like it was much more suited to be a full length television series than a 2+ hour film. Its ambitious, but I think probably to its own folly. Either way, it’s the perfect film to add to your Netflix playlist, right between all of last years television series you are catching up on.

~* 7/10 *~