The Place Beyond the Pines (2013)

You can't choose your family

The film is a very clear three act presentation of three related threads of the same story.  The connections become clear later in the film, although Derek Cianfrance tips his hand a little making the payoff a bit predictable.  This film starts off really strong, but finishes a bit weakly with the second and third acts lack the power of the first one.  Cianfrance is the man behind Blue Valentine, one of my favorite films of the past few years.

The Place Beyond the Pines gets 3 out of 5 stars!

Director: Derek Cianfrance
Writer: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes
Rotten Tomatoes: 81%
Metacritic: 68%

Movie Review: Lawless (2012)

We are family

Based on a true story, this is a gritty tale of a bootlegging family in Virginia during Prohibition.  The acting is solid, the story is engrossing, and overall it is an enjoyable film.  While it may be better than the majority of films in this genre, it still lacks the punch of Hillcoat's previous films (The Road, The Proposition).  Gary Oldman's versatility is astounding.  I didn't recognize him and it was only when I saw his name on the credits that I realized he was in the movie.  That's one of the reasons why I love him so much as an actor.

Lawless is good, but not great and gets 3 out of 5 stars!

Director: John Hillcoat
Writer: Nick Cave (screenplay), Matt Bondurant (novel)
Starring: Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, Guy Pearce, Jason Clarke, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, Gary Oldman
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Metacritic: 58%