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: The Iceman (2012)

Stone cold crazy

Based on the true story of a New Jersey hitman, The Iceman tells how Richard Kuklinski became a notorious contract killer.  For me, Michael Shannon makes the movie what it is.  His physical stature alone is amazing.  He has such a talent for playing severely messed up people (Take Shelter, The Missing Person, Boardwalk Empire).  In general it is a very solid film and I liked it a lot. 

The Iceman gets 3.5 out of 5 stars!

Director: Ariel Vromen
Writer: Morgan Land (screenplay), Ariel Vromen (screenplay)
Starring: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, Ray Liotta, David Schwimmer
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Metacritic: 60%