Derek Cianfrance announced himself as a director of real craft and as a writer with a particular flair for character with the brilliantly sombre love story Blue Valentine. The Place Beyond the Pines reunites Cianfrance with Blue Valentine’s lead Ryan Gosling, a deft decision which elevates this sprawling and unconventional triptych to sumptuous heights. Hollywood is oft criticised for being staid and unoriginal, obsessed with remakes and never-ending sequels, so it’s a refreshing relief when a film like this comes along and blows off the cobwebs, because The Place Beyond the Pines is brimming with unabated quality. Continue reading
crash/burn 