Rakestraw’s review published on Letterboxd:
BEHOLD THE TRUNCATED TRILOGY!
It was only a matter of time before a director would cram 3 films into one given the current love affair with trilogies. I was just hoping that since Derek Cianfrance was tackling this idea, the outcome would be more enjoyable - It wasn't.
The whole, three storyline idea is an interesting one, but unfortunately Cianfrance is unable to make it work. The first drawback with the idea of 3 mini-films-in-one is the lack of character development and since they have so little time to develop these characters Cianfrance ends up cramming everything together. The keystone of this particular story is effectively creating an emotional connection with the characters and their respective struggles with moral ambiguity, in which the film fails.
The shots following Luke (Gosling) riding his motobike down the winding hill, from up high was truly stunning with a perfectly matched score. Then, replicated with his son Jason (Dane DeHaan) riding his bike down the same hill with the camera angle and music. Fantastic work by Mike Patton (Faith No More) in the original music department.
The greatest aspect of The Place Beyond the Pines has to be Ben Mendelsohn. The man shines in every role and if he keeps it up...we might looking at one of the finest character actors of our time. Oddly enough, he came off as the most likeable character in the film.
Most Laughable Moment of the Film:
Gosling screaming during his bank robberies.
I have also confirmed that Ray Liotta has a contract with Cinema, giving him a monopoly on the role of 'corrupt cop'. You can try to cast someone else, but rest assured when it comes to filming...Liotta will be there and he will be in your film.