Dir. Derek Cianfrance
140 Minutes
Rated R
A few years ago I caught a little indie movie called Blue Valentine while it was briefly in theaters, and I was introduced to two wonderful actors who I'd seen and heard before, but then skyrocketed to the top of my radar: Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. In Derek Cianfrance's follow-up to Blue Valentine, he's reunited with Gosling and adds in Bradley Cooper and a bunch of other recognizable faces (to me at least) for another great "actors" movie. This is one of those films where a major plot twist happens early on, so I'll stay away from spoilers, but the gist is that Gosling is a pro motorcycle rider, separated from his ex-girlfriend (Eva Mendes), who finds out he has a kid. Although he has no money, he wants to provide for his son, so he teams up with a back-alley auto mechanic and decides to rob some banks. The rest I will consider spoilers, but Bradley Cooper plays a cop hot on his trail.
This was a grade A crime thriller/family drama. There are some bold narrative decisions going on here, that may or may not lose some audience members. This to me might be Gosling's best role to date, and Cooper's best next to Silver Linings Playbook. It's very hard to review this film without giving away major plot elements, but it delves deep into what it means to be a parent, and how different generations effect the next. So well acted, well written, and well shot. The opening shot of this film was amazing and should be placed in the pantheon of greatest opening shots ever (that might be an overstatement ... sorry). The bank robbery and ensuing getaway scenes are fast paced and intense. I don't know what else to say, it was great. This may be a short review, but I loved the film and can't wait to see what Cianfrance will come up with next.
Rating: A-
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