The Place Beyond the Pines

Derek Cianfrance follows up his brilliant Blue Valentine with a film bigger in scope but still starring Ryan Gosling. Gosling plays Luke, a motorcycle stunt guy who finds out he has a kid and wants to be a part of his life. Problem is, the kid is the product of a one-night stand, and the mom (Eva Mendes) has moved on. Luke resorts to robbing banks, which culminates in a meeting with a rookie cop played by Bradley Cooper. The film then focuses on Cooper's character for a segment before dealing with Luke and Avery's kids (played by Dane DeHaan and Emory Cohen) when they are teens. The movie is long, but never boring, and it crackles most when Gosling is on screen. It's all about the sins of the fathers, and Cianfrance presents it in a way that resonates. Also stars Ray Liotta and Ben Mendelsohn.