Blue Valentine/The Place Beyond the Pines

[Mr.DGAF]

Watched both yesterday and figured I'd dedicate a thread to the films. I had been wanting to see Pines for a while, but its limited release resulted in me waiting until I could cop the blu ray. I won't spoil the film, but it's shot in a very unique way; I felt a bit cheated at first, but grew to understand and appreciate the drastic change in narrative. In fact, I think it's a strong point of the film. I saw some reviews claiming it felt disjointed because of the shift, but I think that's a bit misleading. The story's structure itself doesn't really change and the themes are only strengthened through the narrative shift. Perhaps overly ambitious would be a more proper way to describe it, but it doesn't fall on it's face because of this. I enjoyed it so much, I decided to watch Cianfrance's other critically acclaimed film, Blue Valentine.

To start, I'm a big Gosling fan. I think he's one of the better actors of the current generation. A lot of people complain because he's not overly physical in his acting style, somehow making him a "wooden" actor. I think you have to look deeper though; he portrays a lot of emotion through vocal tone and moments of silence. While nothing is happening on the outside, he demonstrates a multitude of conflicting emotions from the inside.

With that being said, I thought he did an exceptional job of stepping up to the plate and portraying a conflicted role. It's a bit more requiring physically than his more notable performances, which I enjoyed. Again, the structure of this film is a bit wonky; I like that Cianfrance doesn't construct films in a linear form. The film is honestly a ride I haven't really experienced regarding a love story; I don't think I've ever felt as connected to a couple as I did with this film. The basic plot of the film revolves around a marriage that is falling apart, yet it's interrupted by flashbacks of the two falling in love. The contrast is so sharp that it makes their current relationship status hard to watch; the passion and flame that brought them together has burnt out, leaving a shell of a relationship in its place. I don't know how many of you hav seen this one, it hasn't recieved a lot of attention but it really does deserve it.

[PAINKILLƎR]

Ryan Goslin #1

[RoleModel'Est96]

I'm surprised it hasn't gained that much attention this awards season.
Both Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes were great in the film as well as Bradley Cooper but I guess he'll be able to bag some awards with American Hustle.

[HeySamantha]

just watched Place Beyond The Pines and it was way different than I expected. It was disturbing to me, I wish I didn't watch it tbh

[Mr.DGAF]

They're both excellent films, especially Blue Valentine, which is my favorite of 2010. (A strong year that also included The Social Network, Shutter Island, and Black Swan, among others.) Blue Valentine is painfully realistic, but in a very powerful and effective way. Pines has some glaring flaws but the ambition and scope of the film compensates for it. I found the ending very moving.

If you like Blue Valentine, you should definitely check out Blue is the Warmest Color. No relation between the two movies other than a shared fondness for a certain color, but Blue is the Warmest Color bears some similarity to Blue Valentine. It's also a fucking great movie.

Haha, I'll check Blue is the Warmest Color. If I recall, is that a foreign film?

Sidenote: doesn't have much to do with the current convo, but tried to watch 'Only God Forgives' a night ago. Had high hopes of a spiritual sequel in style to Drive and was really disappointed. Not a great film.

just watched Place Beyond The Pines and it was way different than I expected. It was disturbing to me, I wish I didn't watch it tbh

Why so? Just because you weren't expecting it or because you didn't enjoy it?

Ryan Goslin #1

Whew :')