Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The Place Beyond the Pines

I'm not sure that I've ever seen a film so drastically change in style from one act to the other as much as The Place Beyond the Pines. The movie is three separate parts that are interconnected, and each part focuses on a different man and how the choices he makes affect him and his family. The first act is raw and visceral, with Ryan Gosling at the forefront. The second focuses on Bradley Cooper in a more cut and dry Law and Order type story, and the third depicts the sons of each dealing with the pasts their fathers have left behind. Gosling's part was easily my favorite, and I can't help but wonder what the film would have been had it kept him in the main role throughout the film. At a running time of 140 minutes it's long, but moves at a brisk pace despite a lull in the middle. Pines is rich with themes of fatherhood, generational sin, and abandonment; I found it to be a very thought provoking film.

Luke (Ryan Gosling), a motorcycle stunt driver, is traveling with the circus when he is reunited with an old fling, Romina (Eva Mendes). Luke discovers that he has an infant son with Romina, and quits his job in an effort to be a father. When he realizes that his skills are sorely limited, he turns to robbing banks to get the cash to provide for his family. This intersects him with Avery (Bradley Cooper), a young policeman whose story is focused on in the second act. His plot deals with the corruption in the police system and his quest to expose it. Lastly we meet the sons of both men, Avery's son AJ (Emory Cohen), and Luke's son Jason (Dane DeHaan, soon to step into James Franco's shoes as Harry Osbourn in the sequel of the Spider-Man reboot). The lives of these 4 men are intertwined, and the past haunts each of them.

Gosling plays Luke in a similar fashion to his character in Drive. A dangerous man that is also principled, just the kind of bad boy every woman will swoon over when he looks like Ryan Gosling. The cinematography in this first act is incredible. There were many shots that were Goodfellas restaurant scene-like, with the steadicam following Gosling from behind. These shots were especially effective in the bank robberies, which were extremely intense. The music was eerie throughout, an efficient device that made me constantly feel uneasy, even when things were going well for the character on screen. I loved how Gosling's character was so intent on providing and being there for his son. As soon as he finds out about him, he drops everything to be with him. Luke states that he wants to be there for his son because his dad wasn't there for him, and that he didn't turn out well because of it. Kids need a dad, and as a man who wants children in the future, this film reminded me over and over the importance of being an engaged dad that is there in every way for my kids.

Ryan Gosling, at least in my mind, is on the path to becoming the next Brad Pitt. Pitt was initially an actor cast solely for his looks, and has since developed into one of Hollywood's best leading men, and has starred in some truly amazing films (Se7en, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, just to name a few). Gosling was the same way in the early parts of his career (see: The Notebook and Remember the Titans), but has since chosen more interesting characters and scripts (Drive). He still does some crowd pleasers (Crazy, Stupid, Love) like Pitt also does (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the Ocean's movies), and that is a really good thing. Gosling has the charm, looks, and range to do whatever he wants, and I'm excited to see his career play out.

Cooper's act is not near as thought provoking or exciting. I like Cooper as an actor a lot, and there are some good plot turns in his part, it just was not near as unique as the first act. When the shift is taken away from Gosling, the film lost a lot of steam. When we get to see their sons grown up, it's interesting to see how they deal with the sins of their fathers. Again, as a man who hopes to have kids in the future, there was a lot for me to think about.

First, the concept of generational sin is a real thing. Children have predisposition to repeat the sins of their parents. Luke knows this, and doesn't want the cycle to continue with Jason. The cycle of sin doesn't have to continue for any of us. Jesus paid our debt of sins, and as long as we confess and repent our sins to Him, they are removed from us and we are free to walk alongside Him. Second, being a parent is just a scary thing. I've seen many kids from great families turn out rotten, and vice versa. Luke and Jason come from very different backgrounds but still end up somewhat the same. Jason grows up in a home with two parents who stayed together (Romina and his stepfather who was basically there from birth), while AJ has to deal with his parents divorce. As a father, it terrifies me that I might do the best I can and still raise a child who will make bad choices. I guess the best anyone can do is trust in the Lord and do your best, and let the chips fall where they may.

I really liked The Place Beyond the Pines, and would definitely see it again. There's a lot to unpack, and none of it comes off as melodramatic. The style of the film is gritty and unique, and the motif works well with the story. Gosling and Cooper are two fantastic actors that shine in their very different roles. The Place Beyond the Pines will make you think, and that's something I appreciate in a movie.

3.5/5

Monday, April 15, 2013

42

42 really had no chance. I was going to love it, whether it stunk or not. Jackie Robinson is one of my favorite characters from baseball history, a game I truly love. Going into 42, I already knew Robinson's story, whether it be from Ken Burns' Baseball documentary, books, newspaper articles, or countless TV specials. Robinson is an iconic figure, who holds a special place in American history. He became the first black baseball player in a game that was deeply segregated, and helped start to integrate a nation. Major League Baseball annually has "Jackie Robinson Day", a day in which all players wear his number, 42. I used to think that this tribute was overblown, that integration of the game was inevitable, and that it was all too much. 42, and the true story it is based upon, prove just how wrong my prior thinking was.

The film opens with Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) musing about the possibility of a black man playing for his team, the Brooklyn Dodgers. He decides on Robinson (Chadwick Boseman), a young, talented player from the Negro Leagues to be the first black baseball player in Major League Baseball. Rickey explains to Jackie that he wants a man with the courage "not to fight back". He warns Robinson that he will face extreme prejudice, and tries to prepare him for the challenges he will face. As soon as Robinson reports to spring training, he is confronted with difficulties he did not see coming.

Sports movies are an entirely mixed bag. Some choose to go the route to make the movie not really about the sport, but the character (Raging Bull, Rocky), and generally these make the best films. Others choose to show a player's triumph over incredible odds (Rudy, The Rookie), and some merely focus on showing a team's unlikely path to victory (Miracle, Remember the Titans, Major League, Hoosiers). Most sports movies that are based upon true stories take very few risks, as there is a compelling tale built in. I've seen great sports movies, and I've seen ones that are cheesy and terrible. Going into 42, I was very worried they would mess it up. But the story of Jackie Robinson is so heroic and compelling, that outcome was almost an impossibility. As long as the filmmakers and actors were capable, 42 couldn't miss.

Boseman does a fine job of making Jackie seem real. Despite the icon he has become, Robinson was just a guy, and he seems real on screen. Ford was kind of a surprising choice to play Rickey, an unsung hero in the story of baseball's integration, but the legendary actor does a fine job. I was happy that Rickey's strong belief in Jesus was at least mentioned in the film, and is shown to be a part of what drives him to try and integrate the game. Both he and Robinson want to model Jesus in their actions, with Rickey instructing Robinson to turn the other cheek like our Savior did. The father-son type relationship that burgeons between Rickey and Robinson is sweet. Rickey not only cares about what their actions mean for history, but also for Jackie himself.

The bit parts are all cast relatively well. However I wasn't crazy about Lucas Black, complete with his signature southern drawl, as Pee Wee Reese. Reese was an important player in Robinson's story, becoming an unlikely friend of Jackie's, despite his southern roots. For some reason I didn't fully buy in to Black's performance, which might have something to do with the fact that he's just not that great of an actor (his performance as a young child in Sling Blade being the exception). Alan Tudyk (Dodgeball, Serenity) goes completely against his nice-guy type as the despicable manager of the Philadelphia Phillies who famously heckled Jackie more than anyone. Jackie's wife Rachel (Nicole Beharie) is beautiful and supportive. The rest of his teammates all do a pretty good job in their small roles (and yes, that is the guy who was in a host of Disney Channel movies including Luck of the Irish and Smart House playing one of Robinson's more racist teammates).

There are some subtle and not so subtle moments about racism during this film, but it is definitely not as in-your-face as, say, Remember the Titans is. From all the history I've read, the things that Robinson faced in the film are pretty much like what he faced in real life. It would have been easy to sensationalize this story even more, but director Brian Helgeland does a pretty decent job of sticking to history.

I think that 42 is the anti-Les Miserables for me. Les Miserables was well made and well acted; yet I still did not like it because of the type of movie that it is (one in which every line is painstakingly sung instead of spoken). I loved 42 because it told a great baseball story, and did a fine job of staying true to it's source. That was basically all I needed to like it. 42 is a baseball tale, yes, but also one that is important in all of American history. Baseball fans and non sports fans alike should be equally impressed.

4/5