From Father To Son

Desperation is the catalyst to many a foolish deed. Keeping your moral compass alive and well when your back’s against the wall can be difficult to do when you find yourself in such a hopeless situation.

It’s the emotional equivalent to being a wounded animal out in the wild, except now the predators of temptation seem to inherently know there’s an easy meal close-by.

When walking around ‘wounded’ from a despondent, heavy heart, you have to be careful. Lie low, hide, and stay especially away from reckless people and environments. In fact, go lock yourself away in a room if you have to, it doesn’t matter, but don’t be caught out in the open in your time of trying. The casualty rate far exceeds those of survivors during such a time. 

Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) has a unique skill – there isn’t a stunt too daring for him to perform on his motorcycle. To many he is a hero, including to Romania (Eva Mendes), a girl he’s been dating. The two have an on-off relationship due to the nature of his work; Luke has to travel a lot all over the country to perform. Perhaps the reason Romania has a secret: She had Luke’s baby boy.

When Luke finds out about his boy, he decides to turn a leaf and quit his job as a stunt-performer. Having missed out on a relationship with his own father, Luke is determined to now have one with his son. Unfortunately, simply walking back into the lives of Romania and their baby is not that simple. She is now living with someone else, a man that can offer both of them more stability.

 Trying to make a new living is hard for Luke and along with the man he now works for they decide to start robbing some banks. 

When you have a gift, knowing when and where to use it is almost more important than using it at all. Luke’s gift to ride motorcycles undoubtedly places him in a special category but unfortunately, people who live on the edge also don’t mind falling off the edge.

The last bank he robs turns out to be his last when he has a fatal encounter with the police, an event which in turn sets off a whole list of repercussions, for the police officer who shot him and also years later for his son. 

‘The Place Beyond The Pines’ takes a raw look at of the vicious cycle that keeps on repeating itself when a parent leaves a legacy of absence in a child’s life. It also explores the ‘code of silence’ that exist among men, a very real and powerful dynamic that stems from a misplaced ideology concerning loyalty to one’s friends or the group in order to be ‘one of the boys’.

The performance from all the cast members involved in this project is superb and as viewer, you come to understand the importance of building a solid relationship with your children from a young age.