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JOHN MOORE'S
MOVIE REVIEWS
 
 
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES
  
  Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes
Directed By: Derek Cianfrance
Runtime: 2hrs 20 min
Rated: R		  
 

   A brilliant portrayal of relationships between fathers and sons, Derek Cianfrance’s indie film, The Place Beyond the Pines defines the meaning of legacy and ecstasy being carried to the next generation. What is Honesty? What is prophecy? And what is love? This film answers these questions in a three-part story that connects into a vibrant frame.

The Summary
(Read if you want spoilers)

   Ryan Gosling plays a struggling sociopath that’s only talent is dirt biking. He discovers that he has a 12-month-old son with his ex-girlfriend (Eva Mendes), but he has no money and quit his dirt biking job at the fair, so he begins to rob banks with an acquaintance to support his child. His family is unaware of how he is making cash, but they accept his payments. One day, he gets in a dispute and strikes his ex-girlfriend’s husband with a hammer and is sent to jail, but gets off on bail thru his acquaintance. During a bank robbery, the police chase him, and he surges into a middle-class family’s home. An officer (Cooper) invades the home and is searching it for the robber. (Gosling) The robber is on the phone, calling his associate, but the cop mistakes the phone for a gun and fires. The robber shoots the Officer before falling out the two-story window, dead.

   The second part of the story follows the Officer’s (Cooper’s) life after that day. As he is in the hospital, he is a hero to the upstate New York town. And he is trying to recall the events of that day to an investigator. The investigator asks him, who shot first and if the robber had a weapon, but the officer chokes. The officer gets off free, but he feels abysmal when he discovers that the robber had a one-year old son, as does he. Next, fellow Officers take the hero to the house of the robber’s ex-girlfriend and they search the house with no warrant. Feeling dreadfully, the hero is given money found under the child’s crib by the other officers as a gift for heroism. The officer turns them in and becomes the Executive D.A. of the town.

   The story cuts to fifteen years later, where the hero’s deranged son transfers to a new high school. He meets a kid, who’s Father was killed, but the kid has no idea who his Father was. The two friends are caught on drug charges and are brought into the police station. The executive D.A. learns who his son’s friend is, and he violently tells his son to stay away from the kid. Meanwhile, the robber’s son makes numerous attempts trying to find out who his Father was. He meets with his Father’s bank robbing acquaintance, and he learns a policeman killed his Father. He goes to his friend’s party and sees the same police portrait. He has a dispute with his friend and is brought to the hospital after a vehement fight. He goes to a friend and buys a revolver and shoots the executive D.A.’s son and brings the hero to the woods. He takes (Cooper’s) wallet and finds a picture of his father, mother and him in front of an ice cream stand. The hero and the boy don’t say another word and the boy exits. The D.A.’s son is fine and so is the D.A.

   The film cuts to the robber’s son at someone’s doorstep. The man brings the boy to his garage and shows him a motorcycle/dirt bike. The boy pays him and the man asks, “Do you know how to ride one of these?” The boy starts the engine and rides off without answering. FIN

Conclusion

   The ending is trifling but enormous at heart. For when Fathers show their children how to shave, the children wish to grow up and be like their Father. The robber’s son shows a large depiction of one of these children. He discovers his Father lived a life of crime just for him to grow up in a good environment, but death unfortunately took the dirt biker. The young one wanted to carry on his Father’s legacy as a motorcycle rider, so he traveled a long journey to purchase one. This film is unlike any other I have seen. Though, there are mixed reviews on this film, I myself rate The Place Beyond the Pines off the scale. A fine picture this is. Go see it.

                                                                             A+

  
     
 
IRON MAN 3
  
 

Director: Shane Black

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, and Don Cheadle.

Runtime: 130 min.

Rated: PG-13

 
 

   The Iron Man Series, jam-packed with grit, and casted with untouchable actors makes the audience look up at their patron on the screen as a prodigal and role model. The first two installments of the series weren’t Oscar winning movies, but they’re movies that give the audience something to talk about. In the long run, they are superb and well done, with the exception of the third and newest chapter of the series. Iron Man 3, filled with inordinate special effects provides excessive awes in the crowd, but the story line is nothing more than a pre-school adaptation of William Shakespeare. The wit expressed throughout this film is not even comical and doesn’t belong in this genre of movies. (You’d think by now Disney/Marvel could take Christopher Nolan’s techniques or hire him, they would learn a lot more on how to make a super-hero movie properly.) These remarks may sound blisteringly horrific towards the reader of this review, but I grant that this movie would be absolutely preposterous if it weren’t for the effects.

Summary
(Spoiler Alert)

   This entire outlandish plot commences back in 1999 in Switzerland. An amateur businessman and aspiring biologist for cloning, who looks up to Tony Stark (Downey), approaches him. Stark says with an ego, that he is interested in helping and investing into the young man’s company. Stark says that he will meet the young man on the top floor of the building in ten minutes. Of course, Stark blows off the meeting and the poor man waits on top of the building for hours.

   Next, the story cuts to present day and Stark, now Iron Man, is building a new technology, where he doesn’t have to fly in the tin suit anymore. Now he can fly it by controllers in his basement. (This is the dumbest move for a super-hero film to take. What makes a super-hero is someone in a suit, not controlling a suit.) A new villain has hit town, Stark discovers him after his friend was badly injured in an explosion in Hollywood. Villains that are taking injections from the young man caused the explosion (The young man, Stark blew off 14 years ago).These injections cause these people to blow into fiery pieces. (Very dumb and not a lifelike scenario). Stark with help from his friend (Cheadle), who is now called the Iron Patriot arrange to rebel against a terrorist, who supposedly caused it. Not soon after, Stark’s home erupts in flames and collapses into the ocean after the fanatics attack his home.

   Iron Man’s suit hustles him all the way to a small town in Tennessee, where half of the movie makes fun of people of the South in horrendous attempts. Meanwhile, back in Malibu, Slattery the new villain (the one injecting the chemicals into the people), takes the President and Stark’s wife Pepper Potts (Paltrow) hostage.

   Later, Stark escapes the town after a vigorous fight with the fiery, human bombs. He encroaches onto the believed to be property of the terrorist. He finds out that the terrorist he sees isn’t real, but he is a raunchy and bawdy actor. (This movie just gets better and better.) The movie lollygags for a while until the big finale occurs. Iron Man and Iron Patriot have an epic battle with the Slattery. Iron Man and Iron Patriot are not just the only ones there. There are also several suits controlled by Stark. Like every super hero movie, they capture the villain, Slattery and his accomplice, the Vice President. After a little incident, all of this occurs.

   I’m sorry, but this movie is unreasonable. It is a total letdown. The studio should have chosen a better script. If you wish to see this film, wait for it on DVD.

 
 
C-