I am a fan of "The Gos"(Ryan Gosling). I admit I even tried to emulate him in "Drive" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love". He is a great actor and he always seems to make great movies whether they are mainstream or independent. He has already received recognition with an Oscar nomination for "Half Nelson". I was excited to see what character he would bring to life next when I heard about this movie. I saw the running time of 140 minutes and saw the trailer. I wondered how they were gonna make a movie of Gosling and Cooper last that long without dragging. Then I found out that Gosling is only in the first third of the movie despite him being the face of the movie. At first I felt disappointed, but I got over it because I know that isn't a way to judge a movie. So I went in after hearing mostly praise for this gem of a film.
If most of you haven't already figured out, the movie is divided into 3 acts. The first follows Luke(Gosling) a motorcyclist from a traveling carnival who quits upon finding out he has a son. He struggles to provide for the son Jason, who's mother Romina(Eva Mendez) is now with another man. He resorts to robbing banks. These actions lead into the Second act which follows Avery(Bradley Cooper) after he has a traumatic run in with Luke. Avery, a cop who also has a son, is struggling with corruption within the police station. Soon he finds a job as the Assistant DA. The third act takes place 15 years later. Now Luke and Averys sons Jason and AJ are teenagers. Soon they become frenemies. All of the actions from the first two acts collide into a dramatic finale. That is just the gist of the plot.
The first act was emotionally tense. This was also the best of the three acts in my opinion. Each act was like a mini movie. But this act could have been expanded into a separate movie if possible! It was intense, the dialogue with Ben Mendelsohns character was great. Ben Mendelsohn should really be recognized for Best Supporting Actor here. Gosling gives a great performance as an Outlaw type, but also a caring man who just wants to provide for his son.
The second act featured less of the emotion from the first act and more of the crime aspect of the movie. For a second I thought Martin Scorcese had taken over the script. That is a compliment. Cooper also does great acting here! At first you will hate his character, but as you realize what is going on, you will almost forget about the first act and now focus on the story of Avery!
The third act seems to be getting the least praise. I am confused with that. Some are saying it was unneeded. I strongly disagree with those opinions! This was the perfect way to end this story! Many people are complaining that it was too cliché to include this part. It wasn't as good as the first two acts, but it was still great. The fact that the two sons meet and become friends is intriguing. It makes you wonder what will happen scene after scene. Great climatic ending to the movie!
The directing is top notch. This movie is beautiful to watch. It did what movies that use an overload of CGI mostly can't do. It told a genuinely good and tension filled story. I do like some movies with some good CGI, but I love movies that don't rely on special effects even more! The acting was stunning from all members of the cast. Its hard to choose a best actor between Gosling and Cooper, but there is no doubt in my mind that Ben Mendelsohn did a magnificent job in his supporting role! The story of this movie is gut wrenching. Its a drama. Its a crime drama. Its a thriller. Its even a R rated High School movie in the final act at times. It is a modern epic tragedy. It is a tale of karma and decisions. I personally think it is much better than Director Derek Cianfrances last film with Gosling "Blue Valentine". This movie had me on the edge of my seat throughout, especially in the third act. Again regarding the third act, I think most people aren't too keen with it because of the way one of the teens talks throughout. I got used to it within 5 minutes though as I thought it was actually a nice touch. The music of the movie is brilliantly placed too. The musical score by Mike Patton was haunting and beautiful. The track "Snow Angel" is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever created for film. The main theme cuts deep especially the way it was used in the film! Stay with the credits to finalize the experience because the song "The Wolves" by Bon Iver that plays is a true emotional masterpiece that goes well with the movie that preceded it!
I recommend this movie to anybody that loves a genuinely good original movie. This movie does demand your full attention though. If needed, you might have to put on the subtitles to fully understand some of the less audible dialogue. But that is your personal choice. This is a great movie for men particularly, whether you're a father, a son or both. This movie is great for women too, but men will have a more personal experience! This movie will stick with you either way!
If most of you haven't already figured out, the movie is divided into 3 acts. The first follows Luke(Gosling) a motorcyclist from a traveling carnival who quits upon finding out he has a son. He struggles to provide for the son Jason, who's mother Romina(Eva Mendez) is now with another man. He resorts to robbing banks. These actions lead into the Second act which follows Avery(Bradley Cooper) after he has a traumatic run in with Luke. Avery, a cop who also has a son, is struggling with corruption within the police station. Soon he finds a job as the Assistant DA. The third act takes place 15 years later. Now Luke and Averys sons Jason and AJ are teenagers. Soon they become frenemies. All of the actions from the first two acts collide into a dramatic finale. That is just the gist of the plot.
The first act was emotionally tense. This was also the best of the three acts in my opinion. Each act was like a mini movie. But this act could have been expanded into a separate movie if possible! It was intense, the dialogue with Ben Mendelsohns character was great. Ben Mendelsohn should really be recognized for Best Supporting Actor here. Gosling gives a great performance as an Outlaw type, but also a caring man who just wants to provide for his son.
The second act featured less of the emotion from the first act and more of the crime aspect of the movie. For a second I thought Martin Scorcese had taken over the script. That is a compliment. Cooper also does great acting here! At first you will hate his character, but as you realize what is going on, you will almost forget about the first act and now focus on the story of Avery!
The third act seems to be getting the least praise. I am confused with that. Some are saying it was unneeded. I strongly disagree with those opinions! This was the perfect way to end this story! Many people are complaining that it was too cliché to include this part. It wasn't as good as the first two acts, but it was still great. The fact that the two sons meet and become friends is intriguing. It makes you wonder what will happen scene after scene. Great climatic ending to the movie!
The directing is top notch. This movie is beautiful to watch. It did what movies that use an overload of CGI mostly can't do. It told a genuinely good and tension filled story. I do like some movies with some good CGI, but I love movies that don't rely on special effects even more! The acting was stunning from all members of the cast. Its hard to choose a best actor between Gosling and Cooper, but there is no doubt in my mind that Ben Mendelsohn did a magnificent job in his supporting role! The story of this movie is gut wrenching. Its a drama. Its a crime drama. Its a thriller. Its even a R rated High School movie in the final act at times. It is a modern epic tragedy. It is a tale of karma and decisions. I personally think it is much better than Director Derek Cianfrances last film with Gosling "Blue Valentine". This movie had me on the edge of my seat throughout, especially in the third act. Again regarding the third act, I think most people aren't too keen with it because of the way one of the teens talks throughout. I got used to it within 5 minutes though as I thought it was actually a nice touch. The music of the movie is brilliantly placed too. The musical score by Mike Patton was haunting and beautiful. The track "Snow Angel" is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever created for film. The main theme cuts deep especially the way it was used in the film! Stay with the credits to finalize the experience because the song "The Wolves" by Bon Iver that plays is a true emotional masterpiece that goes well with the movie that preceded it!
I recommend this movie to anybody that loves a genuinely good original movie. This movie does demand your full attention though. If needed, you might have to put on the subtitles to fully understand some of the less audible dialogue. But that is your personal choice. This is a great movie for men particularly, whether you're a father, a son or both. This movie is great for women too, but men will have a more personal experience! This movie will stick with you either way!