F

Flavorwire

Ray Liotta

Film

It May Star Gosling As a Stunt Rider, But ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ Is Far Stranger Than ‘Drive’

By Jason Bailey on

Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines opens with a long, weary tracking shot through a carnival midway and into a raucous tent, where motorcycles are revved and an announcer cranks up the crowded assemblage of looky-loos. The camera is following Luke (Ryan Gosling), a stunt rider, who proceeds to climb on top of a motorcycle and follow two of his fellow riders into a steel ball, where they cross within inches of each others’ paths. The audience goes nuts. But the camerawork is casual, almost bored; this doesn’t do it for Luke anymore. It’s as dull and uninspiring as working in a cubicle. … Read More

Film

Director Derek Cianfrance on ‘The Place Beyond the Pines’ and the Magic of Ryan Gosling

By Jason Bailey on

It’s tricky to talk to Derek Cianfrance about his new film The Place Beyond the Pines, due to a series of bold narrative turnabouts that would fall squarely into the realm of “spoilers.” I explained my hesitancy to him in a recent telephone interview. “It’s challenging for reviewers,” he grants. “You can’t just go and spend two-thirds of your review describing plot – unless you hate the movie. The reviewers that hate the movie have no problem… they’re excited to go out there and crush it for people.” I don’t hate the movie, and I don’t want to crush it for people. Suffice it to say that it starts as one thing, and then unexpectedly becomes another, and then something else entirely. That seems a safe way to put it — and for Cianfrance to explain how he arrived at the picture’s unique “triptych” structure. … Read More

Film

Flavorwire’s Flick of the Week: ‘Killing Them Softly’ Is a Cool, Muscular Crime Pic

By Jason Bailey on

Killing Them Softly stars Brad Pitt as a hitman, and I’m going to stop right away and assure you that it’s about twelve times more interesting than it already sounds. That’s because it’s the work of Andrew Dominick, the writer/director of Chopper and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which remains one of Pitt’s most compelling (and experimental) films. The plot is ancient, stale even: a pair of low-level greaseballs are hired by a dry cleaner to knock over a lucrative high-stakes mob card game, and Pitt is Cogan, the contractor brought in to clean up the mess (i.e., track the perps down and take them out). … Read More

Film

This Week in Trailers: ‘The Company You Keep,’ ‘The To-Do List,’ and More!

By Jason Bailey on

Every Friday here at Flavorwire, we like to gather up the week’s new movie trailers, give them a look-see, and rank them from worst to best — while taking a guess or two about what they might tell us (or hide from us) about the movies they’re promoting. We’ve got six new trailers for you this week, featuring Robert Redford, Susan Sarandon, Shia LaBeouf, Michael Shannon, Anna Kendrick, Sarah Polley, Ray Liotta, Aubrey Plaza, Winona Ryder, James Franco, and Chris Evans; check ‘em all out after the jump, and share your thoughts in the comments. … Read More