Double Feature: 'The Place Beyond the Pines' and 'Mud'

Today's double feature films actually share common themes! Usually, I just lump two movies together no matter their content in order to rush along and catch up on my backlog of film-going exploits. But today's features carry two very universal and very emotional themes that should be appreciated by all viewers: Love and Family.

The first of these releases, The Place Beyond the Pines, is director Derek Cianfrance's dramatic followup to his excellent (and under-appreciated) 2010 indie Blue Valentine. It's three tales of fathers and sons, the first focusing on traveling stuntman Luke Glanton (Ryan Gosling) returning home to Schenectady, New York (from where the film gets its name) and discovering that an old girlfriend has given birth to a baby boy. His baby boy. Giving up his stunt gig, he struggles to find a living wage while trying to be there for the son he didn't know he had, eventually robbing banks to try and support his estranged family. That leads him into conflict with police officer Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper), who is also balancing his love of being a police officer with his disdain for the rampant corruption in the department. Each man tries to provide for the futures of their infant sons, and their decisions will have dramatic repercussions in their childrens' lives.

Besides a full, enthralling story that keeps you glued to your seat, the big showstoppers here are definitely Gosling and Cooper. For those of you who failed to witness his worthy performance in Valentine, Gosling once again thrives under Cianfrance's direction, flawlessly walking that fine line between his good man persona and a dark, desperate edge driven by his desire to provide for his family. If anything, it's a harder role than that of Valentine, which had him play two sides of a coin but in two different times. Here he's doing it all at once, an amazing effort that ought to be applauded. And for those who thought Bradley Cooper's performance in Silver Linings Playbook was impressive, he completely blows that showing out of the water here. In a performance worthy of the nomination he got for last year's decent romantic comedy, Cooper really commands the camera. Whether that's due to his natural talent coming to a head or his working under an actor's director like Cianfrance is unknown, but he's definitely puts in one of the better performances this year. Backing them up are solid showings from veteran actors Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, Ben Mendelsohn and Rose Byrne, each adding just enough to make their roles memorable.

The film does have a few surprises, most notably the curious final act featuring Glanton and Cross' grown children, but for the most part the surprises work better than you might have expected. It's not too often that you get a movie that is tailor-made for fathers and sons (in fact, it's surprising that this wasn't released closer to Father's Day), but The Place Beyond the Pines is a brilliant piece of artistic filmmaking that caters to that specific demographic. If you're a fan of Cianfrance's previous works or either of the film's principal actors, this is definitely a film you shouldn't miss.

Mud isn't far behind it, though the pedigree of writer/director Jeff Nichols certainly isn't as renowned as that of Cianfrance. Fans at least will point to 2011's apocalyptic thriller Take Shelter as proof of his talent, though I admit I have yet to see that particular film. But if Nichols' talent is anything close to what he displays here, that film may be due for a rental. Mud is the story of two Arkansas youths (Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland) who investigate an empty island looking for a small boat that supposedly washed up in the last flood. What they find instead is Mud (Matthew McConaughey), a man on the run from the law and awaiting the arrival of his girlfriend Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Running low on food and supplies, Mud asks the boys for assistance in getting things he cannot go into town to get and to reconnect with Juniper. Meanwhile, both the law and a gang of vigilantes hunting Mud are moving in, and the two boys might be getting in way over their heads.

Nichols does a great job crafting his story, and the main reason this coming-of-age tale works so well is because the director doesn't treat it like it's any old reworked classic. Nichols' story is deliberately paced, parceling out morsels of information in easily digestible pieces. Though Mud's background isn't as deep or mysterious (or unpredictable) as similar characters throughout cinema history, Nichols' effortless ability to keep the story suspenseful is a major asset in keeping his audience focused on the task at hand. Mud if nothing else is exceedingly well-told, presenting the rural south in a way not seen since Mark Twain was at his literary height. This isn't a surprise; the director has claimed Twain as an influence on his work, and that type of narration definitely helps his movie achieve greatness.

The acting corps also doesn't have many lightweights, as everybody here is a seriously-talented performer vying for recognition. The cast is filled with the likes of Sarah Paulson, Ray McKinnon, Michael Shannon and Sam Shepard, putting on strong performances in small roles. Witherspoon shows what she can do outside of her romcom element, reminding everybody of just how good she can be in dramatic stories. And McConaughey is definitely looking for Best Actor awards, his smoothly demure fugitive one of the absolute best performances he's made to date. But surprisingly the movie actually belongs to Sheridan and Lofland. Lofland, a newcomer with no prior film experience, works well in the sidekick role, playing a sounding board for Sheridan and providing a bit of comic relief as well. Sheridan is both a surprising and excellent lead, however, adopting those Tom Sawyer-esque mannerisms of the character while feeling still unique and individual. His ability to narrate a film without saying much is something to be celebrated in a Hollywood where too many filmmakers believe that audiences need things spelled out for them.

What we have here in The Place Beyond the Pines and Mud are two excellent independent films. If they're playing anywhere near you (both were playing at over 600 US theaters this past weekend), then you should do yourself a favor and check them out. One is a fantastic drama which adult fathers ought to attend with their adult sons, the other a mystical and yet utterly modern romance that ultimately manages to feel wholly unlike anything you've seen before. Both ought to be worthwhile whether seen on the big or small screens, but I definitely encourage the theatrical route, as while there's been the occasional great reason to go the movies lately, these are the types of films smart film-goers should be fully supporting.

Wartime Comedy

Here's how I imagine the idea for This Means War came about: a studio promoter, a teenage girl, and a 44-year-old director who still insists on calling himself "McG" were locked into a room together,  allowed to leave only once they'd agreed on the next film to be made by the man responsible for bringing Charlie's Angels to the big screen. When all was said and done, a spy comedy starring two rising actors (in Star Trek's Chris Pine and Inception's Tom Hardy) was born, with Reese Witherspoon cast as the love object of both men. Witherspoon's addition makes it obvious: this is and always was meant to be a chick flick. However, while the actress is certainly more of a name-brand commodity than either Pine or Hardy at this point in either young man's careers, she is not without her bugaboos, most notably a significant downturn in her career since winning the Best Actress Academy Award for 2005's Walk the Line. It seems that more people have focused on her split from former beau Ryan Phillippe than the movies in which she's starred. Her releases haven't really FLOPPED, but neither have they broken free from the constraints of mediocre draws. Appealing to a younger audience seems like the right choice for the veteran actress, and maybe her unique energy can elevate a film that, on paper, looks like a combination of the worst cliches that spy and romantic comedies perpetrate.

All you tween girls can start screaming now...

CIA agents Franklin Delano Roosevelt Foster (Pine) and Tuck Henson (Hardy) are the best of the best, and the best of friends as well. But after a mission in Hong Kong goes south, their boss confines them to desk duty to help protect them from ruthless international criminal Heinrich (Til Schweiger), who has sworn revenge after the two accidentally killed Heinrich's brother in the line of duty. With the extra time on their hands, FDR and Tuck find themselves seeking romance with the same woman, Lauren Scott (Witherspoon), who doesn't realize that the two men she's become involved with are not only coworkers but best friends. Or, at least they were friends before they got involved with Lauren, as the two go from staying out of one another's way and "letting her decide" to using every tool at their disposal to sabotage the other, desperate to win the affections of Miss Scott. Meanwhile, Heinrich begins to make his way to the agents' home city of Los Angeles to enact his revenge upon the quarreling duo.

Whether she's got a great surgeon or just good genes, Witherspoon still has it all going on.

Let's get the main criticism out of the way first: that these two young, brash agents can do pretty much anything they want in seeking this woman's heart seems lighthearted at first but is completely implausible in practice. The two plant bugs in her home, have junior agents study her entire background, and pretty much act like stalkers in an effort to get an edge on their competition. This wouldn't be so bad if they didn't GET AWAY WITH IT so easily. They are never questioned by superiors, when juniors wonder why they're checking in on this completely innocent American citizen the response is that those details are "classified", and when the pair really delve into non-grey no-no territory, one of them quips "Patriot Act" as justification of their actions. Sure, these issues can be seen as completely fictionalized and unworthy of scrutiny, but at a time in which many people already don't trust their government to keep out of their business, this seems like unnecessarily pouring fuel on the fire. That either man gets the girl in the end is more than a little cockamamie considering what he did to get there.

"No, really, the Star Trek reboot is great! The guy who plays Kirk is going to go places!"

There are some reasons to at least glance at this title, however. The charisma of the two males is undeniable, and actually allows the audience to forgive those characters their (multiple) trespasses over the length of the film. Pine channels a bit of Kirk in his womanizing stud FDR, who never cared to get into a real relationship before meeting his match in Lauren. And you can't help but love Hardy's Tuck, who is so earnest and endeavoring to please. While the characters themselves are little more than archetypes of good boy/bad boy stereotypes, it is the talent of both young actors which really allows them to rise oh-so-slightly above those cliches and make them characters worth rooting for. Witherspoon also unsurprisingly brings her unique bubbly enthusiasm to the big screen, though her character seems even more unassuming and naive than in her Legally Blonde days. She never quite matches up to that level of desirable that demands that these two men destroy their friendship over her, and we never feel bad about the "tough" decision she must make about her future. Chelsea Handler is uneven as Lauren's married best friend; Handler's expertise is dirty humor, and while she gets a few moments to shine, I felt like the film never really took advantage of her presence to raise the quality of the humor present. Schweiger, Germany's most popular actor, once again plays an emotionless European criminal, a Hollywood career I had hoped he would avoid after stealing a few scenes in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds.

Sadly, Pine doesn't START... talking like... THIS... after being drugged

The humor is also okay, with some chuckles surviving the transition from script to screen successfully. Of course, much of the humor is dependent on Handler; when she's at her best, the film is just fine. When she is held back, the whole thing is far less interesting. The film's action is actually among the best I've seen so far this year, a staple with McG that has actually gotten better with experience, unlike the rest of his "skills." It's a shame these two elements can't make up for poor character development, a bare-bones plot, and deliberate theft from other franchises, including There's Something About Mary and Bad Boys, just to name a few. It's like the filmmakers were worried that there might be something original about This Means War, and set out to squash that possibility as quickly as they could. Toss in the fact that the entire Heinrich story was sidelined instead of being woven into the main tale, and what you have is a romantic comedy that isn't romantic or even all that funny, and an action movie whose best elements are hindered by the aforementioned poor romantic comedy.

Countdown to shit storm in 3... 2...

It's the terrible rendition of friendships and romantic relationships that ultimately sinks McG's latest outing. Not giving his stars a chance to grow beyond the confines of an awful script, This Means War is easily one of the worst movies I've seen in 2012's first three months. I had been hoping that the film would go places I wasn't expecting, only to find myself completely disabused of that notion a mere quarter of the way through. There is some serious talent present here, but sadly that's not nearly enough to make a worthwhile movie-going experience. It seems many out there agree; the film has been a financial flop, not a good sign for the actors involved, especially Hardy, whose post-Inception track record also includes the excellent bomb Warrior, released last year. Still, I expect all these actors to get off scot free, as Pine and Hardy are young enough to recover, and Witherspoon still has enough natural charm to get regular work. I'm honestly not looking forward to another McG film however, as it seems he's given up on the whole "career maturation" thing and is simply unable to make great films. He proved that with Terminator: Salvation, and he proved it here today.

A Watershed Moment

I can't really remember ever going to see a circus growing up. No, Cirque du Soliel doesn't count. The circus most people are familiar with seem as though it has remained the same after countless decades. Even if you've never been, you probably have an idea of what to expect: high-wire escapades, exotic animals, human acts like the bearded lady or the tattooed dwarf, clowns. The more things change, the more they stay the same, as many of these circus companies have adjusted over time to become the entertainment juggernauts they are; even their most ardent opponents have to acknowledge the effect that those colorful tents and performers have on the average populace. But those same opponents would love to point out the countless acts of animal cruelty and human rights violations that have gone practically unnoticed, for fear it would diminish the drama that is the "Greatest Show on Earth." That's where Water for Elephants comes in. The film, based on the bestselling book by Sara Gruen, takes a hard look at the methods of traveling circuses during one of America's darkest hours, the Great Depression, and introduces to those who watch things they cannot help but be entranced by, whether they've seen a circus or not.

Supposedly, Rosie was a better kisser

Robert Pattinson stars as Edward Cul... I mean Jacob Jankowski, who one day has his whole life planned out ahead of him, only for everything to change irrevocably in one day. The day he is to take his final exams to graduate from Cornell University with a Veterinary degree, Jacob's parents are killed in an automobile accident, and he learns that due to his father being behind on the mortgage, the bank is foreclosing on his house. Homeless and wandering, Jacob finds himself an unlikely job with the Benzini Brothers traveling circus. He eventually enters a guarded friendship with circus manager August Rosenbluth (Christoph Waltz) and the star of the show, his wife Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). Hired on as an animal handler, Jacob sees how abusive August is of both people and animals, and it is only a matter of time before he must do something, if only to save Marlena - who he loves - and new show elephant Rosie, who he finds under his care.

Four Best-Actor nominees in one shot, anyone?

It may be too often said that the performance of an animal is the best part of a film, but far more rarely can that be construed as a good thing. From the moment adorable elephant Rosie - played by a very talented Asian elephant named Tai - makes her appearance a third of the way through the film, she manages to steal every scene in which she takes part. Obviously intelligent and showing impeccable timing (not to mention a comedic flair), Tai excels in whatever she's tasked with, whether it be a simple trick or as a victim of physical abuse. She is by far the best performer on screen, but don't be fooled into thinking that everyone else are just chumps. Pattinson is especially a surprise, proving he can put on a good show outside of the Mormon vampire set. Perhaps setting the stage for a long career combining all of his Dean-esque talents, Pattinson proves that he can handle the leading man moniker with ease. Witherspoon is also a delight, proving that she's worth so much more than her relatively brainless roles in films like Legally Blonde and 2010's How Do You Know. Hers is even more challenging for having to learn physical routines with her pachyderm co-star, and she works the different angles of her character like a true professional. That Waltz is practically the least of these four stars should not weigh negatively on him; as the film's villain, he is properly dangerous, skeevy and manic. However, Waltz also manages to convey the few positive traits Augustus contains, making for far more than a mere one-dimensional bad guy. All the performances, from the biggest star to the tiniest bit role, are excellently played and truly connect with the audience.

Sigh. He's so DREAMY.

One thing I was impressed by was the story that director Francis Lawrence chose to tell. He could have easily made the film all about the romance between Jacob and Marlena at the expense of the two-faced circus business. Instead, most of the film actually focuses on the conflict between Jacob and Augustus, with the fate of the circus and everyone aboard somewhere in the middle. Rosie is also featured much more than you would guess from the previews, as her role and that of some of the other animals shows us of the horrible cruelty that performance beasts underwent at a time when fresh meat couldn't be afforded for the lions, star horses are driven to the point of physical breakdown and a cruel trainer would leave welts and open sores on the skin of an elephant in a fit of rage. While we are led to believe that this was partly due to the crushing realities of the Depression, there's no reason to believe that these types of goings on don't happen nowadays. Animal cruelty still happens, as recently as 2009 when Kenneth Field (CEO of Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus) admitted to treatment of elephants in ways counter to the US Animal Welfare Act. Presumably even worse in this earlier era, Water for Elephants does a good job showing us abusers who treat these innocent victims even worse than the underpaid manual labor they use to set up their Big Tops.

Trivia fun! In a deleted scene in Vanity Fair, these two played estranged mother and son!

The film does use some CGI effects, most notably in a few scenes in which characters ride atop the circus train while the night sky twinkles in the distance. Sadly, these scenes don't look too realistic, but at least they manage to convey the comfortable mood the story is going for. Most of Water for Elephants is nothing like Lawrence's previous works, the more visually-stylish Constantine and I Am Legend (or his countless music videos). Most everything looks quite realistic, and while the few instances of SFX usage are not meant to wow us, the actual bits and pieces of circus acts are the true eye-poppers; from glimpses of the aforementioned high-wire acts and animal tricks we get our excitement, as though we were patrons of the circus and not the cinema. If there's anything involved there besides amazing camerawork and a great idea of what the director wanted to show, I sure couldn't find it.

Not even the "Greatest Show this Year", but still good nonetheless

Water For Elephants has a few flaws, the most notable being a contrived ending that surprises only in the fact that you never thought they would take the simple route to victory. Still, the word "magical" perfectly works for the majority of the film's execution, and for that reason it makes the 2011 Top 10 list at #7. Of course, if you're more interested in seeing elephants, you can always check out the International Elephant Foundation or perhaps even this article about them. I had a great time and this is a title I would definitely recommend for audiences of all ages.