If, like most sensible people, you enjoyed Ryan Gosling’s portrayal of a stunt driver who turns to crime in 2011’s Drive, you’ll be pleased to learn he’s returning to very similar territory for his latest role.
New thriller The Place Beyond The Pines sees Gosling reunite with Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance to star as a daredevil motorcyclist plying his trade at carnivals. However, when an ex (Eva Mendes) reveals he’s an unwitting father, he begins using his skillset to rob banks and provide for his new son.
Predictably, this life of crime isn’t without its dangers and Gosling’s misbehaviour soon lands him on a collision course with Bradley Cooper’s rookie cop – a man also new to fatherhood and at odds with a corrupt police department headed by Ray Liotta.
Yet for all the car/bike chases and trademark Gosling brooding, it’s a film which, abetted by a father-son storyline, promises more than meets the eye. Although, if we said we didn’t want to see a scorpion-incised motorcycle helmet, we’d be lying.
The Place Beyond The Pines is at cinemas nationwide from 12 April
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