The Place Beyond the Pines (Derek Cianfrance, 2013)

This is a triptych of sorts, with the sins of the fathers spilling over into later chapters. It begins with Ryan Gosling as a stunt motorbike rider, naturally preternaturally gifted like his getaway driver from Drive, who discovers he has an infant son in one of his touring-stop towns and then goes off the rails in a bid to provide for him. The story then moves on to Bradley Cooper as a cop who brings him down in questionable circumstances. The whole is a blend of understated dialogue and touting the proposition that there is a universal lesson to be learnt from the repercussions of isolated mistakes that echo for generations. If this sounds dismissive, it's for overambitious aspirations towards soothsaying. Nevertheless, it is emotionally complex in a way that few films with Hollywood A-list actors even attempt and does manage to tug on a few heartstrings in the process.

6/10