"The Place Beyond The Pines"

After an hour of searching for a movie-on-demand, we wanted something that earned more than two stars from viewers and lasted more than an hour and a half in length. (What IS that?) We found it in "The Place Beyond The Pines". This is the Mohawk Indian name for Schenectady, NY, where the epic story takes place; it eventually moves to nearby Troy.

Ryan Gosling's character, Luke, immediately pulled us into the complex tale. It unfolds vignette-style and doesn't stop surprising for more than ten minutes at a time. A terrific film that studies many different human relationships and behaviors - cause and effect, if you will - with emphasis on the impact of father-son woes.

From Derek Cianfrance, the director of "Blue Valentine",  the film held us captive for over two hours. The cast was well chosen, each actor fantastic in his or her role. We gave it our highest rating, a TEN.

A great way to spend a frosty Saturday morning... I guess I spoke too soon about those balmy temps we were experiencing.