Logging

Film:  The Place Beyond The Pines

My love affair with movies lasted less than 24 hours.  Whereas The Driver reinvigorated me, this movie made me think the movies are done-zo.  Seriously, it made me think our culture is no longer capable of producing movies - that somehow our mix of money-people, actors, directors, critics, distributors, all of them forgot or never knew in the first place what makes a film satisfying.  How is it that we can be getting worse at making movies?  I suppose the money is less and the experts leave and retire and leave the reigns to the amateurs and the untalented.  Is that what happens?

I wanted to see this film from the preview.  I thought it looked like a James Grey movie, maybe a "We Own the Night," a gritty crime drama.  I heard vaguely good reviews, but mostly a lot of silence, and I hoped to find a little gem in the rough.  Oy vey.  Couldn't be further.  The movie is foremost incompetent.  The storytelling is dull and takes forever to reveal nothing interesting.  The characters make zero sense.  I could list it out, but I'd be giving the movie too much credit.  Just amateur hour and grossly indulgent with the actors.  It's got a great cast - but this is acting run amok.  Give these actors crying bait and they're weeping all over the place, in any scene when it vaguely makes sense.  We have no idea why.  Just terrible storytelling.  The only thing worse was the action filmmaking.  What the f--- was going on in the motorcycle chases?  Were they filmed on iphones?

Gosling continues his nonsensical attempt at tough-guy posturing and has zero sense of humor.  This demonstrates low intelligence.  Jesus, it makes me miss Arnold Schwarzenegger as an actor.