One of the great movies from the early part of the year that everyone seems to have forgotten about, The Place Beyond the Pines is a film with vast scope and ambition, which is anchored by some of the best performances of the year. Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper play the two main characters and although Cooper is likewise excellent, Gosling is the more compelling and interesting of the two characters. Following his mythology making performance as The Driver in Drive, here he plays an expert stunt motorcyclist who uses his abilities to rob banks in order to provide for his young son. Although his character is a ultimately a tragic one, Gosling infuses the role with likability, and the movie suffers somewhat in the second half when he is no longer on-screen. Despite some of the more venomous responses to his performance in Only God Forgives, Gosling is one of the best young actors working today, and it's probably only a matter of time before he wins an Oscar, though, unfortunately, it won't be for The Place Beyond the Pines. In all honesty, it would be massively surprising if he even god a nomination.