the place beyond the pines is a 2012 american crime drama film directed by derek cianfrance and written by cianfrance , ben coccio , and darius marder .

it stars ryan gosling , bradley cooper , eva mendes , emory cohen and dane dehaan , with ben mendelsohn , rose byrne , mahershala ali , bruce greenwood , harris yulin , and ray liotta in supporting roles .

the film reunites cianfrance and gosling , who worked together on 2010 's blue valentine .

the film was scored by mike patton and also featured previously written music by estonian composer arvo pärt .

the title is the english meaning of the city of schenectady , new york , which is derived loosely from a mohawk word for " place beyond the pine plains . "

the place beyond the pines

the place beyond the pines <EOT> " the place beyond the pines " is the type of movie that makes people decry the fact that hollywood doesn ' t make movies like " the place beyond the pines " anymore .

the place beyond the pines is hackneyed and dull : not a single moment rings true .

i highly recommend you get lost in the place beyond the pines ‘ inevitable brand of storytelling .

“place beyond the pines” this weekend became the first independent movie to cross $ 20 million this year .

focus features picks up u . s . rights to toronto favorite , ‘the place beyond the pines’ ( exclusive )

- a vintage schenectady police car races up brandywine avenue while filming " the place beyond the pines " today .

if you want to answer the questions , " who starred in the movie the place beyond the pines ? " and " what is the full cast list of the place beyond the pines ? " then this page has got you covered .

- fans gather outside city hall in schenectady to watching filming of " the place beyond the pines " on friday .

this cast list of who was in the place beyond the pines includes both lead and minor roles . ( 11 items )

- director derek cianfrance stands outside city hall in schenectady during filming of " the place beyond the pines " on friday .

- a film crew sets up outside city hall in schenectady for filming of " the place beyond the pines " on friday .

- the crew filming for " the place beyond the pines " on gower road in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

- ryan gosling and eva mendes film a scene from " the place beyond the pines " at dairy circus in scotia on thursday .

also read : focus features picks up u . s . rights to toronto favorite , ' the place beyond the pines ' ( exclusive )

- actress rose byrne walks to her trailer outside city hall in schenectady during filming of " the place beyond the pines " on friday .

- people watching the film crews for " the place beyond the pines " on route 5 in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

the place beyond the pines cast list , listed alphabetically with photos when available . this list of the place beyond the pines actors includes any the place beyond the pines actresses and all other actors from the film . you can view additional information about each the place beyond the pines actor on this list , such as when and where they were born . to find out more about a particular actor or actress , click on their name and you ' ll be taken to page with even more details about their acting career . the cast members of the place beyond the pines have been in many other movies , so use this list as a starting point to find actors or actresses that you may not be familiar with .

the place beyond the pines is a film about actions and consequences ; it ' s also a film about fatherhood , fate and second chances .

- actor bradley cooper waves to fans outside city hall in schenectady before filming of " the place beyond the pines " on aug . 11 .

- actor bradley cooper walks outside city hall in schenectady during filming of " the place beyond the pines " on aug . 11 , 2011 .

- a member of the crew for " the place beyond the pines " off of route 5 in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

- the truck carrying the film crew filming for " the place beyond the pines " on route 5 in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

this article is related to : box office and tagged box office , g . i . joe : retaliation , the croods , the place beyond the pines

the daring new movie from the director of blue valentine , the place beyond the pines is a sweeping emotional drama powerfully exploring the unbreakable bond between fathers and sons .

- the crowd gathers outside the scotia fire department on mohawk avenue to watch filming of " the place beyond the pines " at the 1st national bank of scotia .

over the past few weeks , den of geek writers have been voting for their favourite films of the year . democracy dictated that in the ninth place was this one : the place beyond the pines . . .

- the film crew in the parking lot of the 1st national bank of scotia filming for the movie " the place beyond the pines " on friday , july 29 , 2011 .

hoping for another slow - burn win to break its box - office slump , focus features is playing the long game again with “the place beyond the pines . ”

- actor ryan gosling , right , walking on the set for " the place beyond the pines " on gower road in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

box office : ' g . i . joe ' delivers very good friday ; ' place beyond the pines ' has excellent limited opening ; ' the host ' disappoints

our top ten list of favourite films continues with the place beyond the pines . ryan explains why it ' s one of 2013 ' s absolute finest . . .

- actor ryan gosling , blonde hair , on set for " the place beyond the pines " off of route 5 in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

- actor ryan gosling , left , on a motorcycle filming for " the place beyond the pines " on gower road in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

- crowds gather in front of the scotia fire dept . to watch for any action being made on the movie " the place beyond the pines " at the 1st national bank of scotia .

- a hollywood stunt rider circles the rear of the 1st national bank of scotia while filming " the place beyond the pines " on friday morning . set production assistant , brett lambie at right .

- actor ryan gosling , center , getting prepared for a scene outside the 1st national bank of scotia for the movie " the place beyond the pines " on friday , july 29 , 2011 .

- film crews around the motorcycle ryan gosling was using during a chase scene for " the place beyond the pines " off of route 5 in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

at a time where directors are increasingly turning to television to tell adult stories , cianfrance ' s the place beyond the pines emerges as one of the year ' s most moving and relevant dramas .

- actor ryan gosling , center , preparing for a scene in the parking lot of the 1st national bank of scotia for the movie " the place beyond the pines " on friday , july 29 , 2011 .

- film crews for the movie that will be made in the area , " the place beyond the pines " , start to set up at the old gay valley airport located route 5 july 26 , 2011 .

- actor ryan gosling , center , after filming a motorcycle chase scene down route 5 for " the place beyond the pines " on gower road in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

- actor ryan gosling , center , walking away after filming a scene driving up to the 1st national bank of scotia for the movie " the place beyond the pines " on friday , july 29 , 2011 .

= the river that flows without ( or beyond " the cabin . " )

the cast of " the place beyond the pines " also includes rose byrne , mahershala ali , emory cohen , dane dehaan , gabe fazio , bruce greenwood , ray liotta , ben mendelsohn , and harris yulin .

the bottom line : if you like movies with good character development and acting , and can handle some slow pacing and wandering , “the place beyond the pines” is unique and powerful film that might just surprise you .

- production assistant , brett lambie tells crowds to stay on the sidewalk in front of the scotia fire dept . while watching action being made on the movie " the place beyond the pines " at the 1st national bank of scotia .

- a film crew follows a motorcycle behind the trustco bank at state street and brandywine avenue as filming for the indie film " the place beyond the pines " continues today . actor ryan gosling appeared to be driving the cycle .

derek cianfrance got a good idea of how well “the place beyond the pines” was doing when he heard the sound of actor bradley cooper’s voice booming from a trio of illuminated billboards beaming down on a bustling tokyo street last summer .

set in schenectady , new york ( the iroquois word translates to " place beyond the pines " ) , " the place beyond the pines " focuses on luke ( ryan gosling ) , a stunt motorcycle driver who takes to a life of bank robbing in an attempt to support his infant son . bradley cooper , who doesn ' t appear until almost an hour into the film , plays a local police officer who attempts to bring luke to justice .

- film crews filming a scene as ryan gosling , in the passenger seat , and a co - star drive up to the 1st national bank of scotia for the movie " the place beyond the pines " on friday , july 29 , 2011 .

- christos limniatis , of albany , a camera assistant intern , wheeling a cart of production tools to the set outside the 1st national bank of scotia for filming of " the place beyond the pines " on friday , july 29 , 2011 .

ultimately , “the place beyond the pines” is a very well done movie that highlights the struggles of fatherhood and how those challenges are felt by the children themselves . the pacing is bothersome , but it is quickly overshadowed by fantastic performances by the two lead roles .

one of my favorite movie swerves in recent memory comes from the place beyond the pines , a 2012 film that is , ostensibly , a film about cops and criminals , but is really about dads—just not in the way you might think .

with “the place beyond the pines” derek cianfrance has now placed himself in the canon of great , contemporary american filmmakers like james gray , paul thomas anderson and the coen brothers . this is a film that desires to say something about how we relate to each other , and how the often overlooked consequences of our actions can refract down avenues we could never expect . a brilliant , towering picture , “the place beyond the pines” is a cinematic accomplishment of extraordinary grace and insight . [ a ]

“the place beyond the pines” , may seem like a classic crime movie , but at its heart , it explores much deeper themes . overall , the film addresses the connection between father and son , and how someone‘s choices can affect those around them .

perhaps gosling as raving psycho was too much to sustain for the full trip , but it ' s a shame that this putters out so abruptly . the place beyond the pines needed a foot on the gas , instead there ' s sugar in the tank .

" place beyond the pines " tells the story of a motorcycle stunt rider - turned - bank robber who turns to crime to try to feed his family . derek cianfrance directs from a script he wrote with ben coccio and darius marder .

with " the place beyond the pines " out on dvd and blu - ray on aug . 6 , huffpost entertainment spoke to cooper about the well - reviewed drama , why he feared even signing on for the project and what he loved about ryan gosling .

- actor ryan gosling , center , helping production people unload a motorcycle that he just rode into the back of a truck during a chase scene for " the place beyond the pines " on gower road in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

when the place beyond the pines was released back in 2012 , it was then most notable for being the next film from derek cianfrance , who directed the searing un - love story blue valentine . like that movie , the place beyond the pines puts a tremendous amount of work into texture , giving every scene an air of melancholy that & apos ; s strangely hypnotic . a big part of what sells it is the film & apos ; s haunting , ethereal score by alt - metal band faith no more frontman mike patton .

- mary mclear , right , of rotterdam , with her 12 - year - old niece kaycee mclear , of cobleskill , watching the film crew off of route 5 in glenville for the " the place beyond the pines " filming on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

- crowds gather in front of the scotia fire dept . to watch for any action being made on the movie " the place beyond the pines " at the 1st national bank of scotia . here jim deangelo , of scotia holds his sleeping daughter , bailey deangelo on friday morning .

there’s a cold , desolate beauty in derek cianfrance’s the place beyond the pines , a drama about motorcycle riders and seemingly unbreakable cycles of violence . impeccably acted and unusual in structure , it daringly stretches its story across multiple generations and a gulf of 15 years .

the place beyond the pines received positive reviews from critics and has a " certified fresh " score of 80 % on rotten tomatoes based on 196 reviews , with an average score of 7 . 3 out of 10 . the critical consensus states : " ambitious to a fault , the place beyond the pines finds writer / director derek cianfrance reaching for—and often grasping—thorny themes of family , fatherhood , and fate . " the film also has a score of 68 out of 100 on metacritic based on 42 critics indicating " generally favorable reviews " . ( wikipedia )

( albany ) , signified the place the natives of the iroquois arrived at by traveling through the pine trees . " (

usually in films when the protagonist alters halfway through the story , we become distanced to these characters . however , the story in the place beyond the pines flows well ; we remain engaged by each central character . the gloomy tone of blue valentine is again captured here through the rough realism reminiscent of a ken loach film .

in her new film , the place beyond the pines , she ditches glam , playing a hard - grafting waitress opposite real - life partner ryan gosling . she talks to catherine shoard about how the role mirrors her upbringing and , er , why her dog ' s face should be pixellated

there & apos ; s a lot going on in the place beyond the pines , but it mostly seems concerned with pervasive ideas about fatherhood and whether or not sons can escape their orbit . in pop culture , fatherhood can seem like a paradox . it & apos ; s obsessed over endlessly while also somehow seemingly easy— just show up is often the moral of stories about dads . the place beyond the pines is a little more complicated , suggesting that the mythological status we place on fatherhood is both powerful and overblown , a blessing or a curse—and fathers don & apos ; t get to know which . their children , however , know it all too well .

rode the best reviews of the week to second place with $ 28 , 649 in its lone theater .

similarly the present town of schenectady took the name when referred to at albany , as " beyond the pine plains . "

although the unusual structure of cianfrance’s film affects its pacing in places , the story’s two parts create a mirror effect , where the actions of one generation ripple and disturb the fates of the characters in the next . relevant and brave in terms of subject and almost flawless in execution , the place beyond the pines is among 2013‘s best american dramas .

, which not only opened in first place on the overall chart , but also earned first place on the per theater average chart with an average of $ 9 , 153 . the best limited release of the week was

this is not a movie about robbing banks or cops chasing down criminals . at its core , “beyond the pines” is about decisions and how they affect the characters not only in the present but also in later generations .

though it tries very hard to present itself as a capital - m major work , “the place beyond the pines” is , frankly , a stupid film , not just clumsily designed and poorly executed but fundamentally ill - conceived . that it’s being hailed by so many and with such resounding enthusiasm is baffling .

of all the films arriving at tiff this year , few are premiering under such an air of mystery as derek cianfrance ‘s “ the place beyond the pines . ” with only a couple of official images , but no posters or trailers , the tone and scope of the movie remained under wraps . following “ blue valentine , ” would the film be a similarly intimate and narrowly focused story or something completely different ? the answer is that “the place beyond the pines” is an ambitious epic that is cut from some of the same thematic tissue as cianfrance’s previous film , but expands the scope into a wondrously widescreen tale of fathers , sons and the legacy of sins that are passed down through the generations .

but focus features’ the place beyond the pines topped absolute numbers among the specialties this weekend and easily showed itself as the box office star . the feature , starring ryan gosling , eva mendes and bradley cooper grossed just under $ 4 . 1 million in its third weekend . last weekend , it averaged $ 23 , 168 in 30 theaters .

the film as a whole agrees with the theory that our early nurture ( or the lack of it ) determines how we will end up in the future , that we are more or less destined to follow in our father’s footsteps . the place beyond the pines is an artistic endeavor that will be enjoyed by those who are interested in the ‘sins of our fathers’ philosophy .

few if any leading men in hollywood have hotter careers right now than ryan gosling and bradley cooper , but " the place beyond the pines " is anything but a slick , dual - star vehicle . an outstanding supporting cast and an immensely talented creative team join cooper and gosling to put together a film that touches greatness .

- stephanie winkler , front , calls her sister and mother with her friend deanna kremzier , both 17 - years - old and from scotia , after seeing and getting a wave from ryan gosling on a motorcycle filming for " the place beyond the pines " on gower road in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 .

i wouldn ' t have thought this was a renewable anthology format , but welcome to wayward pines .

- production assistant joe l . salters , of brooklyn , right , showing jeff bielawksi and his 6 - year - old son coby the movie set where actor ryan gosling was filming a chase scene for " the place beyond the pines " on gower road in glenville on thursday , july 28 , 2011 . jeff and coby live in a neighboring house .

exclusive : after working together selectively on the indie film hits half nelson , blue valentine and the recently wrapped the place beyond the pines while separately making 20 films over the past seven years , producers lynette howell and jamie patricof have partnered in a new company . they’ve launched electric city entertainment , and say they have raised several million dollars in money to option and develop material . they aim to continue finding emerging independent filmmakers , like half nelson ‘s ryan fleck and anna boden , and blue valentine ‘s derek cianfrance , who helmed the place beyond the pines . but they also want to work on larger - scale independent films in the $ 10 million - $ 30 million range , and have the chance to grow with those filmmakers as they take on more ambitious fare .

with this one simple plot we already have a substantial enough story that could last the duration of the film . however , the place beyond the pines is from the mind of derek cianfrance ; the director who left an everlasting impression upon us through his interpretation of a doomed love story in blue valentine . again , cianfrance has prevailed in his provocative storytelling through illustrating three connected tales enlightened by fully - round characters .

“derek cianfrance’s morality play is a brooding , immersive experience with some of the best acting you will see all year , ” he wrote . “the triptych format is unique , unsettling and brilliant as three seemingly unrelated stories unfold over two generations of characters . packed with nail - biting suspense and strong , layered and morally ambiguous characters , ‘the place beyond the pines’ is a phenomenal crime drama . ”

the backroads are treacherous in upstate new york : long , thin ribbons of tarmac that twist through knotted forests and past rushing rivers on their way to destinations unknown . the place beyond the pines , derek cianfrance’s ambitious and brilliant crime drama , is about four men whose lives are lived on roads like these , and each of them is hurtling towards whatever it is that lies just beyond the brow of the hill . there are no forks or turnings , just two options to choose from : keep riding onwards , or crash .

i went to see " the place beyond the pines " with high hopes , since i was so impressed with " blue valentine , " the previous effort from derek cianfrance . " valentine " was a film that felt as if it had was personally addressing me in many respects . the eerie thing about it is that " the place beyond the pines " did it again , even though the subject matter is very different . in " blue valentine " we looked at a doomed relationship and after the fact , we know it couldn ' t have gone any other way . we also know why , because a lot of times people fall in love and have no idea who is joining them on that journey . the best of intentions make little difference when it comes to keeping a relationship composed of the incompatible together .

it’s been a week since i saw writer / director derek cianfrance’s the place beyond the pines , and i’ve been puzzling out how he created such an immersive film ever since . with my notebook and constant ( over ) analysis , i tend to watch and deconstruct movies at the same time . but this film pulled me under fast , leaving me to figure out why after the lights came up .

" pines " is hardy stuff , but it ' s at its toughest when gosling ' s on screen .

he does not quote his authorities , but beyond the opening was probably as near to beyond or " without the door " as the limited vocabulary of the indians could be expected to go . what he means by " retained on the division " is not clear , as the division of schenectady from albany occurred in this century .

and his co - writers for creating a movie that announces its ambitions from that opening sequence . the music , the cinematography , the acting choices , the daring plot leaps — not a single element is timid or safe . there are small coincidences with huge consequences , as characters struggle to escape their past , to change their seemingly inevitable fates . " the place beyond the pines " earns every second of its 140 - minute running time .

there’s a curiosity that accompanies seeing a movie that takes place where you live , none so poignant as how true to life that movie represents the place you call home . i’ve always felt “good will hunting” represents the feeling of boston well ( having been there several times but never calling the place home ) , in the same way that edward burns’ “sidewalks of new york” represents manhattan better than a hundred star - studded rom coms could ever hope to . with director derek cianfrance’s 2013 effort “the place beyond the pines” – filmed in and around schenectedy , ny ( a mere 20 minutes from my home of albany ) , we introduced to a bizarre and oftentimes captivating tale that feels more independent film than hollywood production , looking at crime , corruption , small towns , and how far even the most seemingly vile will go to protect their own .

the toronto film festival is widely considered to be the place where a majority of the buzz for so - called “awards films” begins , and this year one of the biggest surprises was derek cianfrance ’s ( blue valentine ) crime drama the place beyond the pines . the pic stars ryan gosling and bradley cooper and centers on the intense feud between a professional motorcycle rider turned bank robber ( gosling ) and a rookie police officer ( cooper ) . the film premiered to an enthusiastically positive response at tiff , with heavy praise given to the film’s scope and impact ; our own matt goldberg called it an “epic family saga” in his positive review .

toronto – its mesmerizing balance of steaminess and melancholy made blue valentine one of the most distinctively intense american indies of the past few years . while derek cianfrance ’s third feature , the place beyond the pines , is far more diffuse and can’t match its predecessor’s extraordinarily raw intimacy , this drama about morality , guilt and the long - range reverberations of the sins of the fathers packs moments of searing power . the film’s somber tone and choppy narrative will make it a challenging entry in the marketplace , but the name cast will help .

they decided to formalize the relationship after producing the place beyond the pines , their follow - up with blue valentine helmer cianfrance that stars ryan gosling , bradley cooper , eva mendes , rose byrne and ray liotta . at a $ 15 million budget , the film dwarfs the $ 4 million cianfrance spent on blue valentine , but howell and patricof see a niche for films studios aren’t making , with pedigreed filmmakers and strong casts , and a shot at crossover business .

, which is projected to end in second place with $ 15 . 15 million . that ' s well behind previous outings for the franchise ,

shaking up the cinematic doldrums of early spring , here comes " the place beyond the pines , " a self - confident , self - aware , almost cocky piece of filmmaking from the immensely gifted derek cianfrance . it is an epic film centered on pivotal moments in the lives of working - class and fringe - society types who wake up every morning and go to bed each night with the same question hanging over their heads : how are they going to make ends meet ?

it ' s kind of a mixed week when it comes to limited releases . there are quite a few of them , but not many that have good reviews and strong buzz . the best of these is blancanieves , which i thought opened previously . there are some with good reviews and some with buzz , but not a lot that scream hit . the place beyond the pines probably has the best chance at hitting major milestones . more . . .

“the place beyond the pines” trades in affectations of the warped and unseemly , its broad - stroke class slumming nothing more than a noxious game of dress - up for the american cinema’s most pretentious would - be artiste . its very particular vision of the nation’s working class—one it sustains through the bulk of its languorous 140 minute running time—seems not so much based on lived experience than inspired by bad tv , the milieu crudely sketched as a ( literal ) circus show of tattooed ruffians and exhausted single mothers .

also impressive was the opening day for “ the place beyond the pines ” ( focus ) , boosted by stars bradley cooper and ryan gosling , which grossed around $ 95 , 000 in four theaters , equaling in gross and falling just a little short of the initial strong opening for “spring breakers” two weeks ago . this is the biggest opening for a focus limited release since “moonrise kingdom” last may ( which did $ 172 , 000 in four theaters its first day ) .

file - in this march 28 , 2013 file photo , actor bradley cooper attends the premiere of focus features ' " the place beyond the pines " at the landmark sunshine theater in new york . steven spielberg has his sights set on his next film . a spokeswoman for dreamworks studios said thursday , may 2 , 2013 , the filmmaker plans to direct bradley cooper in an adaptation of the best - selling book " american sniper . " ( photo : evan agostini / invision / ap , file )

“i never liked guns , man , " intones a backwater mechanic faux - sagely . “they’re vulgar . ” indeed , everything in “the place beyond the pines” is defined by its vulgarity , from handguns to motorbikes to hapless protagonists , but cianfrance likes it all very much . he likes vulgarity as a surface to embellish and revel in , coating his picture in a thick layer of filth and grime more conducive to tracking shots and mood lighting .

focus features acquired the film for 2013 distribution , and many figured the drama would be poised for an awards season release sometime in the fall . now box office mojo reports that we’ll see the pic much sooner than expected , as the place beyond the pines has been dated for a limited release on march 29th , 2013 . this is great news for those of us eager to see what everyone was buzzing about back at tiff , but it’s a little surprising that focus is dropping this one so early in the year .

speaking of collaborations , you only have one scene with ryan in " the place beyond the pines . " what was that experience like ? he far surpassed what i had hoped for . it felt like i was getting in the ring with a real motherfucker . he ' s generous and sweet and no - bullshit and he had no weird antics - - he just works the way i like to work , too . i thought , " this just feels like home . "

appears to have been applied , at a later period to the village at the same place . " * * * * " it does not appear from any author that

that film was a two - hander , and a chamber piece more or less . the place beyond the pines starts out like a small - scale independent drama before revealing itself as a more ambitious project , a triptych that ranges ( and rages ) over manhood , fatherhood , responsibility , remorse and the strange workings of destiny . it goes on too long , and it falters in its endgame , but by this point we can ' t help being on its side .

there are things wayward pines continues to excel at , particularly getting damp , murky atmosphere out of the british columbia locations . the show also has a gleeful viciousness when it comes to offing important characters , which remains unabated with even more wayward pines residents available and disposable . unfortunately , the most disposable character is the one who isn ' t likely to be touched for a while : the hero , whose journey is one that we ' ve already been on . wayward pines is a weird place to wake up in . nobody ' s doubting that . it remains to be seen , however , what else this season has to explore .

, as it earned first place on the per theater chart with an average of $ 32 , 786 in four theaters . this is not quite as good as

the place beyond the pines is ambitious and epic , perhaps to a fault . it ' s a long , slow watch in the final act , a detour into the next generation that sees the sons of luke and avery pick away at their daddy issues together . cianfrance signposts the ripple effects of crime with giant motorway billboards , then pootles along , following a storyline that drops off mendes and byrne before winding on to its obvious conclusion . the remarkable opening , featuring a tracking shot through the flashing lights of the fair right into the cage of death , seems a very long way away .

i started watching the place beyond the pines without knowing much about it , and i wish you could , too . its daring switches of tempo and character took me by surprise , as did one time jump that seems at first so outrageous that the film can ' t possibly get away with it . the writer - director derek cianfrance gave notice of his talent in the marital tragedy blue valentine ( 2011 ) , which also worked a provocative time trick by eliding scenes from a couple ' s early courtship with scenes from their breakdown .

again earned first place on the per theater chart , but this time it was closer with an average of $ 17 , 053 . the second best film on the per theater chart was the second best film on the overall chart ,

“pines” was named in top 10 lists compiled by the denver post , the san jose mercury news and the newark star - ledger newspapers . the film also received the praise of justin craig , a critic writing on foxnews . com .

but it demonstrated some of the acclaim “pines” received after it hit theaters in april . now , nearly nine months after the film debuted in new york city and more than two years after it was shot almost exclusively in schenectady , “pines” is receiving a new round of accolades from film critics — some who consider it among their top 10 films of the year .

cilogy wrote : granted , i was also a little worried i wouldn ' t get my money ' s worth when i went to see pines , .

although not without its glimmers of light among all the shade - not least gosling’s hideous 90s dress sense and the unforgettable scene where he dances with a dog to bruce springsteen - the place beyond the pines is a difficult , bleak movie , but also a rewarding one . cinema often deals with crime and punishment , but more commonly glosses over the social and economic reasons why these crimes happen . cianfrance’s film tackles the subject head on , and does so with charisma and grace , thanks to some great writing and a superb cast , which also includes eva mendez , rose byrne and bruce greenwood .

the beginning of the film takes place in the 1990s . the general electric sign is shown with red and blue lights . during this time , however , white lights were the usual color of the general electric sign . since september 11 , 2001 , the lights have been red and blue for the majority of the year .

when the place beyond the pines premiered at last year’s toronto film festival , some early notices lamented this lower - key and largely unstarry final act . in fact , it’s the key to deciphering the entire film , and cianfrance ties it up with a shot so subtly ambiguous , you could quite easily mistake it for a happy ending . the cast are uniformly excellent — look for rose byrne and mahershala ali , from the television series house of cards , in small but crucial roles . gosling and mendes , meanwhile , have crackling chemistry , while mike patton’s plangent score lends these intimate dramas an epic sweep .

“the place beyond the pines” is an actor - driven film , which is both its strongest asset and its weakest link . the film’s first act , centering on luke’s bank - robbing escapades , his relationship with co - conspirator robin , and his clear love of his son and romina , is nothing short of powerful , made so by slow pacing and the exceptional acting that gosling brings to the table . i’ve liked gosling ever since “the ides of march , ” and here he paints a forlorn and almost hopeless character we sympathize with due to his dire circumstances and the ties of his low caste he tries all the wrong ways to shed .

“the place beyond the pines” is a good film , and , while suffering mildly from some pacing issues and being slightly over long ( the film clocks in at 140 minutes ) , still manages to make a statement and stay on your mind long after you leave the theatre . acting from all involved is exceptional , and even with the muddled second half offers a unique look into the lives of desperate people and the consequences of their half - thought actions . it’s bittersweet ending , scored by the haunting “the wolves ( act 1 & 2 ) ” by indie folk artist bon iver is a perfect wrap up to a movie about searching for answers by taking chances .

the distributor also compared pines ‘ performance with trance : “the film had modest drops in theaters in their 2nd and 3rd weeks ( and in some cases , box office actually increased over their respective results of last friday and saturday – indicating that positive word - of - mouth is at play ) . of particular note was the entry into the market of a direct competitor with an almost identical release strategy as pines – trance . pines ‘ estimated weekend gross will be well over three times that for trance . ” the pic will be in 1000 - plus theaters next weekend .

gosling continues his form of choosing challenging and unusual roles , and while the place beyond the pines ’ opening shot might imply that gosling’s channelling the spirit of bike - riding outsiders like marlon brando here , neither he nor cianfrance romanticise his ill - educated and angry character . gosling’s luke is the direct opposite of avery’s young son , aj , who grows up in a big house with flags in the front garden , and plays out a fantasy of being a slick - haired outsider ; luke breaks the law because he can see no other means of earning money , while for aj , crime and violence are an affectation .

, slipped to second place with $ 14 , 201 in 79 theaters . its theater count tripled and this average suggests it will expand a lot more before it is done .

derek cianfrance , despite being a patently awful filmmaker , has been fortunate enough to develop a reputation of some esteem . his latest film , the working - class epic “ the place beyond the pines , " has thus far benefited from the same unduly warm reception which greeted his similarly overdetermined actors’ showcase “blue valentine” , with critics lauding the film’s repugnant poverty - porn histrionics without bothering to consider the implications . cianfrance’s critical renown begins and ends with his veneer of stylized self - seriousness , his flair for formal pomposity and acting - workshop theatricality a favored shortcut to arthouse credibility , but , like most dazzling showmen , his illusions fall apart under scrutiny .

because the place beyond the pines isn & apos ; t really a crime drama , at least not entirely . it & apos ; s a family one , about fathers and how they spill into their sons . although he receives top billing , glanton is only in the film & apos ; s first third , dying in a confrontation with cross . the second third follows cross in the fallout as he & apos ; s forced to either confront or look away from the corruption in his precinct , and the final third follows both glanton and luke & apos ; s sons , now teenagers , as they befriend each other and slowly realize the horrifying way they & apos ; re connected .

finally , the place beyond the pines mesmerizes with its story’s proportionate consequences . in contrast to hollywood’s preponderance of reaction - less actions , this film has a believable sense of moral physics . the story watches luke , avery and , finally , aj and jason make the most important decisions of their lives . luke and avery both long to do the right thing , but struggle to keep that impulse pure . the results of the characters’ choices feel real and inarguable…and they propel the film forward . yes , forward . while it would have been fashionable to tell this multi - generational story out of order , cianfrance’s linear narrative makes wrong - choice penalties feel rightly inescapable…and motion toward redemption that much more hopeful .

consider the strange semantic path of fox ' s wayward pines . initially designed as a limited series , with chad hodge milking the entirety of blake crouch ' s book trilogy over one 10 - episode season , wayward pines sat on fox ' s shelf for a while and then premiered last summer promoted on the back of empire , a hit terrence howard filmed many months later . then wayward pines proved a surprisingly successful and effective summertime diversion , and fox decided it was actually an ongoing series and renewed it . the second season of wayward pines premieres wednesday , with mark friedman as the new showrunner , and in a twist i didn ' t see coming , this limited series turned regular series actually appears to be an anthology in which each year a different chiseled ' 80s heartthrob with a previous resistance to television finds himself in the mysterious town of wayward pines , interacts awkwardly with a largely new group of residents , gets indignant about following the rules and jeopardizes what may be the last community of humans still alive on earth .

reviews for the place beyond the pines have been kind of mixed so far , with most reviewers of the opinion that it is very ambitious , but the difference of opinions coming with how well it lives up to its ambitions . it feels like it’s taking on a momentous story , crossing two generations and two families over a period of at least fifteen years . however , it remains grounded in one place for the whole thing . the people transition but the relationships remain the same : friend to friend , father and son . i thought it was a pretty compelling movie on a lot of fronts , but it also had a few issues holding it back from complete and total greatness . which is nothing to be ashamed of ; it’s still a very good movie that i was absorbed in the whole time and i could analyize it . all in all it was a good movie , especially for this time of year .

in a note to gowan ' s edition of miller ' s description of the province of new york , the editor , hon . john gilmary shea , says : " scanectade ( schenectady ) is the mohawk . the name means , beyond the openings . it was given by the tribe to albany , and retained on the division by the present town . "

and that’s all we can tell you about the plot because a major narrative twist at the end first act is best left unspoiled , but this shift raises the stakes and reorients the story so dramatically that ‘pines’ begins to take on a scale few films attempt , let alone achieve . in some ways , one could look at ‘pines’ as a spiritual sequel to “blue valentine . ” if the latter film chronicled in raw , intimate detail the fracture of a relationship , it’s in ‘pines’ that cianfrance follows what the fallout would be . this is a film that is very much about how the actions of the father , directly and indirectly pass on to the son . or how the fissures and mistakes of the previous generation , have ramifications both practical and emotional months , years and decades later .

this kind of hackneyed writing , from eye - rollingly simplistic characterisations to audience - pandering giveaways , is entirely typical of cianfrance’s filmmaking sensibility , which treats form as a framework for an inflated sense of self - importance and story as a venue for big ideas he clearly doesn’t have . by virtue of its scope and overall grandiosity , “the place beyond the pines” gives the impression of an almost novelistic substance , its protracted narrative spanning three interconnected generations with an eye on poignant butterfly effects and unexpected long - term consequences . but as an epic the film is merely posturing , straining to ever - expand its conceptual breadth without any concern for actual depth .

usa today film critic claudia puig called “pines” a “sweeping look at fateful decisions and their lasting reverberations . ” she credits cianfrance for assembling a star - studded cast and taking the narrative in unexpected directions .

openings : the biggest story of the weekend took place off american shores , as iron man 3 ( disney ) topped all expectations to open with a fantastic $ 195 . 3m in 42 territories ( china and russia are the notable ones still . . .

the chaotic finale to the first wayward pines season saw matt dillon ' s ethan burke killed in the aftermath of an attack by vicious , hideously evolved abnormals — " abbies " if you prefer — in 4028 , an attack that destroyed the wayward pines infrastructure and which was completely ethan ' s fault for poking around and ruining a perfectly good thing . mopey son ben ( charlie tahan ) , who pouted through most of the season before witnessing his father ' s death and getting hit in the head by some bad cg , emerged three years later and the first generation of wayward pines had taken over , turning it into a fascist community run , bugsy malone - style , by a group of youngsters unprepared for the responsibility .

we end the movie with another young man on another motorbike , racing to avoid his fate , blissfully unaware the path he has chosen is most likely to take him to the very place he wants to avoid . it is a final shot of heartbreaking perfection .

the bold credits above the line are the " above - the - line " credits , the other the " below - the - line " credits .

that said , i ' m totally amending my top 10 list . it ' s been less than 24 hours , and i ' m claiming it as my right to make one change . one . if i see xavier dolan ' s laurence anyways tonight ( which i am ) and it suddenly becomes my # 1 movie of the year , well , that ' ll be on me . the act of killing will end up bumping the place beyond the pines down to an honorable mention which , judging by some of the reactions to the piece , will be a welcome change for some . i ' ll stand behind that behemoth of an ode to dudes , however . but the act of killing earned its spot , even a day late .

the place beyond the pines does have some problems though , and the main one is that it’s too long . i wasn’t really bored , i was more just aware of the fact that the movie was long . this criticism is halfway between a compliment and complaint ; it could have been worse in terms of length but it also could have been better . also i liked how the story shifted directions into different people’s lives , but for some reason i can’t quite out my finger on , the first two were better than the third . maybe it was just because i had already been sitting there for awhile and yet another story was just starting . with teenager nonetheless ; it seems like we’re going backwards here . however , the pros of this film far outweigh the cons , and i’m really glad i got the chance to see it .


nil by mouth is a 1997 british-french drama film portraying a family of characters living in south east london .

it was gary oldman 's debut as a writer and director ; the film was produced by douglas urbanski and luc besson .

it stars ray winstone as raymond , the abusive husband of valerie ( kathy burke ) .

the film was a critical success , winning numerous awards .

time out considered nil by mouth to be the 21st best british film .

nil by mouth ( film )

nil by mouth ( film ) <EOT> nil by mouth offers a harrowing look at a working - class family beset by drugs , alcohol and abuse .

best original screenplay : boogie nights , the full monty , mrs brown , and nil by mouth .

nil by mouth is playing as part of bfi southbank’s ‘london on film’ season . tickets are available by visiting the bfi website ( or clicking here )

looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing nil by mouth near you .

alexander korda award for outstanding british film : the borrowers , the full monty , mrs brown , nil by mouth , regeneration , and twentyfourseven .

best leading actor : robert carlyle for the full monty , billy connolly for mrs brown , kevin spacey for la confidential , and ray winstone for nil by mouth .

nil by mouth is an acting tour - de - force , with ray winstone at his very best , demanding our attention as he walks into every room . personal , relevant and darkly true - to - life , nil by mouth is a testament to british cinema and how honest we are when revealing the conflicted nature of family .

' ' nil by mouth ' ' is rated r ( under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian ) . it includes unsparingly ugly domestic violence and profanity wall - to - wall .

best leading actress : kim basinger for la confidential , helena bonham carter for the wings of the dove , kathy burke for nil by mouth , and dame judi dench for mrs brown .

to say nil by mouth pulls no punches would be accurate , and oldman doesn ' t flinch when bringing some quite horrible moments to the screen . ray winstone and kathy burke put in superb performances too , burke in particular . and whilst nil by mouth isn ' t a film you ' d particularly want to watch twice , it desperately deserves to be seen once . oldman , to date , hasn ' t directed another movie .

nil by mouth received generally positive reviews , currently holding a 65 % " fresh " rating on rotten tomatoes . roger ebert awarded the film 3 . 5 / 4 stars , writing : " the film ' s portrait of street life in south london is unflinching and observant . "

title nil by mouth year 1997 distributor ( s ) 20th century fox film co . ltd classified date ( s ) 22 / 07 / 1997 main language english submitted run time 128m 21s approved footage 11551 + 3 bbfc reference aff150671 registration number cfj00167

the screenplay , with introduction by douglas urbanski , was published in 1997 by screenpress books .

a photo - diary of the film ' s production , containing photos by jack english , was published in 1998 by screenpress books .

rough , tough but with an underlying generosity toward its characters , gary oldman ' s " nil by mouth " is an impressive writing - helming debut cloaked in a torrent of profanity and loutish , abusive behavior .

davek mr . leigh , i recently saw meantime for the first time on filmfour and funnily enough it reminded me very much of gary oldman ' s nil by mouth . given his comments about how nil by mouth was very much autobiographical ( and clearly the same goes for his performance in meantime ) , it made me wonder how much of you is in your films . are there many autobiographical influences ? and another question about meantime . how old was tim roth when the film was made ? he looks about 12 !

kevin spacey and kim basinger were nominated for their roles in the 1950s - style us crime thriller la . confidential , which is also in the running for the best film award . gritty drama nil by mouth and the wings of the dove have also been hotly tipped for potential prizes .

nil by mouth features the word " cunt " 82 times , more than any other film in history . it also features around 428 uses of the word " fuck " , more than any film at the time until summer of sam beat it 2 years later ; as of 2014 , the record for most uses of the f - word in a dramatic film is currently held by swearnet : the movie , which boasts 934 utterances of said obscenity .

number 23 it beats out " the departed " ( 2006 ) . but it was beaten by " jay and silent bob strikes back " ( 2001 ) . so " nil by mouth " contains roughly 200 more f - words . and could you use the f - word as an adverb in a sentence ?

written and directed by gary oldman ; director of photography , ron fortunato ; edited by brad fuller ; music by eric clapton ; production designer , hugo - luczyc - wyhowski ; produced by luc besson , douglas urbanski and mr . oldman ; released by sony pictures classics . running time : 128 minutes . this film is rated r .

awards : bafta award for best original screenplay , alexanda korda film for outstanding british film ; official selection 1997 cannes film festival , winner best actress , kathy burke .

a gruelling , uncompromising film , nil by mouth ends with the sobering dedication : " in memory of my father " . clearly influenced by the work of alan clarke - whose scum ( 1979 ) was winstone ' s most famous credit until this film relaunched his career - and by the american independent film - maker john cassavetes , this stands as one of the most powerful and unfashionable british films of the 1990s . ironically it was made entirely with french money , courtesy of nikita ( france / italy , 1990 ) and the fifth element ( france , 1997 ) director - producer luc besson .

the fire appeared to go out after burke delivered that incendiary performance as a battered wife in nil by mouth . " i had been waiting my whole career to do a film like that , " she beams at the memory . " it was an amazing experience . i did a couple of films after that , but they never had the same feel . "

our artistic director of film , jason wood , tells us more about his passion for one film wonders , the subject of a new film season screening here at home in march 2018 .

it ' s a hospital term which means " intravenous only . " a character in the film describes his father with the phrase . i use it literally and i use it ironically , because these characters have no communication skills . when they do communicate , it ' s often abusive and verbally very violent . they drink beer and they smoke and everything , so it ' s everything by the mouth and nothing by the mouth .

jason wood is artistic director , film at home and the co - editor of enthusiasms , a new magazine about film culture .

i didn’t understand this film . i will admit that i was charmed by the characters and there were plenty of … continue reading →

in a rare moment of calm during gary oldman ' s fierce debut feature , ' ' nil by mouth , ' ' four generations of women in one family stand huddled together . they are listening to the pounding on the front door and wondering what the raging bull named raymond ( ray winstone ) will do next .

the film depicts the environment oldman witnessed growing up on a council estate in south east london . oldman ' s sister laila morse plays janet and his mother voices a song in the film . the title is a medical instruction ( literally " nothing by mouth " ) , meaning that a patient must not take food or water . it is set to the soundtrack " peculiar groove " by frances ashman .

title stems from raymond’s monologue describing a visit to his father in hospital , where a sign above the bed stated “nil by mouth . ” as well as a metaphor for his dad’s parsimony with loving words , it’s an apt description for all the characters , whose four - letter volubility is too often a substitute for real emotion .

at the beginning of " nil by mouth " we cannot understand the south london dialect very easily , and aren ' t sure who all the characters are . by the end , we know this family and we understand everything they say , and many things they do not say . and we remember another very minor character in the film , the small child of ray and val , who sits at the top of the stairs during a bloody fight , and sees everything .

hanging in pride of place over the dining room table in kathy burke ' s north london home is a still from the set of nil by mouth , the acclaimed domestic - violence drama for which she deservedly won the best actress award at the cannes film festival in 1997 . but there ' s a surprise . the photo depicts the film ' s director , gary oldman , leaning over to whisper something to her co - star ray winstone . burke is not in the picture .

the film is not primarily making a political or social statement , however . the character of ray is a cause of suffering to those around him , a viscous mystery inexplicable in terms of environment . in the scene which will come to represent nil by mouth in the minds of those who see it , he wakes valerie to accuse her of evidently non - existent infidelities and beats her savagely with fist and foot .

( for artistic excellence by illuminating issues of great social and political importance . )

rough , tough but with an underlying generosity toward its characters , gary oldman’s “nil by mouth” is an impressive writing - helming debut cloaked in a torrent of profanity and loutish , abusive behavior . this perf - driven portrait of a dysfunctional london working - class family , which often plays like hyped - up ken loach sans the politics , will need excellent reviews and canny [ … ]

unusually , nil by mouth takes an objective view of bill ' s addiction - scenes in which his mum is forced to help him score are a long way from the hyped - up excitement of danny boyle ' s trainspotting ( 1995 ) - and reserves its real anger for the abusive ray , a pathologically jealous husband and alcoholic who beats the pregnant val black and blue in the film ' s most harrowing scene . in a long , pathetic monologue to his friend mark ( jamie foreman ) , ray explains the title metaphor , recalling a sign posted over his own alchoholic father ' s hospital bed : ' nil by mouth ' . " plenty went down there , but nothing good came out , " he complains . while ray is granted a hint of self - knowledge , it ' s hard not to think the cycle of abuse will continue .

the film boasts an ensemble of scene stealers - including the wonderful eugene levy - and the film is one of the funniest of the 1990s , full stop .

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film & tv : london brawling ( weekly alibi . 03 - 30 - 98 )

the film , about unemployed yorkshire steelmen who turn to stripping to make a living , has received 11 nominations , including best film , best original screenplay and best actor .

best film : the full monty , la confidential , mrs brown , and titanic .

she is a performer who , thanks to such deathless roles as waynetta slob and perry ( both opposite harry enfield ) , has over the years been labelled with almost tiresome regularity " a national treasure " . something about the vulnerability burke revealed endeared her to audiences and critics alike – in one year , 1998 , she was nominated for three baftas ( nil by mouth , tom jones and harry enfield and chums ) .

yet " nil by mouth " is not an unrelieved shriek of pain . there is humor in it , and tender insight . after he almost kills himself on a bender , ray is hospitalized , and mark visits him . in a monologue brilliantly delivered by winstone , ray complains about the lack of love from his own father : " not one kiss . not one cuddle . " in ray ' s mind , he is the abused child . we sense oldman ' s ability to understand , if not forgive .

seem to emulate , if not surpass , all that made these performances great . is it really surprising that kathy burke ( valerie ) won the cannes film festival ' s best actress award or that ray winstone ( ray ) won the british independent film award ' s best performance by a british actor in an independent film award ? these two performances alone could solidify

knife : held by a man who ' s chased billy and his friend into a laundromat .

most murders are solved . the murder in 1954’s * dial m for murder * is no different . by the film’s end , the audience has seen everything that happened , . . .

) , the 1968 film which first paired these two cinematic titans . storaro introduced the film and answered questions . he also explained univision , a system he used during the production of

the highest grossing film ever to have been made in britain , the full monty , has scooped the highest number of nominations in the 50th british academy ( bafta ) film awards .

but this isn ' t unusual . nil by mouth is a film about tired people living tired lives . maverick actor gary oldman made his directorial debut with this film where he channels the experiences of his own childhood growing up in south east london . the film contains a powerful intensity that has haunted me ever since i have seen it . he directs with a piercing eye that takes us into the depths of depravity and deep into the soul of a family set to implode . armed with his cinematographer , ray fortunato , oldman commands the streets of london and the shabby neighborhoods that his characters inhabit . to watch is to witness , and it is a miracle that oldman was able to show so much with so little .

and while in 1984 it seemed truly barmy that bill murray was writing and starring in an adaptation of somerset maugham ' s the razor ' s edge , his reputation has grown so much since that it seems like an interesting curiosity rather than an act of stupidity . and there was widespread scepticism when gary oldman , at a time when he was hollywood ' s evil mastermind of choice , kept insisting he was about to make an autobiographical film in south london . but the sneering stopped after nil by mouth . it helped , of course , that oldman stayed behind the camera and that he wanted to make a realist european film .

ml i have worked with kathy burke . she played the main character , nell , in it ' s a great big shame ! , which was my last stage production , done at the theatre royal , stratford east , in 1993 . she is one of my favourite actresses , although it is of course a total coincidence that i was on the jury at cannes in 1997 when she was awarded best actress for her role in nil by mouth !

though i would have to call it my least favorite decade when it comes to film , i still had quite a struggle picking my five favorite films from the 80s . by . . .

in fact , before battlefield earth was released , a few over - anxious cult watchers had warned about either overt , or subliminal , propaganda for scientology being pushed by the film . as it is , the film has done scientology more damage than anything its opponents could ever have contrived .

knife : held by janet as she prepares herself in case raymond manages to get into her flat .

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the last time we heard about a film version of classic ‘70s action show the . . .

these lives are bleak in part because of the place where they are lived . nil by mouth was filmed on the bonami estate in deptford , since demolished . oldman ' s director of photography , ron fortunato , gives the exteriors an occasional perverse duty , filmed in morning mist with fluttering pigeons , without ever making the estate look fit for human habitation . a local kid , playing grimly in the recreational space provided , gives strangers a baleful look that is wholly understandable .

directed by gary oldman . starring ray winstone , kathy burke , laila morse and charlie creed - miles .

valerie ' s mother says : " we are unlucky , aren ' t we ? " then " do you still love him ? " . she doesn ' t answer , but after a few weeks of numb defiance , she takes ray back . nil by mouth would be more impressive if it didn ' t hurry over this crucial failure of nerve - valerie ' s decision obliquely conveyed to us by her gran singing : " can ' t help loving that man of mine " in the pub . even in this supremely dysfunctional family , after all , we have seen glimpses of agnus , a scottish in - law who seems undistorted by the addicted damage around him . but gary oldman ' s film earns the great , if back - handed , compliment of being powerful enough to argue with .

twentieth century fox home ent . , fox pathe home entertainment , 20th century fox film co . ltd

ml tim was , i think , 21 or 22 when we made meantime . all my films are autobiographical in one way or another , though never really in the direct autobiographical sense that nil by mouth is for gary - it was a dramatisation of his family experiences . for me , all kinds of experience , of people and relationships and atmospheres and moods and conflicts and good moments and bad moments and places and all kinds of stuff find their way out of my subconscious and into my films .

with its sodden escapism heightened by eric clapton ' s seductively bluesy score , and with actors who betray not a whit of vanity or self - consciousness throughout the story , the film watches raymond reach his breaking point . what he breaks , or tries to , is valerie : the domestic brutality seen here is sudden and shocking , and mr . oldman makes its horror deeply felt . yet the strange pragmatism within the depths of ms . burke ' s extraordinary performance is what makes ' ' nil by mouth ' ' powerful : the sense that for all valerie ' s stubborn , damaged pride , the pattern of these lives is too ingrained to change . ms . burke hauntingly conveys the contradictions that keep valerie and raymond together .

now , just because his father mistreated him doesn ' t mean that he isn ' t responsible for his own actions and the death of his own unborn child . but they do make us think . if his father had been there , would ray have been the man that he had become ? would it all have come to this ? of course , to many this is an unforgivable sin . and many may be repulsed by the ending where the entire family has reconciled and ray sits in a chair kissing his neglected daughter . but i don ' t know . at least she isn ' t getting nil by mouth . . .

leonard maltin classic movie guide , copyright 2005 , 2010 . used by arrangement with penguin group ( usa ) inc .

if you ' re as excited by working title ' s adaptation of john le carré ' s classic . . .

gary oldman ' s " nil by mouth " descends into a domestic hell of violence , drugs and booze , where a man can kick his pregnant wife and then , drunk , scrape out the words " my baby " on the wallpaper with his bloody fingernails . it takes place in the pubs and streets of south london , where the actor grew up , and is dedicated enigmatically , " in memory of my father . " we want to stand back out of the way : something primal , needful and anguished is going on here .

handing me the first of several post - prandial teas in a mug decorated with the logo from carry on up the khyber , the 44 - year - old explains why she feels so positive about giving up acting . " i just didn ' t get a buzz from acting any more , so eight years ago i made the decision to focus on directing , " reveals burke , who during her illustrious performing career also won a british comedy award for gimme , gimme , gimme ( 2002 ) , a british independent film award for nil by mouth ( 1998 ) , and a royal television society award for mr wroe ' s virgins ( 1994 ) .

film fest . in america , the reception has been less energetic . the film ' s press kit describes it as " a realistic look at modern day england rarely depicted in motion pictures . " no small wonder , since

best foreign language film : l ' appartement , lucie aubrac , ma vie en rose , and the tango lesson .

anthony asquith award for achievement in film music : the full monty , la confidential , titanic and romeo and juliet .

a devastating , unforgettable directorial debut from gary oldman , a film for which he also wrote the script . there ' s something of an autobiographical basis for the film , although to quite what degree is best known by oldman . it ' s the story of a drug - infested neighbourhood in south london , and one family living in the midst of it .

certainly not a happy or uplifting tale , this is a disturbing look at life most of us would rather not see , and many will probably feel the same way about this movie . perhaps making this film was cathartic for oldman - - cleansing the demons of his past - - but i doubt many moviegoers will want to watch or be part of the process . bleak and disturbing , and featuring some strong , but unlikeable performances , this is a decent directorial debut for oldman . let ' s just hope next time he picks a more likeable and pleasant subject . we give " nil by mouth " a 4 out of 10 simply because its raw ugliness nearly makes it unbearable to watch .

, and then you make this intensely personal film . do you see any kind of a pattern in your role choices ?

" for the first time in years there is a real sense of vibrancy and excitement around the british film industry . "

rough , tough but with an underlying generosity toward its characters , gary oldman’s “nil by mouth” is an impressive writing - helming debut cloaked in a torrent of profanity and loutish , abusive behavior . this perf - driven portrait of a dysfunctional london working - class family , which often plays like hyped - up ken loach sans the politics , will need excellent reviews and canny marketing to find an audience , especially stateside , where the thick cockney accents present a major barrier to comprehension . some 15 minutes taken out of the running time would be a major assist to this powerful but uncompromising low - budgeter .

gary oldman clearly is dealing here with autobiographical wounds . i saw him after the film played at cannes , and he volunteered the information that a chair in the film is the same one his father sat in while drinking at home . he spoke in a flat voice , giving information , but i sensed that the chair was still occupied by the stabbing ghosts of days and words .

the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .

when the movie premiered at last year ' s cannes film festival , its unflinching brutality prompted several walkouts , notably during a scene in which the film ' s drunken father ( ray winstone ) savagely beats his pregnant wife ( kathy burke ) . but

gary oldman returned to his east london roots with this semi - autobiographical drama of domestic violence and alcoholism . kathy burke received the 1997 cannes best actress award . music by eric clapton . produced by oldman , luc besson ( the fifth element ) , and douglas urbanski .

nil by mouth exposes in grainy super 16 the violent and squalid underbelly of working class life in south london . it begins with a close - up of raymond ( winstone ) , ordering a round in a smoky club . all seems unremarkable until he delivers the drinks . then in a torrent of bad language that makes boyz n the hood and twin town sound like teletubbies , oldman has raymond confront those he has kept waiting - including mark ( jamie forman ) his partner in crime , his wife valerie ( burke ) , her mother janet ( morse ) and valerie ' s smackhead younger brother billy ( creed - miles ) - the extended dysfunctional family from hell . brutally , raymond reinforces his dominance , denigrates the women and establishes a template for the film .

' ' nil by mouth ' ' begins in a carousing spirit , with raymond , valerie and friends at a neighborhood pub , and with the men and women so disconnected that they sit in separate parts of the room . raymond looks gleefully at home this way , sniggering with his cronies in a boys ' - night - out spirit , while the women look grateful merely to be having a few laughs and getting out of the house . while valerie is enjoying this brief chance to shake off her chronic defeat , her younger brother , billy ( charlie creed - miles ) , is developing the drug habit that constitutes another form of escape .

got a film that you feel is a forgotten classic ? email me and tell me about it at nch257 @ nyu . edu .

the hollywood box - office hit . titanic , also picked up five nominations , including best film , best direction and visual effects .

, as victims of their environment . during a particularly poignant scene after ray has assaulted valerie , he makes a long confession to his mates . he explains how his own parents constantly fought . his father virtually lived at the pub and always smelled of drink . he was never there for him or his mother . we sense that all of his violent impulses are rooted in his father ' s behavior . but then he says something that may , or may not , truly absolve him from blame . he explains how one time when his father was in the hospital they visited him to find a strange sign above his bed that read “nil by mouth” . the conversation continues :

, which marks the actor paddy considine ' s debut as a director . ( i review the film in tomorrow ' s issue of the

this is the first year in which the bafta film awards are to be separated from the television awards , with different ceremonies for each .

the public will also get their chance to vote for their favourite film from the 10 most successful releases in britain over the past year .

as a classic . but they are complemented by incredible performances from a magnificent supporting cast . there ' s charlie creed - miles as billy , a young drug addict who gets the money for his habit from his mother . there ' s laila morse ( oldman ' s sister ) as janet , who ' s complacency is matched by an unspoken vengeance by the film ' s end . and there are all the other people who surround themselves with the small family of ray and valerie . they form a microcosm of comfort and misery against the poisonous environment where they are forced to reside .

by shooting in a hand - held , documentary style , oldman gives the film even more of a disturbing twist . since it looks and feels like a documentary - - which we usually associate with being a slice of " reality " - - the film is very uncomfortable to watch . the camera work is often shaky , and vehicles and other objects often block our view of what ' s happening . one gets the feeling that what we ' re seeing is real , and the fact that the film is filled with brutally grim material doesn ' t help that matter .

probably not . without any well - known performers in the cast and less than appealing sounding subject matter , most kids will skip this film .

, his directing and screenwriting debut , the celebrated thesp recreated a living hell he knew all too well—the downtrodden south london neighborhood where he grew up . based on a series of the director ' s childhood memories , the film is the story of a family burdened by addiction , abuse , and poverty .

at one point , i just wanted to disappear off the screen for a while and then reappear as an older person , but i don ' t even think that ' s going to happen , now . i did two lines in a fake commercial sketch for horne and corden [ the poorly received sketch show that she directed ] . when i watched it back , i thought i was so dreadful , i cut myself from the final edit . . . acting just doesn ' t give me any joy . . . i don ' t have the same feeling in my belly . . . it just isn ' t there any more . . . i had been waiting my whole career to do a film like [ nil by mouth ] . it was an amazing experience . i did a couple of films after that but they never had the same feel .

production : a sony classics ( in u . s . ) / 20th century fox ( in u . k . ) release of a luc besson presentation of an se8 group production . produced by luc besson , douglas urbanski , gary oldman . co - producer , hilary heath . directed , written by gary oldman .

bertolucci ' s scheduled appearance was canceled because of an illness , but he spoke live via satellite and was obviously moved by the audience ' s warm reception .

nor was she enticed by the blandishments of hollywood . " even when i was getting ' billy big bollocks ' film awards , i was never going to go to hollywood . i wanted to stay here and get back to basics . my sense of humour is very british . i feel rooted in london . "

this is not a particularly explicit scene by contemporary standards ( we don ' t see blows landing ) . oldman delays the full impact until we see the extent of valerie ' s injuries , the swollen bruising and closed eye . threatened by ray that worse will happen if she goes to hospital or blames him , she tells her mother she was knocked down by a car - a hideously credible explanation of her condition . only after she has lost her baby does she tell the truth .

" the ballad of narayama " is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…

worthy intentions can ' t save you either : bruce willis used his own money to get breakfast of champions made , ignoring the conventional wisdom that kurt vonnegut ' s work doesn ' t translate to film . the film was released last year in the us to utter indifference from the critics and the public .

bafta ' s vice - president , lord david puttnam , said : " the creation of a dedicated awards ceremony for film could not be more timely .

gasm media’s newest project–written by me–is dice lords ! a group of roleplaying gamers are mistaken for the characters they play in a magical ritual . as a . . .

premiered at cannes in 1997 . burke was awarded the festival ' s best actress prize by isabelle adjani ' s jury for her portrayal of a similarly abused woman .

life can be pretty disappointing especially when you are looking for someone to love you , and french film “let the sunshine in” examines that undeniable fa . . .

we know from media coverage of your own problems with alcohol that the film ' s chronicle of alcoholism and its effect on the family is personally relevant to you .

. marek gajczak from lodz won the silver tadpole award for a way for moravia . manuel mack from deutsche film and fernsehen akademie berlin won the bronze tadpole award for

if baseketball is one underappreciated 90s comedy featuring the south park duo of trey parker and matt stone , then orgazmo is the other that urgently needs seeking out . particularly given that we ' re in such superhero - infested cinematic waters , orgazmo - the hero of the film within the film here - is a welcome and relevant diversion .

* the adventures of tintin * - 2011 directed by steven spielberg 9 / 10 the comics were childhood favourites of mine , so i was rather nervous when the cinemati . . .

. is it possible that he was inspired also by the dynamic at play in that film between the audience ' s expectations of colman , and the demands of the role ? using a predominantly comic performer in a part that requires the audience ' s sympathy can only benefit the movie . see also allison janney playing chris cooper ' s downtrodden wife in

kevin reynolds came to this one after the well - charted joys of making waterworld , opting for a low - budget , raw film . he cast samuel l jackson in the lead role as a teacher fighting an almost - unwinnable battle in his classroom , and whilst it ' s a bit choppy , it ' s a compelling film .

perhaps most prominent amongst the one film wonders , and following on from oldman , are actors who decided to turn their hand to directing after years of being on - set and accumulating experience . peter lorre’s der verlorene ( the lost one , 1951 ) offers a very personal comment on the circumstances in germany that forced lorre into exile in 1933 . told in flashback , the film concerns a research doctor , played by lorre , who is forced into political complicity with the nazis by their shrewd , cold - blooded exploitation of his emotional and psychological weaknesses . a product of the depressed german film industry of the post - war years , der verlorene is a morally ambiguous work that stylistically reaches back to the german expressionism of the late 1920s and early 30s . a passion project for lorre , who returned to his homeland 18 years after leaving it and becoming an international star , the film was released at a time when the german nation was loathe to be reminded of its crimes . a commercial disaster , lorre returned to a lucrative acting career in america .

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on the afternoon of friday march 10 , mike leigh went online from his soho production office to answer questions from film unlimited users . the hour - long chat was by turns cordial and fiery and covered everything from the london mayoral race to the bbc ' s failings to his latest , oscar - nominated movie , topsy turvy . here is the edited transcript .

, at the end of the film . and your older sister , who ' s never acted before , plays kathy burke ' s mother under the pseudonym laila morse . obviously

evading the propriety of linking aesthicism with a film on the holocaust , it is undeniable that this is a work of art . the foulness has been best conveyed . . .

dorothy lamour did for the sarong what jane russell did for the cross - your heart bra . since her first film , the jungle princess , she became inextricably . . .

. ) what ' s interesting about burke ' s acclaim from a british perspective is how it was tinged with surprise . despite making her film debut in mai zetterling ' s

anthony hopkins and alec baldwin star here , and whilst the drama is better than the action , the edge is an occasionally brilliant film , and most certainly worth digging out .

gary ' s oldman ' s first film as writer and director is a fierce and fatalistic family drama set on a housing estate in south - east london . if the script was written by an outsider , it would seem like a class libel , but since oldman can claim this milieu as his own , it ' s at least a libel with some authority .

ml has peter missed the point ? i should say so . if he spent the film waiting for it to start and wondering if it was too long , then so far as i ' m concerned it wouldn ' t have mattered if it was seven minutes or seven hours long , it ' s just not his type of film . his loss .

* this is an entry for the great recasting blogathon hosted by frankly , my dear and in the mood . thanks so much for the opportunity to write such a fun post . . .

mrs brown , was nominated eight times , including best actress category for dame judi dench , who has been nominated for an oscar for her portrayal of queen victoria in the film .

godfathered by french director luc besson , with whom oldman made both “the professional” and “the fifth element , ” pic is clearly a deeply personal film for the 39 - year - old thesp , who’s drawn on many of his memories of life in the dreary projects of southeast london . ( production company’s name replicates the postal code of an area in which oldman grew up . )

that ' s pretty much the way you ' ll watch this film too . beyond the atrocities that occur , the film is also difficult to watch due to the thick accents and the often muddled delivery of dialogue . like many other films that showcase actors speaking english with thick , localized accents , it takes a while to get accustomed to what the characters are saying . that only adds yet another frustrating level to the film , and the fact that many of the verbal exchanges come in the form of yelling and screaming matches doesn ' t help either .

the film didn ' t do hugely well in cinemas , but did spawn two direct - to - video sequels . reviews were mixed at the time , but mimic ' s much better than its more critical assessments would have you believe . a recent director ' s cut pushes the film closer towards del toro ' s original intentions , and it ' s well worth seeing .

one of the film ' s key scenes comes after val returns home and is seen , black , blue and bandaged , by her mother . she tells janet she was struck by a hitand - run driver . janet clearly knows ray beat her daughter , but accepts the story . the dialogue here is precise in its observation ; val ' s details all have to do with the location ( " you know , down by the shops " ) , as if the story is proved by the fact that the shops exist . her mother vows revenge on the bastard driver who committed the hit and run ; both women understand this is code for ray . ( " you know what it ' s like going to hospitals late at night , " janet says at one point . in most healthy families , this is not something everyone knows . ) the film ' s portrait of street life in south london is unflinching and observant . billy , drifting , looking for a fix , gets involved in a strange fight over a tattooed street person and his little pet dog . he goes to his mother ' s factory to borrow money for a fix , and then asks her to drive him to a dealer .

its fate was almost mirrored by the brave , johnny depp ' s directorial debut about an illiterate man who sells himself to a producer of snuff movies . depp talked his friend marlon brando into co - starring , and iggy pop into writing the soundtrack . the film was shown at the 1997 cannes festival , to an astonishingly hostile reception . it was never released in the uk or the us .

ryan gilbey is the new statesman ' s film critic . he is also the author of it don ' t worry me ( faber ) , about 1970s us cinema , and a study of groundhog day in the " modern classics " series ( bfi publishing ) . he was named reviewer of the year in the 2007 press gazette awards and is film critic in residence at falmouth university .

recently cited as an inspiration by isabelle huppert , barbara loden’s wanda has undergone a process of rediscovery . written by and starring loden , who gives an utterly convincing performance as the meandering , emotionally confused and half - destitute wanda of the title , the film follows her as she drifts through drab semi - industrial american townships and from one dead end relationship to the next . shot cheaply on location on 16mm and then subsequently blown up to 35mm , wanda is unassuming , understated and at times unapologetically rough and ready . drawing on influences as diverse as italian neo - realism , shirley clarke and the cinema vérité of cassavetes , the film portrays america as sad and shabby . described as semi - autobiographical , loden , the wife of elia kazan , succumbed to cancer in 1980 and never completed another movie .

the center of authority in the film is janet ( laila morse ) , the worn blond mother whose factory job is one of the family ' s few steady sources of income . her own aged , feisty mother , kath ( edna dore ) , is still around . janet ' s daughter is valerie ( kathy burke , who won the best actress award at the cannes film festival ) .

james spader plays ballard , whose automobile accident draws him into a group of people who are aroused by the near - death experience of being in a car wreck . cronenberg’s style of direction is too scientific and erudite to be crudely titillating , which might be why some critics were horrified by it : crash refuses to either glamorise or coyly airbrush its protagonists’ kinky leanings , and the result is a gripping , disturbing drama .

what i used , i used with respect and discretion . i disguised it enough , i think . i smoothed the edges . they ' ve seen the film and they ' re very happy and very moved by its honesty . that ' s what i set out to do , to make something from my heart . in that way i hope i ' ve not disgraced them but served them with dignity .

but let ' s say travolta wasn ' t just obsessed by the book because he is a scientologist . it might just be his favourite novel . that ' s even sadder . film stars ' long - nurtured pet projects usually have an element of tragic over - ambition to them , a yearning to do something that ' s either more personal or breaks them out of the restrictions of their star persona .

via the topic information & help you will find further information to the functions and software listed below . you will exit the website and may use the service in a new window by clicking one of these tools .

it ' s been 50 years since the release of this film , and its stars - * warren beatty * and * faye dunaway * - have been receiving some attention lately for thei . . .

in 2015 , laila morse is better known for her long - serving role in eastenders as mo slater . her first acting role , at 52 , is in the maternal role of janet , in nil by mouth . she’s the glue the binds the group together . she reluctantly funds her son’s habit and can go toe - to - toe with ray when he’s bordering on abusive in the household . her tired frustration reveals so much . she can’t lock ray up or force billy to go clean – and sadly , it seems , she can’t pull val away from her explosive husband . but she shows love and support . she is there for them when others aren’t . she’ll put billy up when ray refuses to . she pops over for a cup of tea to see val – and she’s her lifeline to force change on the status quo . janet looks after the aging grandmother too , who represents the same character , thirty years later by singing ‘can’t help loving that man’ in the local club . janet silently sings the song herself as she has heard it so many times before . despite ray and billy’s corrupted , selfish perspectives , janet has clearly seen their kind before too . this is nothing new .

and say , " oh yeah , i disappeared for awhile because of nervous exhaustion . " in a way i was challenged ; i was forced to say , " i have this illness and i suffer from this . " i don ' t know many people who in some ways , their lives aren ' t affected by " the ism " —by alcohol and drug - taking and all those other things we put under the umbrella .

oldman ' s incredible directing is matched , if not surpassed , by the performances that this film contains . how do i describe the acting ? well , it would help to look back on some of the best performances that i have ever seen . but not just the best , the most terrifying . the performances that stay with you long after you have left the movie theater . let ' s see . there ' s gena rowlands in

imagine a movie where every character is played by gary oldman , in the drunken overacting oldman mode . oldman ' s unfocused and self - indulgent directorial debut has moments of poignancy and insight , but not enough to make it endurable .

oldman ' s own father was an abusive alcoholic who left his family for another woman when gary was seven ; by the time oldman reached international acclaim as an actor , he ' d developed a serious drinking problem of his own .

. honorary golden frog awards were presented to prof . jerzy mierzejewski , dean of the cinematography department at the state film school in lodz , and bobby arnold , president of arriflex corporation , for his immense contribution to the development of film technique . in addition , a gold medal was awarded to friend for his contributions to the success of the festival , and special prizes were presented to vittorio storaro and director bernardo bertolucci for their longtime collaboration .

hiskander mike , i am an actor and a huge fan of your films . thank - you for such a fantastic contribution to the film industry . what can i do to work with you ? let ' s meet !

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the word " fuck " and its variations are used 428 times , an average of 3 . 34 times per minute , a higher rate than any other film to date ( march 2008 ) , with the exception of the documentary

you were visibly moved at cannes last year while discussing this intensely personal story from your own childhood . has it gotten easier as you ' ve taken this " child " around the world , including the recent sundance film festival ?

ray ( ray winstone ) dips into the drugs he sells , and is amply distorted by them , though he ' s in a less obviously desperate state than his kid brother - in - law billy ( charlie creed - miles ) , addicted to heroin . the only time that billy looks anything other than gormless is when he is cooking and administering a fix - he ' s almost ennobled by concentration on the task . even in a police cell he manages to feed his habit .

it ' s from director lee tamahori ( best film : once were warriors , most infamous : die another day ) , and it ' s based on a screenplay by david mamet , which should instantly be a clue that there ' s quite a lot to this . the centre of the movie is a plane crash that leaves three people stranded in the wilderness . but there ' s a three way relationship of sorts , and not a comfortable one , that ' s already been established by the time the plane goes down . and so whilst on one hand , there ' s a big bloody bear , and the perils it brings with it , on the other there ' s the simmering dislike between the key characters .