Contributed by Melissa Thompson and Michelle McCue
The sets. The hair and makeup. The cinematography. The story. The sound. All of the work of talented crafts people are pulled together under the very heart of any good movie – the score.
With the Academy Award nominations on Thursday, January 16, looming like the drumline at the head of a marching band, we thought we’d have a look back at some of the finer scores of 2013.
Listen and watch a handful of Hollywood’s leading composers discuss the art of scoring a film in The Hollywood Reporter’s round table discussion. With one hundred fourteen scores from 2013 vying for nominations in the Original Score category for the 86th Oscars, we suspect some of these names will be announced .
Honorable Mention: INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS from T Bone Burnett.
The soundtrack for INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS transported us to another time and place. The documentary feeling of the film stems from the Coens Brothers decision to shoot and record the music live with no playback and we joined right in the folk-song revival.
For more on the music, read a Q&A with T Bone Burnett HERE.
1. GRAVITY – Steven Price
For Alfonso Cuarón’s thriller, Price created a groundbreaking score, blurring the lines between electronic and organic sounds, incorporating a wide range of elements, from glass harmonicas to string and brass sections. The score captures the on-screen emotion and vacuum of space as another character in the film and left our hearts pounding.
American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mike Patton, best known as the lead singer of the alternative metal/experimental rock bands Mr. Bungle and Faith No More, has composed a brooding and emotionally charged original score. Patton’s music guides the viewer through this multi-generational drama, linking characters, time periods, and locations with a harmonic convergence of jazz, folk, rock, blues and classical.
Patton’s score features an eclectic selection of music including selections by Arvo Part and Ennio Morricone.
3. ALL IS LOST – Alex Ebert
In a film so devoid of dialogue, this great musical score assumed special importance. Director J.C. Chandor turned to acclaimed singer-songwriter Alex Ebert, leader of the band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, to compose the film’s score—his first such project.
“It was sort of a shocker in some ways,” says Ebert. “It’s amazing that J.C. would have that kind of faith in someone who hadn’t scored a film.”
Ebert says Chandor initially asked him to deliver very subdued materials, drones and low notes that sustained over scenes. He also specifically requested that the instrumentation avoid piano. That was challenging for the composer, who had already written some pieces on piano, but he understood Chandor’s reasoning.
“The piano has this inherent emotion to it,” he says. “We didn’t want anything that was ’emotion in a can’ or ‘tension in a can.’ But eventually I started taking more chances, and after some back and forth with J.C., we landed in this middle spot that I think was perfect.”
“It’s about beauty,” he says. “It’s emotional and everything that comes along with life and death, and nothing less. I think that’s the primary subject of humanity—and it’s something that you might want to stay away from because it would be overdramatic. But this dude’s in the middle of the ocean on a raft. Let the music be emotional because it is emotional. We followed the movie’s lead.”
The very emotional score from Alexandre Desplat’s PHILOMENA broke our hearts. We laughed and cried from beginning to end with Philomena Lee’s heart-wrenching story.
5. OBLIVION – Anthony Gonzalez, M83, Joseph Trapanese
The score was one of the best of 2013 and an intregral part of OBLIVION’s sci-fi landscape.
Jackman displays versatility in capturing both the intense, desperation and terror in the story of Captain Richard Phillips’ hostage situation with Somali pirates as well as the humanity of the circumstances. Hitting the right musical balance of drama and intensity was a challenge in minimalism for Jackman, so as not to manipulate the audience.
7. NEBRASKA – Mark Orton
A member of the bluegrass folk collective Tin Hat, Orton’s vibe for Americana music was sought out by director Alexander Payne. Horns, acoustic strings and organ are some of the primary elemental instruments fueling the musical emotion to this story, capturing both the vast landscape and people of the flyover states. Orton, a graduate of the Sundance Filmmaker Institute, also scored the music to the 2014 Sundance premiere Drunktown’s Finest.
A celebrated musician and former member of the platinum-selling group Simply Red, Pereira sings to the hearts of children through his scores for Despicable Me 2. The sequel, which follows the further adventures of the notorious spy Gru, Pereira created specific themes for the new characters, specifically 1960s romantic comedy tones for his love interest Lucy and Latin-mariachi rhythms for the evil El Macho.
9. SAVING MR. BANKS – Thomas Newman
Newman has composed music for nearly 100 motion pictures and television series and has earned 11 Academy Award® nominations and six Grammy® Awards. His score goes hand-in-hand with the back story of Walt Disney and PJ Travers making of MARY POPPINS and left us looking for tissues by the film’s end.
10. FROZEN – Christophe Beck
The second of Disney’s movies that showed young girls it was okay to be their very own heroes!
11. RUSH – Hans Zimmer
With their collaborations on blockbusters from The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons to more intimate projects such as Frost/Nixon, director Ron Howard and Hans Zimmer, a Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Award® winner, once again joined forces for the sounds of RUSH.
Balancing the racers’ simple desires with their frenetic-yet-controlled behavior on the track was a challenge for Howard and Zimmer as they created the soundtrack to the film. The composer captured the spirit of the Formula 1 world.
12. EPIC – Danny Elfman
The rousing score for The Leaf-Men. Enough said.
13. PACIFIC RIM – Ramin Djawadi
Okay, so maybe it didn’t live up to everyone’s expectations, but hot damn if the score to PACIFIC RIM wasn’t one of the coolest of 2013. Made us want to suit up as Jaeger pilots and make a last stand in our ‘Gipsy Danger’.
14. WORLD WAR Z – Marco Beltrami
Animal skulls and teeth combined with percussion add to the tension of utter panic and anxiety in a world being overrun by a Zombie pandemic.
Giving you the sense of dread and desperation, Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score for PRISONERS left us with aches and chills over a parent’s worst nightmare.
We couldn’t end our list without a quick mention for composer Alan Silvestri’s music for THE CROODS. While the film score conveyed beautiful themes and resonated on a deeper level than words could ever say, we were fans of how Silvestri combined the Abbey Road Orchestra and the USC Trojan Marching Band… especially the percussion section!
Academy Award® nominees Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine, Drive) and Bradley Cooper (Silver Linings Playbook, The Hangover) star in THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, a provoking drama about the unbreakable bond between fathers and sons. The Place Beyond the Pines will be available to own on Digital on July 23, 2013 as well as on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and Digital on August 6, 2013 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
Luke (Gosling) gives up his job as a motorcycle stunt performer in order to provide for his newborn son and the boy’s mother (Eva Mendes of Hitch). Avery (Cooper), an ambitious rookie cop, struggles to make his way in a corrupt police department. Their two worlds collide when Luke takes part in a string of bank robberies, and the consequences of their shocking confrontation echoes into the next generation. From Derek Cianfrance, the acclaimed director of Blue Valentine, and co-starring Ray Liotta (GoodFellas), this sweeping and emotional epic has critics raving. “5 stars! THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is huge in its ambition, huge in its achievement!” (Mick LaSalle, The San Francisco Chronicle).
BONUS FEATURES (BLU-RAY™ and DVD):
DELETED SCENES AND EXTENDED SCENES
FEATURE COMMENTARY: With Director/Co-writer Derek Cianfrance
CAST AND FILMMAKERS: Cast: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne, Mahershala Ali, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen, Ben Mendelsohn Directed by: Derek Cianfrance Screenplay by: Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder Story by: Derek Cianfrance and Ben Coccio Producers: Sidney Kimmel, Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell, Alex Orlovsky Executive Producers: Jim Tauber, Matt Berenson, Bruce Toll Director of Photography: Sean Bobbitt, BSC Production Designer: Inbal Weinberg Costume Designer: Erin Benach Editors: Jim Helton & Ron Patane Music by: Mike Patton
TECHNICAL INFORMATION – BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK: Street Date: August 6, 2013 Copyright: 2013 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Selection Number: 62126118 Running time: 2 Hour, 21 Minutes Layers: BD-50 Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 Widescreen Rating: Rated R for language throughout, some violence, teen drug and alcohol use, and a sexual reference Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French Sound: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
TECHNICAL INFORMATION – DVD: Street Date: August 6, 2013 Copyright: 2013 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Selection Number: 62126112 Running time: 2 Hour, 21 Minutes Layers: Dual Layer Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Rating: Rated R for language throughout, some violence, teen drug and alcohol use, and a sexual reference Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is a crime drama, a political thriller and a study of fathers and sons in America. Like a great novel, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is full of big thoughts, sharp plot turns, vibrant characters, and great talk. The film’s structure delivers three interrelated stories in a clear, linear way. It begins with the mysterious motorcycle racer Luke (Ryan Gosling), who drives out of a traveling carnival sphere of death and tours the streets of Schenectady, New York, trying to connect with former flame Romina, (Eva Mendes) who recently gave birth to their son without his knowledge. Though Romina has taken up with Kofi (Mahershala Ali), Luke decides he needs to provide for his newly discovered family. He gives up the carny life to become a mechanic but soon is drawn into committing a string of bank robberies aided by his superior riding ability. The stakes rise as Luke is put on a collision course with ambitious police officer, Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) looking to quickly move up the ranks in a police department riddled with corruption. To reveal further plot points would spoil many of the surprises found in THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES. There is a death and the story takes an unexpected turn before jumping ahead 15 years where we are introduced to a pair of messed-up teenage boys who bear scars – the result of the sins of their fathers.
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is an ambitious film about the impact one chance encounter can have on future generations. Because of the2 ½ hour length of the film, writer/director Derek Cianfrance (who directed Gosling in BLUE VALENTINE) has time and space to work with, and we do get a sense of the characters growing older, learning about themselves, dealing with hardship. But after a losing a central character at about the one-hour mark, the film slowly starts to lose steam. Gosling turns in yet another effortless performance. He doesn’t speak much and mumbles when he does but the guy can coast on presence, charisma, and smoldering menace like nobody’s business. Turning his intent eyes into beads and lowering his voice to woo his girl, or calmly spar with his affable crime partner (Ben Mendelsohn), the actor persuasively creates his own kind of villain, rich in contradiction and detail. Luke is an efficient and smart thief but he cannot discipline himself during his bank robberies, leading to some very intense heist sequences. Cooper’s fine as the calculating Avery, but the film belongs to Gosling whose presence is missed in the film’s second half. It is a treat to be enveloped in a good film like THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, a flawed but satisfying experience that’s highly recommended.
4 1/2 of 5 Stars
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES opens Friday, April 12th in St. Louis at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater and Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Theater
The daring new movie from the director of Blue Valentine, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is a sweeping emotional drama exploring the unbreakable bond between fathers and sons.
Luke (Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling) is a high-wire motorcycle stunt performer who travels with the carnival from town to town. While passing through Schenectady in upstate New York, he tries to reconnect with a former lover, Romina
(Eva Mendes), only to learn that she has given birth to their son Jason in his absence. Luke decides to give up life on the road to try and provide for his newfound family by taking a job as a car mechanic. Noticing Luke’s ambition and talents, his employer Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) proposes to partner with Luke in a string of spectacular bank robberies – which will place Luke on the radar of ambitious rookie cop Avery Cross (Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper).
Avery, who has to navigate a local police department ruled by the menacing and corrupt detective Deluca (Ray Liotta), is also struggling to balance his professional life with his family life, which includes his wife Jennifer (Rose Byrne) and their infant son AJ. The consequences of Avery’s confrontation with Luke will reverberate into the next generation. It is then that the two sons, Jason (Dane DeHaan) and AJ (Emory Cohen), must face their fateful, shared legacy.
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes is now playing and expands into additional theaters this Friday. Having seen this powerful movie, I can say that it is the one, must-see film of 2013.
Reddit AMA Highlights with Derek Cianfrance
REDDIT: Would you recommend some films and filmmakers that you love? Maybe some that most people have overlooked or don’t know about? Also any book recommendations?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW by pasolini anything by cassavetes, but mostly A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE george a. romero
Q: Cinematographer Sean Bobbitt (SHAME, HUNGER) is amazing. Any chance you will re-team with him for another project? Also, what are some of your favorite size lenses to use in your movies?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: bobbitt is a cinema warrior! i hope we can make more movies together. my favorite lens at this point in my life is a 50mm (25mm).
Q: What is your best cure for writers/creative-block? In moments of great inspiration, do you have a tendency to work on current projects, or try to start new ones?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: i always write with people. cinema is the great collaboration between arts and artists. if you surround yourself with good people, someone is bound to have an idea at some point. also. i embrace every idea. even the bad ones.
Q: Do you have any advice for young filmmakers who want to pursue writing and directing?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Q: How’d you get Mike Patton to score your movie and what is he like?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: he was my hero since i was a teenager. i used to show up to his shows with video cassettes of my student films. eventually, we met. working with him was a dream come true. he is still my hero.
Q: do you have any advice on directing? 2. any advice on writing? 3. any advice on breaking into the industry? 4. and how was the path from homemade to film festival to cinema?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: my biggest advice is to make things. there are no excuses NOT to make things. risk failure. practice patience and be stubborn.
Q: What’s been your favourite experience working with an actor? And have you had a lot of struggle with trying to make such raw and powerful independent films like Blue Valentine? Loved Blue Valentine btw and can’t wait to see Place Beyond the Pines!
DEREK CIANFRANCE: i always ask every actor to do 2 things for me. 1. surprise me. 2. fail.
Q: I always wanted to know how you convinced Ryan Gosling to be smacked multiple times by Michelle Williams during the doctor’s office scene in Blue Valentine. She got in a few really good shots that looked like it hurt. So yeah, how did you go about preparing that scene?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: she made his nose bleed. she’s very aggressive. they are both champions. i am forever indebted to them for the courage they showed. trust is the key element i think.
Q: also How did you get off the ground from Brother Tied to Blue Valentine?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: i ate avocados and collected unemployment checks for a long time. then started directing documentaries. learned how to listen as a filmmaker.
Q: Derek, I loved the film, caught it in LA last week. Also loved Blue Valentine. There are few directors that make me excited to go to the movies (PT Anderson, Spike Jonze) and you are now one of them. The film is so layered and the characters rich with subtlety. How did you go about casting the film?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: thanks. auditions aren’t as important for me in making my casting decisions. i’m more interested in the person. the human. i trust that. for instance… ben mendlesohn came into the casting room and said, “if i audition for you then that will be the only thing i ever get to do for you. but if you give me the role i will carry a spear for you.” i hired him on the spot.
Q: I am editing my first feature, but I’ve looked at it so long I can’t tell if something is working. How do you know when a scene is working, and it’s time for picture lock?
DEREK CIANFRANCE:: watch it with an audience. you will be able to feel it then. i watched PINES with 15 audiences before i locked. same with BLUE
Q: What gets you excited about filmmaking?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: life. failure. trust. dreams. actors.
Q: I don’t have anything to ask, but as an aspiring filmmaker, the fact you’ve spent no less than 6 years on your last two films gives me something to aspire too. The sincerity of “Blue” and “Pines” are hallmarks of this generation of American movies.
DEREK CIANFRANCE: thanks. i hope to be in a theater, watching your films someday. soon…
Q: Could you talk about your method of filming with Blue Valentine? The level of intensity really comes through in the film. What was it like having Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams build such a tight bond and then dismantle it in such a short period of time?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: none of us wanted to shoot the second half of BLUE… and i couldn’t figure out how to get ryan and michelle to fight… and then i saw how painful it was for my son to clean up his block castles. and then i started thinking about the monks who make sand mandalas, for months at a time, and them sweep them up immediately. and then i asked ryan and michelle to burn their wedding picture. which they did. and then they started fighting.
Q: First of all it’s really awesome that you took time out to do this for us your fans, and also The Place Beyond The Pines has already secured a spot in my top 10 for this year, I wanted to know, what compelled you into making this movie with the narrative style you used? Because it’s pretty untraditional but worked really well in this case.
DEREK CIANFRANCE: it’s been a lifetime. it’s important to finish things and put them into the world. and then reflect, and start again. and then… finish.
Q: and how was the path from homemade to film festival to cinema? thank you :~)
DEREK CIANFRANCE: it’s been a lifetime. it’s important to finish things and put them into the world. and then reflect, and start again. and then… finish.
Q: Hey Derek how’d you get Mike Patton to score your movie and what is he like?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: he was my hero since i was a teenager. i used to show up to his shows with video cassettes of my student films. eventually, we met. working with him was a dream come true. he is still my hero.
Q: Hi Derek! I love your work; Blue Valentine is one of my favorite movies. I saw in a few interviews with Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams that the process of filming was a little unusual, like having them live together for awhile before filming. Do you plan on continuing these techniques with future films? Thanks!
DEREK CIANFRANCE: thanks and yes. process is everything to me
Q: You are such an influence on my filmmaking. Thank you. What are some of your favorite guilty pleasure films?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: CREEPSHOW by george a romero
Q: what was the hardest thing about directing and what is the easiest??? :~)
DEREK CIANFRANCE: this question is going to make my mind explode!
Q: How is it working with Gosling? I know you like him, cause you brought him back, but is he really set on his idea of characters or are you able to mold him and make him who you want him to be on screen. I’ve heard he’s pretty stubborn.
Where did the inspiration for “Pines” come from? Have you always wanted to rob a bank?
And one more thing, do you edit your scripts a lot? When I write scripts, I usually end up changing a ton of what I want to do, much different from what I started with. So do you change a lot, or do you stick with an idea? Thanks so much! Love your films.
DEREK CIANFRANCE: ryan is a magic man. he is the best. so full of ideas and inspiration. a dream to work with. PINES came to me when my wife was pregnant with our second son. i rewrite my scripts until i shoot. for PINES it was 37 drafts. and then i shoot them. but i ask my actors to surprise me. if they do the script i’m always a little dissapointed.
C: Thanks, Derek! I suspect that most directors rewrite a ton, but 37 drafts is a lot to me! That’s really cool, though. I love when actors go off-script or make characters truly their own, it’s great to hear that you promote this with your actors. You can sometimes tell if a line or emotion is true and really heart-felt, especially improvised ones based off of impulse rather than pure script-following.
I cannot wait to see “Pines”!!!
Hope you make some more fantastic films.
DEREK CIANFRANCE: BLUE was 66 drafts
Q: How the hell did you get the gig to make a Dick’s Sporting Goods ad, and how the hell did you do those amazing racks?? That’s the most visually impressive commercial I’ve ever seen.
Also, Blue Valentine was a beautiful film. Congratulations. And like everyone else here, I can’t wait to see The Place Beyond the Pines.
DEREK CIANFRANCE: that dick’s job was a blast. i was able to work with one of my heroes on that one – peter demming, who shot EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN and MULHOLLAND DRIVE. those are 2 of my all time favorite movies. and there are a few homages to him in PINES. he is a master and he has a really great crew. we got the dick’s spot in the 45th take.
Q: Hey Derek, Thanks for this! I wanted to ask you if you have any advice for filmmakers that deal with a lot of adversity and discouragement. How do you stay focused when that is coming at you during any phase of your work?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: i was rejected for 12 years trying to make BLUE VALENTINE. it only made the film better. because i was forced to believe in it more. and work on it harder. to make a movie is a miracle. you have to fight through doubt. but i think it is very dangerous to surround yourself with “yes” men. it is healthy to have adversity. look at rocky balboa!
Q: I heard that you started making films at the age of 13. If I may ask, what equipment (camera/lighting techniques) did you use around those times? 8mm camera?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: natural light. God’s light.
Q: Place had 37 drafts. I’m interested in what your rewriting process is? What are the steps you take after finishing a draft? Are there specific people you show each version?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: yes. my wife. my producers. my friends. my collaborators. actors. my mom. etc.
Q: How did you get Mike Patton to score the film? Were there other film scores you used as a temp track for the film?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: we met up for coffee. i used his music in so many of my home movies.
Q: How did Hurricane Irene affect your shooting schedule?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: we got a day off.
Q: When you first met Ryan Gosling did you know without any doubt that he was going to be the hero of your future films?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: when i first met ryan he was sitting in the passenger’s seat of my producer’s denali. we then went and had banana muffins. he seemed like a brother.
Q: First off, wonderful job with both BV and TPBTP. I was emotionally moved and visually captivated with both. So thank you for doing what you do. In your films you use both known actors and relatively unknown ones. Do you find it easier/harder to achieve that “real factor” with either one? Or maybe it doesn’t necessarily make a difference. The musical tone plays a huge part in key scenes for both films. Do you tend to write a scene knowing ahead of time the musical tone (or particular song) you would use to convey the feeling of the moment?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: i’m trying to make a collision between reality and fiction. and so i cast real people along side my actors. for instance, the judge in PINES was a real judge (retired at the time of shooting). i can’t tell someone how to be a judge. but i can ask a judge to be himself… and then he can put ryan gosling through a real process…
Q: First of all it’s really awesome that you took time out to do this for us your fans, and also The Place Beyond The Pines has already secured a spot in my top 10 for this year, I wanted to know, what compelled you into making this movie with the narrative style you used? Because it’s pretty untraditional but worked really well in this case.
DEREK CIANFRANCE: the movie is about legacy. lineage. ancestry. what we are born with and what we pass on. i felt it had to be chronological.
Q: You said it took a long time to get funding for BLUE. How does that process work? From getting funding to signing actors? How did you keep the faith? Any advice?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: actors brought funding. i also entered a film competition and won a million dollars. i have one of those big checks.
Q: Huge fan of Blue Valentine, and Pines was incredible. I think you get great performances out of your actors, especially Gosling. Just wondering if there are any Actresses or Actors you would really like to work with in the future?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: yes. so many. anna karina, for one.
Q: After being absolutely blown away by both Blue Valentine and Place Beyond the Pines, I’m curious what’s next on the docket. Do you think you would ever consider directing theater for the stage?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: i did these 24 hour plays about a year ago and it was a blast. i am reading and writing right now… fishing for an idea…
Q: What was the hardest part about shooting in Schenectady/upstate in that area? I’m sure there was the obvious distance between the shoot and NYC for supplies and stuff (I served as film runner for The Place Beyond the Pines), but I feel like there was a lot more that probably would have presented problems.
DEREK CIANFRANCE: it was a gift, a blessing, to shoot in schenectady. this movie couldn’t have been made anywhere else!
Q: What do you do when you find yourself completely devoid of ideas, and you aren’t sure where to start?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: keep your pole in the water. that’s the only way you can catch a fish. read david lynch’s book, CATCHING THE BIG FISH
Q: I’m taking it you like tattoos. What does your tattoo say on your hand and did your love of tattoos inspire you to give Ryan’s character them?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: amigo
Q: Both of your films are some of the best American films I have seen in recent memory. Your latest The Place Beyond the Pines is an epic and beautiful. I saw it the day it came out in Boston and have not stopped thinking about it since. I cannot say that about any other film in recent memory besides maybe Shame. You are putting yourself in an elite category (in my mind) as a writer and director. As someone who is a month away from graduating film school with a focus in writing and directing is there any advice you could give me? How did you get your start?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: thanks. make things! risk failure
Q: How was working with Rose Byrne? I remember Peter O’Toole saying she was one of the finest actresses he ever worked with.
DEREK CIANFRANCE: she is the best. amazing. deep. soulful.
Q: Was the score an easier part of the post-production process?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: Yes. The single greatest concert I ever went to was Mr. Bungle in Denver in 1991. I remember [the band’s member and founder] Mike Patton, wearing a bondage mask and horse blinders, licking the head of a bald bouncer. I always felt his music was so cinematic, and for films I made in high school, I’d always put his music on.
Mike read the Pines script. His brother is a police officer so it was like fate…and, a dream come true for me to get to work with him. He understood the haunted qualities of the story.
Q: Are those qualities what you hope an audience takes away from the film, or, something else?
DEREK CIANFRANCE: One response that meant a lot to me came from a well-respected and powerful man who shall remain nameless. After seeing Pines, he cancelled his business dinner scheduled for that night. Then he called his ex-wife and asked her, “I know it’s your night tonight, but could I come pick him up?” He drove across town, picked up his teenage son, brought his boy home, and they spent time together.
I’m not a message filmmaker. I want people to be entertained, to be absorbed by the story, and to take what they will into their own lives.
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. Even though we’re only 4 months into the year, director Derek Cianfrance’s latest endeavour will go down as one the best films of 2013. It’s that good and that powerful.
Luke (Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling) is a high-wire motorcycle stunt performer who travels with the carnival from town to town. While passing through Schenectady in upstate New York, he tries to reconnect with a former lover, Romina (Eva Mendes), only to learn that she has given birth to their son Jason in his absence. Luke decides to give up life on the road to try and provide for his newfound family by taking a job as a car mechanic. Noticing Luke’s ambition and talents, his employer Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) proposes to partner with Luke in a string of spectacular bank robberies – which will place Luke on the radar of ambitious rookie cop Avery Cross (Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper).
Avery, who has to navigate a local police department ruled by the menacing and corrupt detective Deluca (Ray Liotta), is also struggling to balance his professional life with his family life, which includes his wife Jennifer (Rose Byrne) and their infant son AJ. The consequences of Avery’s confrontation with Luke will reverberate into the next generation. It is then that the two sons, Jason (Dane DeHaan) and AJ (Emory Cohen), must face their fateful, shared legacy.
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is coming to theatres April 12, 2013.
Focus Features and WAMG invite you to enter to win a pass (good for 2) to the advance screening of THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES on April 10that 7:00 PM in St. Louis.
Answer the following question:
How hard would you fight for your family?
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. SEND YOUR NAME AND ANSWERS TO: michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com
3. YOU MUST SUBMIT THE CORRECT ANSWER TO OUR TRIVIA QUESTION ABOVE TO WIN.
4. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN THROUGH A RANDOM DRAWING OF QUALIFYING CONTESTANTS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PASSES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED. DUPLICATE TICKETS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
The film is rated R.
A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of an Electric City Entertainment production in association with Verisimilitude. A Film by Derek Cianfrance. Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, and Ray Liotta. The Place Beyond the Pines. Rose Byrne, Mahershala Ali, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen, Ben Mendelsohn. Casting by Cindy Tolan. Music Supervisor, Gabe Hilfer. Music by Mike Patton. Costume Designer, Erin Benach. Production Designer, Inbal Weinberg. Edited by Jim Helton & Ron Patane. Director of Photography, Sean Bobbitt, BSC. Co-Producer, Carrie Fix. Executive Producers, Jim Tauber, Matt Berenson, Bruce Toll. Produced by Sidney Kimmel. Produced by Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell, Alex Orlovsky. Story by Derek Cianfrance and Ben Coccio. Screenplay by Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder. Directed by Derek Cianfrance. A Focus Features Release.
Every year there is always that one, must-see film that should not be missed – director Derek Cianfrance’s THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is it. His daring new movie is a sweeping emotional drama powerfully exploring the unbreakable bond between fathers and sons.
Luke (Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling) is a high-wire motorcycle stunt performer who travels with the carnival from town to town. While passing through Schenectady in upstate New York, he tries to reconnect with a former lover, Romina
(Eva Mendes), only to learn that she has given birth to their son Jason in his absence. Luke decides to give up life on the road to try and provide for his newfound family by taking a job as a car mechanic. Noticing Luke’s ambition and talents, his employer Robin (Ben Mendelsohn) proposes to partner with Luke in a string of spectacular bank robberies – which will place Luke on the radar of ambitious rookie cop Avery Cross (Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper).
Avery, who has to navigate a local police department ruled by the menacing and corrupt detective Deluca (Ray Liotta), is also struggling to balance his professional life with his family life, which includes his wife Jennifer (Rose Byrne) and their infant son AJ. The consequences of Avery’s confrontation with Luke will reverberate into the next generation. It is then that the two sons, Jason (Dane DeHaan) and AJ (Emory Cohen), must face their fateful, shared legacy.
Credit: Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features
Starring Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, Mahershala Ali, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen, Ben Mendelsohn, and Ray Liotta, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES is coming to select theatres March 29, 2013, with a national release on April 12, 2013.
Focus Features and WAMG invite you to enter for a chance to win THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES prizepack.
One (1) winner will receive:
$25 Visa Gift card to see the film in theatres
T-shirt
Official Soundtrack (scored by Mike Patton)
Poster
Soundtrack Details
Mike Patton, American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known as the lead singer of the alternative metal/experimental rock band Faith No More delivers a sweeping and brooding score. Like a red thread, his music guides the audience through this multi-generational story often linking characters and locations.
In addition to Mike’s score, the album features an eclectic selection of music by the likes of Vladimir Ivanoff (Miserere Mei), Arvo Park (Fratres), Bon Iver (The Wolves), and Ennio Morricone (Ninna Nanna Per Adulteri), among others.
Track Listing
1. Schenectady
2. Family Trees
3. Bromance
4. Forest of Conscience
5. Beyond the Pines
6. Evergreen
7. Misremembering
8. Sonday
9. Coniferae
10. Eclipse of the Son
11. The Snow Angel
12. Handsome Luke
13. Please Stay – The Cryin’ Shames
14. Miserere Mei – Vladimir Ivanoff
15. Fratres for Strings and Percussion – Arvo Part
16. Ninna Nanna Per Adulteri – Ennio Morricone
17. The Wolves (Act I and II) – Bon Iver
Prize pack valued at $60 Prizing provided by Focus Features
Answer the following questions:
Stars Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper have each seen Oscar nominations in recent years. Name the films for which they saw Best Actor nods.
Derek Cianfrance’s second feature was the absorbing look at the dissolution of a marriage. What was the name of this 2010 film?
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES.
2. SEND YOUR FULL NAME and ANSWER TO: michelle@wearemoviegeeks.com.
3. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. PRIZES WILL NOT BE SUBSTITUTED OR EXCHANGED.
CONTEST WILL END ON MONDAY, April 8, 2013 at 11:59pm CST.
Credit: Atsushi Nishijima/Focus Features
A Focus Features and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment presentation of an Electric City Entertainment production in association with Verisimilitude. A Film by Derek Cianfrance. Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, and Ray Liotta. The Place Beyond the Pines. Rose Byrne, Mahershala Ali, Dane DeHaan, Emory Cohen, Ben Mendelsohn. Casting by Cindy Tolan. Music Supervisor, Gabe Hilfer. Music by Mike Patton. Costume Designer, Erin Benach. Production Designer, Inbal Weinberg. Edited by Jim Helton & Ron Patane. Director of Photography, Sean Bobbitt, BSC. Co-Producer, Carrie Fix. Executive Producers, Jim Tauber, Matt Berenson, Bruce Toll. Produced by Sidney Kimmel. Produced by Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell, Alex Orlovsky. Story by Derek Cianfrance and Ben Coccio. Screenplay by Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder. Directed by Derek Cianfrance. A Focus Features Release.
The new trailer has come online for director Derek Cianfrance’s (“Blue Valentine”) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES. The film powerfully explores the consequences of motorcycle rider Luke’s (Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling) fateful decision to commit a crime to support his child. The incident renders him targeted by policeman Avery (Golden Globe Award nominee Bradley Cooper), and the two men become locked on a tense collision course which will have a devastating impact on both of their families in the years following.
(via Yahoo! Movies)
Written by Derek Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder, the cast also includes Eva Mendes, Golden Globe Award nominee Rose Byrne (Damages), Mahershala Ali (Treme), Emory Cohen (Smash), Dane DeHaan (Chronicle), Gabe Fazio, Bruce Greenwood (Flight), Ray Liotta (Killing Them Softly), Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises), and Harris Yulin (Scarface).
In September Focus Features announced that it had acquired the US rights for Cianfrance’s film at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the it had its world premiere. In his glowing review, Kevin Jagernauth of IndieWire wrote, “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.”
THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES will be in theaters March 29, 2013. MPAA Rating: R
Bradley Cooper stars as Avery Cross. Credit: Atsushi Nishijima
The director of BLUE VALENTINE, Derek Cianfrance, is back in the movie news and I’m glad of it. Focus Features announced today at the Toronto International Film Festival that they have acquired the U.S. rights to the director’s THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES. The highly anticipated new drama, starring Academy Award nominee Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes, had itsworld premiere at Toronto last Friday and Saturday and the studio is planning for a 2013 release. You can read the review of it HERE. (HeyUGuys.co.uk)
The film powerfully explores the consequences of motorcycle rider Luke (Mr. Gosling)’s fateful decision to commit a crime to support his child. The incident renders him targeted by policeman Avery (Mr. Cooper), and the two men become locked on a tense collision course which will have a devastating impact on both of their families in the years following. Cianfrance has proven himself to be both an accomplished stylist and a filmmaker of substance. He trained under avant-garde master Stan Brakhage, and can craft moments of pure, transcendent emotion from simple combinations of image and sound. But he also understands the primal pleasure of narrative.
For those looking for a little background on the film, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES was written by Mr. Cianfrance, Ben Coccio, and Darius Marder. The movie was produced by Jamie Patricof and Lynette Howell through their Electric City Entertainment, Alex Orlovsky through his Verisimilitude, and SKE’s Sidney Kimmel; Mr. Patricof, Ms. Howell, and Mr. Orlovsky previously produced the award-winning BLUE VALENTINE, which starred Mr. Gosling and Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams.
The cast of THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES also includes Golden Globe Award nominee Rose Byrne (Damages), Mahershala Ali (Treme), Emory Cohen (Smash), Dane DeHaan (Chronicle), Gabe Fazio, Bruce Greenwood (Flight), Ray Liotta (Killing Them Softly), Ben Mendelsohn (The Dark Knight Rises), and Harris Yulin (Scarface).
Besides THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, Focus Features has released some stellar films already this year. Some examples being Moonrise Kingdom, the hit movie from Wes Anderson; Sam Fell and Chris Butler’s delightful ParaNorman, the new 3D stop-motion comedy thriller from animation company LAIKA; Jamie Travis’ contemporary comedy For a Good Time, Call…, starring Ari Graynor and Lauren Anne Miller. Coming up is Closed Circuit, the suspense thriller directed by John Crowley and starring Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall; Paul Weitz’s comedy/drama Admission, starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd; the historical tale Hyde Park on Hudson, directed by Roger Michell and starring Academy Award nominees Bill Murray and Laura Linney; Gus Van Sant’s Promised Land, the contemporary drama written by and starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski; and Joe Wright’s epic love story Anna Karenina, starring Keira Knightley, Jude Law, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
