Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2013

Derek Cianfrance follows up his brilliant Blue Valentine with this devastatingly good emotional roller coaster of a triptych. The first of three separate but connected stories has to do with an itinerant, neer-do-well motorcycle daredevil who turns to bank robbery to provide for the one-year-old son he just found out he had. In the second act, a young cop with a law degree is threatened by department corruption. The third part, which takes place 15 years later, is about two teens that unwittingly share a secret. While this part may not be quite as effective, it ties up the strings of the first two acts in a satisfying way. Sins of the fathers. And if there are any flaws to this film, they’re due to ambition and vision, and that’s okay. The characters are well drawn and immersive, the acting’s flawless (by Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper and Eva Mendes), the cinematography’s innovative (even the car chase) and for a story with such daring plot leaps, there’s a complete lack of artifice. This is a cinematic achievement that’s fresh and original, one that will stay with you. Cianfrance is emerging as a storyteller of the first rank.

Opening May 25