Not since Hall and Oates has there been such a team

Date: Saturday 13th April
Film: The Place Beyond the Pines (2013)
Director: Derek Cianfrance
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes and Dane DeHaan
Running time: 02 hours, 20 minutes
Rating: 7/10

Having loved the first collaboration between Derek Cianfrance and Ryan Gosling, I'd been waiting some time to see this film. I had expectations, based on the trailer and their previous work, and my hopes were high.

I thought this was going to be a small scale, slightly broody, highly emotional, look at family life. What it ended up being was something different entirely.

The Place Beyond the Pines is essentially three overlapping stories. Each one impacting on the next story in the sequence; The Ryan Gosling story, the Bradley Cooper story and the Dane DeHaan story.

This first sequence, the Ryan Gosling section, was exactly what I expected, an intense sequence exploring the emotions and consequences of the decisions people make. Gosling, as is expected, stole every scene he was in, equal parts brooding, intense and warmhearted, he knew what he needed to do to make things work for the people he cared about, he just didn't know the best way in which to achieve this.

Once this character came into contact with Bradley Cooper's character, the entire story changed. The focus shifted to another character, dealing with the same emotional issues, but dealing with them in an entirely different way.

Once the Cooper section reached a point of 'resolve' the action shifted 15 years into the future and looked at the impact of the choices made by both characters on their young offspring. This is the point that, I felt, the whole film went slightly off kilter.

What started out as an extremely strong story, slowly dropped in quality, and intensity, as the film progressed. My only wish was for the opening section to be a little longer, the middle section to have a little more flesh to the characters and the story and the ending to be cut down to a simple synopsis.

What started out as a great film, with heaps of potential, slowly shifted to become overly extended, plodding and, if anything, a little too ridiculous.

Although this film did give us Ryan Gosling, in a vest, dancing, with a dog, to Bruce Springsteen. It was like all my favourite things collided.

If anyone can send a gif of this my way, I will be eternally grateful.

Challenge day: 199
Challenge time: 12 days, 13 hours, 01 minute
Challenge film total: 154

I don't sit in while you're running it down. I don't carry a gun. I drive.

Date: Sunday 24th February
Film: Drive (2011)
Director: Nicholas Winding Refn
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan and Bryan Cranston
Running Time: 01 hour, 40 minutes
Rating: 10/10

Brutal violence, underground crime organisations, fast cars, Ryan Gosling and Christina Hendricks. Drive is a list of things I love in cinema. The exquisitely told story of a mysterious man (we never learn his name), who is hired to drive, the one thing he does well, and after a liaison with his neighbour, and an interaction with her ex-con husband, ends up mixed up with a criminal gang and things go downhill from there.

Drive is intense. From beginning to end. In the doomed love affair, in the violence, in the car scenes. It's this intensity that, in my eyes, makes it such a great film.

One of, in my opinion, the best films to come out in the last few of years. I have so much love for Drive.

Challenge day: 153
Challenge time: 09 days, 15 hours, 02 minutes
Challenge film total: 119

Well ya gotta die of somethin'.

Date: Friday 8th February

Film: Gangster Squad (2013)

Director: Reuben Fleischer

Starring: Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone and Josh Brolin

Running Time: 01 hour 53 minutes

Rating: 7/10

A weekend visit from the Luce and finally time to catch a film we'd been waiting to see for a while. A film that, I'm not ashamed to admit, I mainly wanted to see because it starred Gosling. In a suit. A joyous sight.

The reviews hadn't been great, I entered with low expectations. Thankfully, it was much better than I expected.

Gangster Squad is not a serious gangster film, and it doesn't seem to set out to be a serious gangster film. In my view, it is trying to make a gangster film in the vein of 80's comic book movies. A little corny, a little unrealistic and overwhelmingly, it sets out to entertain.

A great cast make a so-so script work well. All in all this is an enjoyable film. I don't know if I'll be rushing out to see it again but if it was on the telly I know I'll stop to watch. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone come out shining. As usual, they steal the show and prove, yet again, that I am right to adore them both.

Challenge day: 136

Challenge time: 08 days, 17 hours, 12 minutes

Challenge film total: 107

I'm going to help you rediscover your manhood. Do you have any idea where you could have lost it?

Date: Saturday 29th December
Film: Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)
Director: Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Steve Carrell, Julianne Moore and Emma Stone
Running Time: 01 hour, 58 minutes
Rating: 9/10

Crazy, Stupid, Love was one of my highlights of last year and not just because of Ryan Gosling minus his shirt.

An enjoyable comedy that explores relationships from a variety of angles with a brilliant cast that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Plus, Gos looks very good in a suit. And out a suit.

Challenge day: 95
Challenge time: 05 days, 11 hours, 26 minutes
Challenge film total: 69