Which film first paired Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes as co-stars?

“The Place Beyond the Pines” first paired Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes as co-stars. Derek Cianfrance directed the 2012 crime drama, which follows interconnected stories involving a motorcycle stunt rider, a police officer, and their families.

Gosling plays Luke Glanton, a motorcycle performer who turns to bank robbery after learning he has a child. Mendes plays Romina Gutierrez, Luke’s former lover and the mother of his son. Their characters’ relationship is central to the first part of the film, although the movie later expands into a multigenerational story.

Gosling and Mendes began a relationship after working on the film. They later had two daughters. This film is sometimes confused with their other collaborations, including “Lost River,” which Gosling directed and Mendes appeared in, but “The Place Beyond the Pines” was their first shared feature-film project.