Just saw this - it was freaking amazing. The callbacks in the film down to the kid learning about his dad while eating ice cream again at the same place as when he was a baby, to the picture again at the same place, the mirroring shots of the kid on the bike and the father on his (both on the road to the pines and their respective robberies), also forgetting his glasses for the son to get it in the future, the kid becoming a wreck like his father feared once he found out about the truth (which he made the mom not tell), the way the son's nose is bleeding due to AJ mirroring Luke's blood on his face due to Avery. Avery's money toss is comparison to Luke's and the shift in roles of their children vs the previous generation.
The characters are all VERY well fleshed out and beautifully acted.
It was also shot beautifully (God, I love film) and considering they cut down their budget on lighting to get more shooting days because Cianfrance wanted more days to work with the actors, the film was actually incredibly lit.
The music was beautiful, as was the sound design (especially that sound of the gun in Robin's mouth). A couple shots were a little out of focus, but it's to be expected with film - harder to get playback + optimal exposure, and the film was already running on a small budget - reshooting takes with film is very difficult with no money.
Also how all four of the main characters' first appearances were done by a tracking shot from behind (Luke, Avery, AJ and Jason).
The pacing in the film was masterfully edited - kudos to the editor.
All around a fantastic film.
