The cinema masterpieces of our time, created in the genre of criminal cinema, have long ceased to amaze the modern viewer. In recent years, either biopic or the usual action comedies about the next "gentlemen of luck", who have hit a huge jackpot, have been released. The film "Good Time" by the creative directorial tandem of Ben and Joshua Safdi clearly stands out against this background. The directors managed to remove the author’s project with an emphasis on the sincerity of the story without a bit of pretense. It is not surprising that the picture made a splash at the Cannes Film Festival, whose representatives noted in their reviews about the film “Good Time” author's audacity and chic acting. The tape has a decent IMDb rating of 7.90.
Live film project
The film "Good Time" was recognized in every sense as a live film. The project evolves with each new episode from an amateur art house into a real drama, affecting the problems of both the criminal world and the ordinary. The plot of the picture will seem beaten to an experienced spectator, but the essence of the project, according to reviews of the film “Good Time”, is not so much in the plot narration as in the structure of the development of events. The authors of the picture did not set themselves the goal of bringing something new to the genre of criminal drama, they qualitatively mixed canonical artistic techniques, saturating the tape with a riot of colors and energetic music. All the action scenes, chases in the picture look as bright as possible, and the overabundance of neon in the frame unwittingly evokes associations with N. Vinding Refn's proprietary tricks demonstrated in Neon Demon and Drive.
Dynamically pulsing story
Reviews from the audience about the film “Good Time” (2017) note that the authors do not try to embellish reality. All the events of the picture fit into the framework of one night, and the dynamics of the narration pulsates, without stopping for a moment, during the hour and a half hour. During this time, the key character manages to circle a dozen policemen around the finger , flirt with a schoolgirl, cause the anger of local hucksters, constantly balancing on the brink.
The narrative is famously spun around criminal experience Connie Nikas (actor Robert Pattinson) and his mentally retarded brother Nick (Ben Safdi), who manage to rob a bank in New York. When the robbers try to hide with their prey, a capsule with paint explodes in a bag, as it should be. In addition, the car of criminals has an accident and the police manage to arrest poor Nick. Connie manages to escape, but he cannot reconcile with the arrest of his brother. The offender first tries to find the money to pay the bail, and then comes up with a plan to escape his brother, who should be transferred from prison to the hospital. When the plan is not realized, Connie begins to improvise.
Reviews of the film “Good Time” (2017) draw attention to the fact that the narrative does not lead the viewer along, but practically drags after the heroes, relentlessly exposing the gloomy world through the eyes of desperate characters.
The rebirth of the performer
Among the merits of the film "Good Time", critics unanimously called the participation of Robert Pattinson. After this masterpiece, you can say goodbye to the pale-faced guy from Twilight. The tape of Ben and Joshua Safdie became a real rebirth for the artist, a new, incredibly talented actor came out of the attached boring image. Pattison perfectly got used to the role of Connie Nikas. The English performer felt great in the image of a petty criminal. In the process of working on the image, the actor honed his American pronunciation and completely disappeared into the image.
According to the creators, Connie is an unpleasant type. He cynically uses his brother, deceives his girlfriend, dodges, lies, falling into all the grave. Now Pattinson is just that. Not a naive vampire boy in love and not a simpleton from the post-apocalyptic “Rover”, but a strong and decisive man, as a result, ready to do anything for the well-being of relatives and loved ones. You really believe his actions, and most importantly motives. The actor literally shares his obsession with the audience, for the timing of the tape revealing not only the character of his hero, but also his essence.
Features of the shooting process
The film “Good Time” was filmed simply on the streets of New York, among the crowd of passers-by using the almost guerrilla method. The creators came up with a lot of different tricks to make the actors "invisible." The film crew even managed to get into the reception department of the local clinic unauthorized.
In addition to adrenaline attacks, the Safdie brothers project to some extent illuminates the problem of infringement of the rights of social minorities that have been powerless before the state system.
Contradiction to moral standards
The two main characters of the film are criminals, but it’s not in vain called “Good Time”, the title represents the moments of freedom for which the characters managed to seize. During the viewing, it comes to understanding that Connie’s main goal was not so much money as the attempt to “breathe life” into his brother, to give him a chance to own his actions and life, until he was turned into a faceless vegetable with the help of medications in the local rehabilitation center.
The project is trying to play on this provocative note - contrary to generally accepted moral standards, approaching the issue of humanity from a rather ambiguous point of view. The viewer not only begins to sympathize with the criminals, he finds an excuse for their actions.
Reviews about the film “Good Time” position the movie as a multi-layered parable about the sincerity of fraternal feelings, although they are truly destructive.
Advantages of the painting
The main advantage, the drive of the film, was recognized as the high-quality work of the creative tandem of the operator S.P. Williams and composer Daniel Lopatin, hiding behind the pseudonym Oneohtrix Point Never. Together, they turned a dramatic road trip into a real ode to life energy and family.
The picture has everything in order to please the viewer: from a daring soundtrack and a frantic rhythm to the gradual disclosure of the characteristics of heroes with moralizing. The project burns, like a neon flash, while not slipping into confusion and an unrelated series of scattered frames. As the reviews say, the film “Good Time” pleases the eye, successfully combining an extraordinary scenario basis with a pleasant manner of narration. This picture will be a good start to get acquainted with the work of the Safdie brothers, whose previous projects “The pleasure of being robbed”, “God knows what” and “Long-legged dad” were previously known only in narrow circles of moviegoers.