Synopsis
Are you ready for a Good Time?
After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City's underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail.
2017 Directed by Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie
After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City's underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail.
Robert Pattinson Benny Safdie Buddy Duress Taliah Webster Barkhad Abdi Jennifer Jason Leigh Necro Peter Verby Gladys Mathon Saida Mansoor Rose Gregorio Eric Paykert Astrid Corrales Rachel Black Hirakish Ranasaki Maynard Nicholl Ben Edelman Laurence Blum Jason Harvey Robert Clohessy Michael Kaufman Goran Spadina Michael McClard Eloisa Santos Bryan Seslow Craig muMs Grant George Lee Miles Kate Halpern Christopher Kirk Show All…
Benny Safdie Ryan M. Price Ryan Collison Leslie Bloome Joanna Fang Nick Seaman Evan Mangiamele Patrick Southern
Goodtime, Une nuit sous tension, Добри времена, Dobrý časy, Good Time: Viviendo al límite, Good Time : une nuit sous tension, גוד טיים, Jólét, グッド・タイム, 굿타임, Geras laikas, Īstais laiks, Bom Comportamento, Good Time: Pe bune, o să-ţi placă, Хорошее время, Dobri časi, Добар провод, Soygun, Гарні часи, 好时光, 命中有罪, 失速夜狂奔
A green Sprite bottle, given almost a mythical introduction in a frenetic monologue, slips out of the hand of a character and roles into a puddle of water. The camera, finally imparted from its intense close-ups to a God's eye long shot, lingers just for a second as it rolls into a puddle where it could be misconceived as trash. An object of everyday life that has been signified with narrative agency (A MacGuffin up there with the Arc of the Covenant) once again resembles its indexical reality. No neon lights or close-ups to enlarge its importance, just a piece of misplaced trash left by some dirtbag scum.
This movie is what happens when we observe the trash we avert our eyes to—what we're taught to ignore—and really look at what's inside.
"I got beat up. I'm the victim here."
--
"Cross the room if you've ever been blamed for something you didn't do."
Many months before the films North American release, I joked that Good Time looked like "a modern-day Phil Karlson picture" so I was doubly pleasantly surprised when I found that this film approximated that feeling. In his annual love-letter to Cannes, Mark Peranson called the film "a kind of Dionysian New York Gesamtkunstwerk....immersion without identification." Where Good Time might confuse is that the film is outside of its narrative, it is not asking us to identify with its character(s), yet it revels in capturing the leads (Robert Pattinson's) energy - but it's for this same reason I believe…
when benny safdie sheds a single tear when his therapist says ”the beach” he was thinking of moonlight
like a remake of ENTER THE VOID as directed by the ghost of Sidney Lumet. some questionable details and it doesn't sink under the skin quite like Heaven Knows What, but Robert Pattinson is truly next-level in this thing.
feel like i've said this before, but now it's *really* time to recognize him as one of the best actors of his generation. between him and Kristen Stewart, i'm willing to officially move TWILIGHT into the "win" column, so far as its cultural contributions are concerned.
owl city and carly rae jepsen's iconic 2012 BOP good time isn't in this movie, totally false advertising, 0/10
I'm never drinking a bottle of Sprite that I found in an abandoned amusement park again
in that infamous robert pattinson reddit ama, he claims his favorite line he’s said on film is, “don’t be confused, it’s just gonna make it worse for me.” didn’t notice that line on first watch, but on rewatch its gravity was unmistakable, completely centering and solidifying Connie's egocentric perspective.
Connie Nikas is, to me, a 21st century Nicky Godelin from Elaine May’s Mikey & Nicky, especially considering the Safdies have cited that film as a major influence. he’s so cool, so arresting that you’re forced to do whatever he says, even if you don’t know why you’re doing it. i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again: hot people make us STUPID!!
i think the Mikey & Nicky comparison is especially…