‘Good Time’ walked so ‘Uncut Gems’ could run
Three years after its release, I finally decided to sit down and watch The Safdie Brothers’ film ‘Good Time’ (2017) and to be honest, I committed a cultural offense waiting this long. Now as a precursor, I am in no way a critic, in fact, I am known for liking astoundingly bad films such as Super Troopers (2002) and The Fourth Kind (2009). Am I easily entertained by these movies? Damn straight. Are they quality movies? Ask Rotten Tomatoes. That being said ‘Good Time’ definitely lived up to more than just its name.
Now, for those who haven’t seen the film yet, I’m not gonna go into too much detail whereas it would ruin the film for you, but at the same time if you haven’t seen it yet…well don’t be like me and hopefully this makes you want to watch it!
For those who aren’t familiar, the Safdie brothers’ are the same directors who brought ‘Uncut Gems’ (2019) to the big screen. Right off the bat, I preferred ‘Good Time’s more guerilla filmmaking style to the big-budget studio production of Uncut Gems, but to each their own. The cinematography is one of my favorite aspects about it, as it has this gritty, neon aesthetic and lots of close up shots to hone in on a character’s emotions. Similar to UG, the writing is tight-knit (more developed IMO) and almost chaotic, but not the kind that makes me want to pop a Xanax halfway through the film. Don’t get me wrong the plot and tone of the movie is hectic straight from the get go. Plans constantly keep going awry and changing, causing Pattinson’s character, Connie, to adapt and try to figure out what to do to break out his brother, played by Benny Safdie, from jail. However, I feel the the constant uneasiness of ‘Good Time’ was a lot more artistic and straightforward than ‘Uncut Gems’ anxiety-inducing plot that honestly became a little convoluted for me after the first hour.
Which brings me to the casting, the acting of Pattinson as Connie really plays with you emotionally and morally which is ironic since basically everything the film stands for is morally wrong but the love that Connie has for is Mikey and the lengths that he will go to save him is all for a ‘good’ cause. While Adam’s Sandler’s portrayal of Howard Ratner in ‘Uncut Gems’ showed an edge to his acting capabilities as he steered towards a more dramatic role, it was still obvious that he was a outside of his comfort zone and didn’t fully sell the persona which is why the Oscar ‘snub’ wasn’t as surprising. With Pattinson he becomes Connie and it’s almost like I’m not watching someone act, but instead an actual person, which if you’ve seen actual interviews of Pattinson it’s not that far off. From potentially lethally overdosing an innocent men on LSD to a death from falling off a building, his actions made me question my own morals. I’m finding myself wanting Connie to succeed and have his happily ever after with his brother (who is assumingely completely unaware of the nefarious mischief his brother is going through for him), but knowing that as each minute passes it’s more of a question of just how bad his downfall will be when he eventually gets caught.
Especially the ending, one of the final close-up shots of Connie when he’s in the back of a police car and the realization of all the shit finally hitting the fan coming to him appearing on his face. He finally realizes how much he f***ed up and how many lives he seriously ruined without even saying a word. Unforgettable.
With all this being said? Did I enjoy ‘Good Time’? Absolutely, it might have even broken my Top 10 favorite films. But more importantly, is it a good movie? Go watch it and it won’t be a question that needs to be answered.
