Good Time (2017)

As I get older I've began to feel numb watching mainstream films. The paint by numbers formula of following a hero through a series of tribulations to see him ultimately defeat the bad guy and get the girl is beyond trite at this point in my experience. I appreciated how this film does very little moralizing to it's audience and instead opts to show just how gritty and sleazy the underworld of petty crime can be.I have to give praise to the filmmakers whom I assume had a low budget to make this as they more than make up for it in style, ambience and a well crafter story. The performance by Robert Pattinson is above and beyond what I would of expected to him given what he's most known for. I now consider him a a rising talent in the industry. The rest of the cast are unknown but all do fantastic work and should get bigger roles moving forward judging by their performances in this film.Overall what I appreciated most about this film was it's world building. They make you feel as if you're getting some insight into what your life would be had you made a chain of consecutive bad decisions. As I stated earlier, this film does absolutely no moralizing, hell sometimes you even find yourself rooting for the criminals, but it also in no way glamorizes the life of a lowly criminal.I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a thrill ride of a film and who isn't all that easily offended or squeamish when it comes to exploring the darker aspects of society.

I've never seen a movie quite like this one. The pacing and the editing and score in particular are very original and intense. The film has a relentless pace and always keeps you engaged. I can't be bothered writing a longer review, but if you're a film buff and want to see something fresh, you need to see this film.

The protagonist in 'Good Time (2017)' is certainly no hero and his journey to free his brother seems to be as selfish a quest as it is genuine, with his manipulative manner coming out in every ever-escalating scene until his erraticism outweighs his reasoning and he starts to get so sloppy that the mistakes he makes are perhaps more dangerous than the situations he enters in the first place. It is this central character, along with his frenetic and suitably grimy performance, that keeps you engaged, by being surprisingly seedy, even when the narrative doesn't take the turns you'd expect it to - which is ultimately a good thing. Props must also be given to the actor - who is also a co-director - portraying the lead's mentally-handicapped brother, as he does a phenomenal job of embodying a character whom we can wholly empathise with. The piece is never predictable and properly pacy, with a definite sense of style that seeps into every situation and marks the overall story with a tangibly 'loose strand' feel, a kind of vibe that pushes tension and suspense into the most mundane of misguided moments that feel just disconnected enough to be true-to-life. The realist sensibility and superb synthetic soundtrack keep every beat fresh and exciting, though, so that, while they do seem somewhat coincidental, they always come across as wholly necessary and all-encompassing, the only thing occupying both the characters' and audience's mind. This 'in-the-moment' vibe is incredibly energetic and puts you in the head of the stressed and worn-out lead, lessening the impact of the inevitable retroactive realisation that the action seems more like disconnected set-pieces happening almost out of the blue, with little ultimately falling into place, than a proper planned narrative. Still, that's not to imply there wasn't thought put in behind the scenes. It takes a special kind of planning to make things seem spontaneous. In the end, this piece becomes more realistic, and thematically futile (though still hopeful), precisely because it refuses to follow convention and fit into a neat narrative package. Plus, as I mentioned, it is all about being in the head-space of the character, which is why most of the piece is shot using claustrophobic close-ups, and feeling like every little event is the biggest moment of the movie. The situation itself almost acts as the antagonist, throwing curve-balls to stop our protagonist from achieving his goals. Every moment could be his last and danger comes from the most unexpected of places, be that by coincidence or by his mistakes, which makes the flick a thrilling ride from start-to-end in a more domestic kind of way than usual. There are no big explosions, massive gun-fights or country-wide car chases. Yet, every moment is exciting. That's the beauty of it, really. For all its subversion, thematic elements, character depth and clever, realist twists, the most important thing about it is this: it's just a good time. 7/10

Short and Simple Review by WubsTheFadgerGood Time tells the story of fractured love between brothers as they pull of a heist that goes wrong. The story is very interesting and has some great visuals. The ending is saddening but justified.The acting is very good. Robert Pattinson delivers the best performance of his career. Pattinson truly becomes his character and he commands the screen because of that. Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Barkhad Abdi, and Taliah Webster all perform very well.The pacing is a little slow and the runtime is overlong.Pros; Great visuals, interesting story, saddening ending, amazing performance by Robert Pattinson, and good overall actingCons: Slow pacing and an overlong runtimeOverall Rating: 7.0