Good Time

Robert Pattinson has steered very clear from his Twilight years to give us an impressive resumé of independent films that have scrubbed off his Cullen brand and moulded him into a compelling actor. The Safdie Brother's Good Time is but a testament to his ability, giving us what could be his best performance yet. Two brothers, Connie and Nick Nikas, attempt at a bank robbery but fail and Nick lands in jail. This sets Connie to embark on a desperate and dangerous journey to get his brother out. What seems like a simple premise, quickly descends into a twisted odyssey, offering more than just a casual heist-gone-wrong flick.

Pattinson stuns as Connie Nikas with an approach to the character that will make you ponder on his motivations and lead you to question what he will do next. This is far from anything he has done prior, Connie is unsympathetic, desperate and immoral as he evades the ludicrous situations he finds himself in with but a tinge of luck. The other characters, played splendidly by mostly newcomers, paint a picture of debauchery and excess for New York's underworld, forever maintaining a true level of authenticity that often feels part- 70s arthouse and part- contemporary anthemic.

A large fraction of the success of Good Time is thanks to masterful direction by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie and a consistently stellar performance from Robert Pattinson. A sleeper hit for 2017, all the more reason to watch it.

Greetings from Lithuania.

"Good Time" (2017) is one of the more involving movies I've seen in some time now. This is a good thrill ride from start till finish. It has a very good directing, good and involving script, great performances and great pacing. The movie is pretty brutal, but its not a blood fest. It has a simple premise and keeps on to it till the end.

Overall, i really enjoyed "Good Time" for its all 1 h 38 min run time. It never dragged and i was very involved into this story superbly told. Very good movie on all accounts.

If I could ever experience what it's like to be a neon light inside a crowded nightclub, I imagine it would feel a lot like watching Good Time.

This movie exudes intensity, electricity, and neonicity (not a real word, just roll with it). The opening scene provides the movie's blandest color scheme, but it's serious and compelling and important, so pay attention.

From there, the movie leaps fearlessly into a techno blasting, adrenaline surging, rush of mayhem and terrible decision making. Two brothers rob a bank, run from the police, and one ends up in the hospital. Then it gets worse.

Constantine (played by Robert Pattinson, in a career-making performance) lives a life of dysfunction. He struggles to maintain healthy relationships with family or friends or anyone. The one thing in his life that he's sure of is that he wants to take care of his brother, who has intellectual disabilities. He spends a majority of the film frantically (frantic accurately describes the mood for most of Good Time) attempting to save his brother from the trouble that he put him in. The problem is that Constantine can't even properly take care of himself, so helping his brother is far beyond his abilities.

Try as he may, every attempt to help backfires. Despite Constantine's good intentions, he is a powerfully negative influence in his brother's life. He sees himself as his brother's savior, but that's very far from the truth.

It's tempting to sympathize with Constantine. He has real moments of decency. But just when you may think this isn't such a bad guy, he showcases another instance of unsavory behavior. That seems to be the story of his life—fleeting moments of hope, followed by swift slaps of grim reality that are mostly brought on by his own doing.

In the end, his brother, Nick, becomes the more likable character. We want what is best for Nick, just like Constantine does. Because of this shared goal, I want Constantine to succeed. I have never rooted harder for a character that I didn't really want to root for. That's all because of Nick.

Since this is sounding deeply dramatic, let me reiterate, this isn't a plodding sob story. The frantic pace, ludicrously rousing music and color scheme will make your eyes bug out and your hair stand up. Actually, you may literally stand up at certain moments because of the intensity.

See Good Time if you're up for an intense crime thriller. Just don't forget to think while watching. There's more to this movie than neon and techno.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film on several levels. The acting, direction and story line were all done extremely well. It was original and there is an element of commitment of love through the forced negative acts of the desperate protagonist.

I also have to say I enjoyed the psychedelic score which worked well with the pace of the film. Last, I grew up in the neighborhood much of the film is shot in so I am somewhat biased. This, however, is not what makes the film so good.

Pattinson is brilliant as the Big brother trying to make a better life for himself and his learning disabled brother. A bank robbery they attempt goes wrong and the remainder of the film is an attempt to recover his brother from a hospital after getting caught and beat up in jail.

I won't give any more away but have to say the film is thought provoking, exciting and fast paced. I also felt it was quite realistically done in the way each character plays their parts.

The only thing I found annoying was the credits ran into 22+ minutes of the film. Otherwise, a tremendous effort and success for the Safdie Brothers.

Good Time (2017, The Safdie Brothers) This is a wonderfully gritty crime film that is mostly set over one night. It has the sensibilities of a 70's film and feels like a film Abel Ferrera would want to make is he had any talent. The story follows a bank robber (Robert Pattinson)who finds himself unable to evade those who are looking for him. The acting is superb but the tone of the film might not be for everyone as its a loud, messy world of agitation and intensity that is quite tiring. I personally thought it was great and got a lot out of it and loved the style of presentation from the credits and cinematography to the great synth' score. 7.5-8/10