Grade: A-
“Good Time” is American independent cinema at its best. It presents a marginalized perspective with a clever style and excellent performances. This movie makes me excited for the next step in the career of its leading man, Robert Pattinson.
This film is about a working class criminal named Connie and Nick, his mentally challenged brother. They execute a bank robbery that leads to Nick’s incarceration. Connie then spends a long, hard night trying to find the money to bail out his brother.
“Good Time” is reminiscent of many movies. The dynamic of a fast-talking criminal and his quieter partner pulling off a failed bank robbery is right out of “Dog Day Afternoon.” Connie’s eccentric nocturnal journey has the propulsive feel of the underrated Scorsese cult classic “After Hours.”
But what puts “Good Time” in the league of these movies is not its superficial similarities. Rather, they all share an interest in telling a story that involves a sidelined perspective. These films tell those stories with empathy even as they unflinchingly portray their protagonists’ dark sides.
This distinct approach to storytelling is a hallmark of American independent cinema. It is different from mainstream Hollywood movies in its willingness to tell stories that are not traditionally told.
From a technical standpoint, “Good Time” is phenomenal. Directors Josh and Benny Safdie frequently use close-ups to make the viewer feel claustrophobic. The electronic score by Oneohtrix Point Never is energetic yet haunting.
The cast is a great mixture of professional actors and people who have never acted before. This increases the film’s distinctiveness and adds some great authenticity to its New York setting. What other film can say it features Academy Award nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh and Queens bail bondsman Eric Paykert?
Pattinson gives the film's best performance as Connie. He holds your complete attention from the opening zoom on his face to his last shot. It proves once and for all that he is much more than someone for people to swoon over in “Twilight.” He demonstrates a remarkable ability to bring Connie to life in all of his contradictions.
“Good Time” follows in a great tradition of independent American crime films. The excellent cinematography and realistic acting are a potent combination. It works very well on its own, and it cannot help but make you excited about what the Safdie Brothers and Pattinson might do next.
