Worth: $18.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Robert Pattinson, Ben Safdie, Taliah Webster, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Intro:
Good Time further solidifies Robert Pattinson as one of the most exciting actors working today.
When you consider Cosmopolis, The Rover, Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper, The Lost City of Z and now this, who would have guessed that some of the most interesting and original films of the last decade would come from the two leads of the Twilight series? Robert Pattinson’s come a long way since then, and Good Time further solidifies him as one of the most exciting actors working today.
Here, his physical and behavioural transformation is scary. He plays the kind of guy you never want to cross paths with; fearless, violent, and surprisingly charming when he needs to be. He somehow manages to be likable even after doing things that will utterly disgust you.
Writers Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie (who also directs with his brother Ben) waste no time setting up the narrative. Pattinson plays Connie Nikas, who along with his mentally-challenged brother Nick (also played by Ben Safdie), is in the business of robbing banks. Connie is protective and nurturing, but also carelessly dragging his brother down a very unsafe path for someone in his condition – and that’s where things go horribly wrong. Nick panics in front of police and gets himself caught, and the remainder of the film revolves around Connie’s desperate attempt to raise $10,000 in one night for Nick’s bail.
What the Safdie brothers (Heaven Knows What) have done really well is to construct an almost real-time feature that doesn’t lose momentum throughout its entire 100-minute runtime.
Despite his scumbag appearance, Connie is quick-thinking and highly resourceful, which allows the film to move from one scene to another in a believable manner. Sure, some of the supporting characters and plot devices aren’t introduced very subtly, but they do regularly shift the entire course of the film to keep you on your toes.
This is some of the most intense filmmaking you’re likely to experience this year, and much like Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, incorporates very clever audio and editing techniques to raise anxiety levels – most important of which is the penetrating score by Oneohtrix Point Never.
While it isn’t as stylish as Drive, clever as Run Lola Run or disturbing as Irreversible, Good Time is a remarkable feast for the senses.
