With Take One’s time at Cannes nearly done, the team managed to fit in one final red carpet appearance. To see them out was the latest from acclaimed directing duo Benny & Josh Safdie, GOOD TIME, a film that, thankfully, little was known about. Amidst all of the excitement in the cool heat of the night, the film ahead would be one none of the team were prepared for. Taking place over the course of just one evening, the film follows Constantine ‘Connie’ Nikas (Robert Pattinson) as he desperately tries to free his unwitting partner in crime and mentally handicapped brother Nick (Benny Safdie), while evading the law at every turn. GOOD TIME proved to be an outstanding, stellar achievement across the board, whipping up an original adventure that can only be described as simply breathtaking.
It really is quite an achievement in how a film so embedded in retro genre tropes can remain ahead of the pack in terms of modern day thrillers. Kicking off with an arresting heist sequence, it becomes abundantly clear that Pattinson really knows what he’s doing in this sandbox. It’s almost inconceivable to think that just nearly a decade ago he was the face of the infamous Twilight series, as the teenage heartthrob of that generation. That probably couldn’t be further away from this. Here, he plays nothing for sexuality. He’s barley an anti-hero, stripping away anything that would make him likeable, and this is what is so imperative about Connie. The fact he doesn’t care what he does, who he exploits, or who he harms to get his goal. Even more compelling is the contradiction this presents. One could see his turmoil as going to any lengths to save a loved one in the form of his brother, or that his real goal is simply greedily acquiring more money, with his brother simply being collateral.
It’s not only the thrillingly dark story that is intensely gripping, but the aesthetics too. Set to the backdrop of thumping electronic beats created by age-old synthesisers, and lighting design akin to classics such as Streets Of Fire and Crimes Of Passion, there are waves of nostalgia to unpack in every frame. Thankfully, this is not in a ham fisted or overbearing way. The Safdie Brothers are acutely aware of how blatant the cinematic influences may appear throughout the film, so allow the story and character development time to breath, and be ingested by the audience, before a treat of 80s nostalgia ramps up for an exciting action sequence once again. It’s an angle that so many films of this ilk sorely get wrong. GOOD TIME may see instant comparisons to modern thought provoking thrillers such as DRIVE, but its excitingly unique story and sensibility push apart from that, and enable it to sit in league all of it’s own.
The cleverly interwoven cinematic references don’t stop with the aesthetics. With all this in tow, brilliant performances shine through all round, with actors being able to make what they will of the brilliant material and plot. We get flavours of seemingly unrelated films, such as STRANGER THAN PARADISE, with the group dynamic that is presented by the second act. Ray (Bobby Duress), a fellow criminal who we meet just before this part of the film, is part of this eventual dynamic. His inclusion is crucial, establishing that in this version of New York’s neon-drenched seedy underbelly, there is no shortage of bit-part crooks just like Connie. Although brief, it really adds to the complexity of Connie’s morals and willingness to create any friendship to simply get his way. Connie’s girlfriend Corey, portrayed by the ever electrifying Jennifer Jason Leigh, is another perfect example of this. Seemingly his closest relationship in the film, it becomes harder and harder to tell if it’s love or incentive that has brought them together, as he guilts her into bankrolling his operation, to which she cautiously obliges. The style of the film isn’t pigeonholed. The Safdie Brothers have not only a keen eye for cleverly adapting their influences and getting honest performances, but, crucially, really know how to balance them all out just right.
With the first single from GOOD TIME’s stunning award-winning soundtrack, The Pure and the Dammed, by Oneohtrix Point Never being made available earlier this month, excitement is rightly being ramped up ahead of the film’s August 11th general release date. GOOD TIME really is a film that demands to be seen on the big screen, not only for it’s fantastic visuals, but exhilaratingly beautiful plot that is simply bursting with originally and flare. You’re not only in for a great thrill ride, but a damn ‘Good Time’.