Good Time was amazing

I thought it was pretty good — like 7/10

There’s deep flaws in the script - conceptually there’s really not enough to necessitate the film being a “race against the clock” sort of thing. It felt more like an arbitrary choice by the filmmakers and they just stuck to it. And there’s our protagonist, Connie (Pattinson), who’s probably more interesting on paper. He isn’t given much depth, mostly just a canine throughline - in terms of symbolism - which is in a way fascinating (and we get one of the film’s best shots later in the film in relation to this).  But there’s something missing in the Connie character, maybe a greater sense of guilt, or delusion. The film’s vital mistake: it’s more interested in the hustle of Connie than the person in the hustle!

I found the music kinda gratuitous, kinda distracting. It goes hand-in-hand with a conceptual problem: the Safdies said they wanted to make a “popcorn flick” - a throwback genre piece. But its heart is in its societal study of the penal system and mental disability. Both of these are touched on but feel only peripherally explored. There’s a sad childlike mentality to almost all of the adult characters. This could’ve been explored a bit more too.

Jennifer Jason Leigh is underutilized. Reduced to indecipherably yowling while blurred in the background.

Buddy Duress brings a good deal of zing and humor in his counterbalance to Connie; he works almost in the manner of a Ratso Rizzo. And his “how I got here” sequence had a nice Scorsese kick to it - and it’s around here the film peaks going into the Adventureland series of events. Which is a great location, visually exciting, tense, weird.

have a good time

Surprised by the criticisms. I think it's the first truly exceptional movie I've seen so far this year and tops The Big Sick for my #1 spot. I don't quite get the raves for Pattinson's performance, but he still did a pretty tremendous job and is in my top 10 for actor. Just not blown away in that sort of Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon way everyone was hyping it up to be. At the same time, he deserves props simply for being able to ground this character who's in nearly every frame of the film and not overplay him considering the hyper-intensity of everything going on around him. That's why we're able to dig in and relate and follow his journey with such ease.

The film itself is certainly flawed in its script and there is still so much of the world and the characters I wish were explored. But the Safdie brothers offer such an intense, almost nauseating thrill-ride of a movie filled with non-stop action and heightened anxiety that it's so easy to look past them.

As Mattsby mentioned, the scene where Buddy Duress' character has his "how I got here" monologue was easily the closest thing I could imagine to being on speed, movie-wise. The editing, music, dialogue, camera work; all of it culminating into this incredibly Scorsese but also very much darkly Refn sequence that is definitely the peak of their filmmaking abilities. But from there, the intensity never lets up and only builds and builds.

My biggest issue that keeps it from being a perfect 10 is the abruptness of the ending. I thought there at least needed to be one more scene to connect the dots (though you can pick up on them, it still doesn't give full closure to Pattinson's emotional journey in the film), but I did like how it ended out on something sweet (if maybe bittersweet).

Also, might just be me, but I thought Benny Safdie did a pretty great job playing the brother as well. Kind of an odd performance, and certainly could be seen as incredibly wooden or maybe even bad, but that opening scene with him absolutely broke my heart and it's all due to him.

It's funny you say that because I actually really loved how they made the prison fight (or the whole opening credits, really) and the meeting at the Bail Bonds place with JJ Leigh so intense and chaotic. I feel like Christopher Nolan, while he makes my top 5 for Director this year, did a fantastic job creating a sort of technical intensity in his film, he suffered on the character side so the intensity feels like it's ramping up for nothing. The Safdie Brothers, however, knew exactly how to create intensity on a character level, in the script, and that's why it works tenfold for me.

Although, as I mentioned, there are flaws in the script, I think they did a tremendous job building up their characters so that we care about them - something I felt Nolan lacked in his film. And so, with every single scene, there was a feeling of dread or suspense or anxiety because you care about this character and want him to succeed in getting his brother out of jail. So little scenes like a meeting at a Bail Bonds place become these emotional roller-coasters on the same level as a car chase sequence that makes you feel on edge - as you should with this type of film - for the whole entire film. There's not a second to breathe.

I suppose, to some (as it appears to be, most), that could really turn you off. You want that moment of levity, you want that second to breathe so the characters can open up a bit, but life hardly offers that - especially in a situation like this - so it was a breath of fresh air to see these two young directors capture that so well. And still, in the midst of the chaos, you still feel like you've gotten to know these characters and what they want.

Robert Pattinson can do it! I noticed his talent in "The Lost City of Z" already and now he gives another fantastic turn this year, far far away from the boring shallowness he started his career with. In "Good Time" Robert Pattinson shows what he really can, and I go so far and almost compare this performance to a young Robert De Niro, It was just intense, honest, full of emotions and power. It was as twisted as his character and from the first to the last second convincing. You never saw Pattinson but always the character. Benny Safdie, who is also one of the directors, was okay and had his moments but there was something distracting / off about his performance. Jennifer Jason Leigh had a smaller role as one of Pattinson's weird love interests. Well, she can do better.
Another positive aspect about this film is the great atmosphere created by some inspired GTA-like camera ankles (but they totally fitted the scenario) and the truly good and fitting soundtrack.
The screenplay was decent as well and I really liked the honest portrayal about the characters. No fake development no fake sympathy but you still cared a lot. Its a dark film but one that still leaves you with a good feeling. And it is the birth of "actor" Robert Pattinson.

Nominations:

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Robert Pattinson
Best Score

Rating: 8/10

I somehow missed this thread. My favorite of the year. I love it.