Good Time

An impressively audacious piece of work, Good Time follows Robert Pattinson’s Connie Nikas as he embarks on a quest to free his mentally-disabled brother (Benny Safdie’s Nick) from prison over the course of one especially eventful night. Filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie certainly don’t waste any time in announcing their stylish, propulsive intentions, as Good Time kicks off with an engrossing opening stretch that’s heightened by an almost astonishingly captivating performance by Pattinson – with the actor stepping into the shoes of his jittery, fast-talking, and flat-out sketchy figure to a degree that’s nothing short of spellbinding. And although the Safdies have infused the proceedings with a number of engrossing sequences, Good Time‘s aggressive visual sensibilities (ie relentless close-ups, shaky camerawork, garish colors, etc) remain a palpable distraction for the duration of its slightly overlong running time – with the viewer’s ongoing efforts at wholeheartedly embracing the narrative and characters stymied by the Safdies directorial choices. There’s nevertheless little doubt that Good Time‘s positive attributes outweigh its few missteps, and the movie is, in the final analysis, an erratic yet sporadically engrossing little thriller that benefits substantially from Pattinson’s eye-opening work as the frantic protagonist.

*** out of ****

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