GOOD TIME

Good Time is a great modern-day New York movie. It's essentially a crime odyssey with cyclic abuse and manipulation by our protagonist Connie (Robert Pattinson) due to his inability to take responsibility for his actions from the inciting incident.

Good Time is essentially a character study wrapped within the contours of a genre film. It's about a manipulative white guy taking advantage of the inherent system and the exploited people for his own nefarious ends, making it an uncomfortable watch.

Safdie Brothers' filmography juxtaposes the cycle of abuse with the relationship of love between people. The fatherly love in Daddy Longlegs, the romantic love of Heaven Knows What, and the brotherly love of Good Time dooms people and render them unable to grow and improve their lives.

Hence, Good Time employs a claustrophobic prison imagery with characters lacking free will and agency. It's achieved through the prism of a tense, pulpy genre film that explores New York City and its treatment of immigrants and People Of Color.

Good Time comments on the race relations of America, coming out of the Obama era of "racial color blindness" into the first term of Trump's presidency. It critiques systemic racism, particularly the "racial color blindness" ideology that allows White men off the hook.

It's true, particularly in Connie's case, where he manipulates Annie and Crystal [immigrants] into doing his own bidding and casting them aside, namely, Crystal being convicted of a crime, the imagery of white cops turning a blind eye towards Connie is telling and uncomfortable.

This is true in the treatment of Dash[Barkhat Abdi], who's falsely convicted of being a trespasser and being a Somali immigrant, which lends an uncomfortable dynamic to the race relations of 2010s America. It's an indictment of White Privilege.

Hence, in Good Time, there's a particular emphasis on reality TV shows [Cops, Law and Order] and their modern-day legacies being of sensationalism, exploitative racial sentiments, and stereotyping of immigrants. It does not go over well in a post-BLM America.

Technically, Good Time is fierce and uncompromising. The high-intensity direction is complemented by the handheld camera work, capturing the chaotic reality of NYC and the protagonist. The gritty yet propulsive cinematography conveys a neon red color palette to accentuate the mood.

The moody acting conveys depth, charisma, and nuance to the character's actions and brings a chaotic energy to the narrative. The brisk pace helps to maintain tension and accentuate the narrative and maintain stakes.

The electronic Oneohtrix Point Never's synth score feels pulsating and mirrors the pulpy chaotic energy, giving a film a unique verve and energy. The propulsive sound design conveys ambience, tension, and a diverse soundscape.

The production design conveys the scale, size, and intimate detail of New York, capturing the seedy underworld of New York City and the prison culture. The cast conveys fame, fit, and representation to the material and narrative.

Overall, Good Time is a great New York movie that captures the race relations of an America grappling with the fallacies of the "racial color blindness" ideology within a narrative that doesn't allow characters to grow and traps them into a cycle of abuse.

Writing: 9/10

Direction: 10/10

Cinematography: 9/10

Acting: 10/10

Editing: 8/10

Score: 10/10

Sound: 10/10

Prod Design: 9/10

Casting: 10/10

Effects: 7/10

Overall Score: 9.2/10