This isn't conventional Hollywood-horror/thriller "suspense" but something more primal.

Maybe it's not [the directors'] fault that this dark joyride offers neither an ordered route nor a satisfying destination.

Pattinson's performance is one of the year's finest and a revelation for anyone who has wanted to pigeonhole him as an actor.

This film may not exactly be a "Good Time," but it's an interesting one.

You might hate this movie, but with a passion that almost proves its power. Anyway, when was the last time a film grabbed you by the lapels and refused to let go?

Pattinson is what helps us keep pace. He completely inhabits Connie with his jittery, twitchy efforts - he can't stand still, so neither can we.

The film's assuredness of tone, pace and form illustrate clearly the deftness of the direction from Benny and Josh Safdie and mark them out as singular talents.

Pattinson nails a back-breaking role and the Safdies direct with an unrelenting visceral edge.

The plot may be circular, but the rhythm of the film, edited down to a lean 101 minutes and driven by the surging synth riffs of Daniel Lopatin's score, is one of urgent forward momentum.

With a style harking back to early Scorsese, the film teases out a bloody terrific turn from Pattinson ...

Pattinson is utterly convincing as the Manson-eyed Connie, a manipulative force of nature (alternately mesmerising, repugnant and pathetic) who leaves a trail of destruction in his wake.

This isn't a misleading title. With its adrenaline rush pacing, terrific performances and unpredictable script, this is a film that doesn't stop surprising or entertaining.

Robert Pattinson keeps proving that he can be an amazing actor when not playing a ridiculous vampire, delivering a magnetic performance in this frenetic, stylish and super tense movie bathed in neon lights but which only falters a bit in the end by wanting to have a "message."

It's not often a film from this era manages to make me think of some of Scorsese's early features, but 'Good Time' does just that. Taking place in New York City, focusing on criminals, and presenting a bleak tone with a few black comedy laughs as well, director Ben Safdie is doing his best Scorsese impression without it feeling too homage-y. In fact, Scorsese is one of the first people listed in the thank you section of the credits.I think one of the critiques that 'Good Time' may receive is that it's too miserable and there never seems to be any light at the end of the tunnel. Take Robert Pattinson's lead character, Connie. He's the character we follow for most of the movie, and I'm not sure he makes a single decision that would be considered morally right. He's constantly trying to evade law-enforcement to get back to his brother who was arrested for robbing a bank with him. It's very difficult to root for someone with that type of mindset, but Pattinson winds up being someone who I didn't want to fail. Sometimes just taking a back seat and watching a film unfold is better than trying to attach yourself to characters are unlikable.One standout from 'Good Time' is the score by Daniel Lopatin. Much like Drive, Neon Demon, and the upcoming Blade Runner 2049, 'Good Time' tries to evoke a different era with its music. Lopatin's score feels like it's straight out of an 80's film. You wouldn't think it would work, but there's something some hauntishly thrilling about it, with an undertone of humanity that made it really effective. No wonder it won an award back at Cannes.Energetic, relentless, filled with great performances, and a brutally dark story. makes 'Good Time' one of the more interestingly unique films of 2017, and certainly one of the best directed. Evoking Scorsese's 70's films is a good start, but the film definitely makes its own imprint along the way.8.2/10

I feel like I can make a fair assessment of the movie I'm about to watch simply by the quality and inventiveness of its title card and/or opening credits. Sometimes these factors indicate nothing, but other times they can indicate something wholly crappy or what will be nothing if not an inspired trip to the cinema. There is just something about the way this opportunity can be executed that seems to somehow connect with how far the directors were willing to go to make every ounce of their film thrive. This is all to say that Good Time has a pretty fantastic one and from the moment the title card breaks up the opening sequence to the tune of Oneohtrix Point Never's blazing score culminating in a moment of pure cacophony that continues through to a bewildered Robert Pattinson in extreme close-up's that make the tone all the more manic, we're so taken off guard that we're now seemingly prepared for anything. It should also be noted that directors the Safdie brothers (Heaven Knows What) open their film with a shot akin to that of the opening shot of The Dark Knight suggesting a scale of epic proportions even if they might not have the budget to back it up, but still-they have the ambition. Not coincidentally, the post-title card sequence shows Pattinson's Connie Nikas taking his mentally handicapped brother, Nick (Benny Safdie), and using him to help him rob a bank. The actual robbery is played not for action, but is actually rather subdued to the point it would seem Connie and Nick might actually pull their small-scale heist off, but if that were the case we'd have no movie and so when the cops finally do come to pursue the brothers and capture Nick with Connie barely evading them we are twenty-plus minutes into the flick when the credits begin appearing on the screen; Oneohtrix's score again throbbing like the pulse of the movie it is. Pattinson's face once again carries an expression of confusion as he makes his way through back alleys and hallways to try and evade the police for as long as necessary. This breaking up and timing of the title card and opening credits is a stylistic choice that is implemented in the fashion that it is in order to both guide the audience through and let them in on the fact that Good Time is going to be one hell of an unpredictable ride. The Safdie brothers delivering an epilogue of sorts that encapsulates everything the rest of the movie will attempt to demonstrate through its actions. In essence, the Safdie's set the stage in such a manner that while it seems the narrative is largely improvised from moment to moment that in reality, Good Time knows exactly what it wants to be and succeeds at being just that.read the whole review at www.reviewsfromabed.com

OF VICE AND MEN - My Review of GOOD TIME (4 Stars)Oh good God is this a good movie! I'm not familiar with the previous work of Benny and Joshua Safdie, aka the Safdie brothers or writer Ronald Bronstein (DADDY LONGLEGS, HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT), but if this blazingly intense, deeply felt crime thriller is any indication, I need to spend some time catching up with them. Clearly with this new film, they've studied the work of Sydney Lumet and Michael Mann, but they put enough of their own original, grimy spin on it to herald a potent new voice in cinema. Coming across with the immediacy of DOG DAY AFTERNOON coupled with the Tangerine Dream-y vibe of Michael Mann's THIEF, GOOD TIME stars Robert Pattinson as Connie Nikas, a small time crook who, along with his mentally challenged brother Nick (Benny Safdie - a stellar actor as well as director), embark on a harrowing escapade. Think Lenny and George from OF MICE AND MEN if they were stuck in the hellfire of New York City. When we first meet Nick, he's meeting with a mental health professional, who makes him terribly uncomfortable when asked a series of questions. Safdie's performance in this scene immediately draws us in to his vulnerability. As a standalone scene, it's a master class in empathetic screen acting. When Connie pulls him from this session, we see the brotherly love and can truly feel what's at stake for them. [MILD PLOT SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH]The fact that they immediately rob a bank shifts the viewer to recognize the right sentiment/wrong path of their actions. When Nick is caught and arrested, beat up in jail, and subsequently hospitalized, Connie spends the rest of the film trying to rescue his brother. It's this long, mostly real-time night which makes up the bulk of the story. [END SPOILERS]Connie is a classic, desperate hustler who improvises as he goes. Seemingly homeless and with few friends or resources, his sheer force of will and ability to suss up a situation allow him to survive moment to moment. We experience every decision, good or bad, every physical exertion, and all of the painstaking consequences. The role would have gone to Al Pacino were the film made in the 70s, and Pattinson, who has made some incredible choices post-TWILIGHT, doesn't waste the opportunity. He's alive, intense, and drives this steam engine with so much ferocity and passion. Despite his character's terrible choices, you'll find yourself rooting for him. Along the way, our main cast encounters a vivid group of characters along the way. Jennifer Jason Leigh does unhinged better than anybody, and here she shines, especially in a tense scene in which she fights with her mother over the phone while Connie negotiates with a bail bondsman. Their why-does-everything-go-wrong-in-my-life-but-I'm-trying-so-hard-to-keep-it-together reactions make this scene sing. Taliah Webster plays a latchkey kid living with her grandmother, and her no-nonsense attitude plays off beautifully against Pattinson. She's sucked into his vortex and doesn't care about the consequences because what he's offering is better than anything else going on at the moment. Buddy Duress (great and appropriate last name!) brings a fiery energy to his drunken, ex-con maniac. His sudden backstory, which just bursts out of nowhere, is one of the highlights of the film. It's great to see Academy-nominated Barkhad Abdi (CAPTAIN PHILLIPS) back in action and showing great range with his role here as a Security Officer who's in the wrong place at the wrong time. I love the look of this film, scuzzy neorealism but with such a thrusting, visual kick provided by cinematographer Sean Price Williams. Late in the movie, we're treated to a chase sequence seen solely from a high distance, and it's more heartstopping than if the camera were down on the ground. The 80's synth score, while propulsive, and yes, VERY reminiscent of Tangerine Dream, feels too intrusive at times. It's also a bit out of sync with the subject since the film has a more 70s set of references. Think of how Elton John's "Amoreena" was used in DOG DAY AFTERNOON for a more perfect example of a music and subject marriage. Regardless, I enjoyed how the score moved the story forward just as much as the script, performances, and photography did. Speaking of 70s references, the title card uses such an old school, ABC MOVIE OF THE WEEK font, complete with copyright date below. The final scene, an understated coda, plays over the entire end credits sequence. It perplexed me at first, but it's a fantastic ending in retrospect. I can't say enough good things about this little gem. Just go see it and enjoy every single knot in your stomach!