On Monday we all nominate a movie and pitch it. The following day we vote and consume. The next day or two we will dissect the film is sometimes in light and other times more in-depth ways.
The winner of this week was Good Time (2017) Directed and written by The Safdie Bros. The dudes that brought you Uncut Gems first decided to show people a good time with this film. The movie was written and designed for Robert P to play the hypnotic role of Connie. A story about two brothers failed attempt at a bank robbery. Connie's brother Nickie is a person with mental disabilities being caught. We then follow Connie down the road of freeing his brother while also attempting to avoid being arrested. The film is unlike anything I have seen before, taking post modern take on the film, throwing away the treasured elements of a story arc, instead of taking you higher and higher with action while drowning in anxiety. A lot of good remarks were said about the movie. Let's check them out below
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In 5 words or less, how did the movie make you feel?
Brewer: Anxiety but don’t stop pls.
Chase: On Edge
Creg: Concerned and pessimistic
Diesel: Non-Stop Anxiety
Meg: Anxious
Smoky: Anxious, stressed, excited, fearful, edgy
Tommy: Sweaty, anxious, enthralled, excited, entertained
In 15 words or less sell the movie
Brewer: Observe a self-described weirdo dig himself into a massive hole & dye hair blonde
Chase: High tension thriller, not a dull moment
Creg: Good time
Diesel: You’ll wonder not only where it’s going but how it got there.
Meg: Fast-paced, thriller designed to keep you on the edge of your seat
Smoky: Bank robbery gone bad, quick thinking and fast talking. Rescue mission: save brother at all costs
Tommy: This movie takes off like a rocket and doesn’t slow down until the final minutes
For those who have seen both: Good Time vs Uncut Gems
Chase: Uncut Gems
Diesel: Uncut Gems had a more organized plotline, Robert Pattinson played this role in such a great way that kept you on your toes.
Smoky: Uncut Gems
Tommy: Very similar vibes, keeps you on the edge of your seat, anxiety-inducing. The characters continue to make the “wrong” choices but things keep working out for them until they don’t.
Insert a song that helps convey the film’s mood or story
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Brewer: Black Angel Death Song - Velvet Underground
Creg: Could not pick one
I’ll Be Your Mirror - Velvet Underground (Story)
It’s alright ma - Bob Dylan
Diesel: Sabotage Beastie Boys
Meg: Face Down by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Smoky: Get Out- Death Grips
Tommy: Yakety Sax
Choose two lines from the movie that stands out.
Brewer:
“Don’t be confused, it’s just gonna make it worse for me”
Chase:
"Don't be confused, it's just gonna make it worse for me."
Connie says something to the effect of “I think you are connected to my purpose” to crystal
Creg:
“Don’t be confused it will make it worse for me.
“Look at you, you’re a joke. You’re drunk as shit and now you want to get real with me?”
What’s to know? You serve absolutely no function whatsoever. It’s pathetic. The only reason you’re free to sit here and get wasted is that you’re not responsible for anything”
Diesel:
"Don’t be confused, it’s going to make it worse for me. "
"I think something important is happening and it’s deeply connected to my purpose."
Meg:
"Don’t be confused, it’s just going to make it worse for me"
"I gotta get him out of there before something bad happens"
Smoky:
"Don’t be confused. That’s just gonna make things worse for me"
"I’m gonna make some food for my brother, you want anything?"
Tommy:
“You gotta change this, I don’t want to see them justify this shit”
“Don’t be confused, it’s just gonna make it worse for me”
Favorite Scene?
Brewer: Ray & Connie talking in the stolen apartment about whos the real dumbass
Creg: Connie and Ray verbal showdown. I think it breaks down Connie in such a clear way. Connie feels trapped in a system that is broken and he is disgusted by the vile that leeches off it.. You understand the weight of taking care of his brother. He isn’t free to do what he wants. He’s suffocating in an ecosystem that pushes people into these structures to wither and die. He is fucking smart and he is frustrated by those who are not as aware as him. He finally has the punching bag. Everyone he interacts with within this story is also trapped under the same cloud. He finally says fuck it.
Diesel: When he realizes he didn’t grab his brother.
Meg: Breaking “Nick” out of the hospital
Smoky: When Ray was telling his backstory.
Tommy: The hospital scene was towards the beginning of the movie so it helped me transition from thinking Connie knows what he was doing, then realizing that he was really playing everything by ear and would just do whatever it takes to get his brother out.
Ask an answerable question
Brewer: Why tf did grandma go to sleep after letting a stranger in the house with 16 year old?
Chase: How much is Acid worth?
Creg: Was nick better off without his brother?
Diesel: Did Connie deserve what he got?
Meg: Where do you first meet Connie in the movie?
Smoky: Is Connie actually a genius; will he find a way to escape?
Tommy: How much time is Connie looking at? Does Nick get off scot free? What’s gonna happen to the security guard’s brain after all that acid?
The biggest takeaway from the movie?
Brewer: It made me feel things and usually that's enough.
Chase: Know when to give up.
Creg:
“Gargles in the rat race choir
Bent out of shape from society’s pliers
Cares not to come up any higher
But rather get you down in the hole
That he’s in”
Diesel: Some people will do anything for family, which can ultimately be good or bad.
Meg: Not up to you to decide what is best for someone else.
Smoky: Be wary of fast talk.
Tommy: When you get deep enough in the hole, sometimes the only way out is through. Or die tryin.
Do you have empathy for Connie?
Brewer: Considering his actions, things didn’t end too badly for him.
Chase: I did not have empathy for Connie, he kept digging himself a bigger and bigger hole while putting his brother at risk.
Creg: More than I should. He made so many shitty choices in the course of this movie. Some are not justifiable. He does it all in his eyes to protect his brother. Very Of Mice and Men vibes here. This dude did not want his brother cast off. The first thing we see him say to nick in a real way in the mental hospital is “You are not like them” but he thinks the system wants Nick to be. I don’t know if he is right. But the love he had for his brother was moving - perhaps unhealthy.
Diesel: Absolutely not.
Meg: Yes and no. He left his brother behind when fleeing the police, which was selfish but he also showed loyalty trying to get him out of prison.
Smoky: Of course. He’s just trying his best to protect the ones he loves. I don’t think he realizes how much hurt he’s inflicting on others.
Tommy: It’s hard not to feel bad for the guy at first glance. He’s trying so hard to save his brother, his brother won’t be able to make it in prison, they’re all they have.
However, he went from confident, to cocky, to a narcissist, to straight up sociopath. He didn’t care how his actions affected anyone else. He didn’t think anything he did was wrong.
I’m not even sure he loved his brother. He wants his brother to be something that he’s not. Connie convinced Nick all they had to do was rob a bank and escape to Virginia and he brought what happened onto the two of them. Nick would’ve been healthy and safe if he got the help he needed.
Would you consider the movie to have a happy or sad ending? (For Nick)
Brewer: Better off there than controlled by psychopath brother.
Chase: I think it wasn't the happiest ending for Nick however much happier than what could have easily happened.
Creg: It is hard to say. Nick and Connie both ended up proving they exist in a caste system they tried to abandon. Nick is alone stripped from the person loves and loved the most.
I looked up the lyrics of the song playing in the final scene. Think it says a lot of the message they were trying to convey.
"Someday, I swear, we're gonna go to a place where we can do everything we want to
And we can pet the crocodiles"
Diesel: Sad with a twinge of happiness that he’s getting the help he needs.
Meg: Happy. He finally started to interact with people in a more positive way.
Smoky: A happy ending forsure.
Tommy: I took it as a happy ending. Nick has an opportunity to be happier and healthier. He’s not going to be manipulated anymore. He’ll miss his brother, but he’s back with his grandmother and won’t be dragged out of therapy.
MVP of the movie?
Brewer: Ray - added momentum, throwing another backstory into the movie half way was risky but it worked & made everything more interesting.
Chase: Robert Pattinson as Connie carried the movie.
Creg: Robert P . Safdie brothers have magic, but they needed the vessel for that magic to keep the audience enthralled.
Diesel: Connie’s GF
Meg: Nick
Smoky: The doctor. He had the best hair in the movie.
Tommy: Giving it to Ray. The dude just got out of prison, all he wanted was to party a little bit and bad shit just kept happening to him. Could’ve made better decisions towards the end, but can’t we all?
Also, read on Imdb, his story was based on real events that happened in the actor's life. He got out of prison, got fucked up, took a cab that said they were taking him to the police so he jumped out. Pretty sick.
Nitpicks of the movie
Brewer: A few plot decisions didn’t make sense to me. Connie getting caught by police without any context.
The grandmother going to bed & leaving the little girl unattended with Connie in the house, who she was immediately skeptical of, didn’t make sense.
Not sure it would be the most interesting re-watch due to plot-heavy nature. Most of the hook is seeing where it goes, once you know where
Chase: Why did Connie even need his brother for the robbery, seems like just a liability. Why would he bring him along?
Creg: I want more. I want more of their dynamic. I don’t know if learning more shifts the ambiance though. IDK. I would have loved more scenes with the brothers to get more context, but the movie proves you do not need it. I just think the Sadfie bro that played Nick was phenomenal and I wanted him to have more screen time, but I also understand not seeing him anymore made the viewer feel more alienated and feel what Connie is feeling because it is the first in his life they probably are not in constant communication, which is terrifying for both of them. Damn, I am answering my own nitpicks. Carry on faithful readers.
Diesel: Wish they would have shown more of Nick.
Meg: Connie and the 16 year old making out was unnecessary
Smoky: Can’t nitpick art, man.
Tommy: How exactly did the cops know Connie was in that apartment building?
Give it any type of rating you desire since it’s arbitrary, to begin with.
Brewer: 6 leftover milk duds
Chase: 7 out of 10
Creg: 9 Good Times. 3 Bad Times
Diesel: 4.5 bottles of acid
Meg: 4/10
Smoky: 2 bags of money. One dirty, one clean.
Tommy: If chocolate milk is 100, and dirt is zero, this movie is a crisp Sprite.
- Moving Pictures Committee
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