 |
| Scene from Good Time |
In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for ears to come.
Released: August 25, 2017
Release Number: 54
Directed By: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Plot: After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through the city's underworld in an increasingly desperate-and dangerous-attempt to get his brother Nick out of jail.
Whether intentional or not, there was a certain shift between A24's early 2017 releases and what would come after August. It was another period of releasing their unexpected awards season hits, and few were as surprising as The Safdie Brothers' Good Time, starring Twilight star Robert Pattinson. Despite his reputation, the film would become a turning point for his career with a role that he emerged himself in and would earn some of his highest praise as an actor. The film ranks among Pattinson's best work to date as well as one of the studio's most intense releases to date. It was a film that challenged conventions and in the process recalled the studio dramas of the 1970's that made everything look cheap and effortless, as if they didn't have permits for anything. It was the A24 way, and helped to make The Safdie Brothers into more of an indie household name.
The story's beginning is a bit difficult to properly place. Benny and Josh Safdie created the character of Nick on a previous film. However, the idea of the film came in part from Pattinson contacting them not from seeing any of their movies, but instead a poster for their previous film Heaven Knows What. He loved it so much that he contacted them and wanted to work on their next film. It also was inspired by Buddy Duress' prison stint. The Safdie Brothers would visit him in prison and became interested in the idea of what went through criminals' heads. There wasn't necessarily a need to understand what was going on with him, but more how Connie chose to operate sporadically within the moment, believing that what he did was right. The Safdie Brothers would also write extensive back stories for the characters with help from Pattinson, who would work on the script in between shooting The Lost City of Z. He was passionate about the film to a ridiculous degree.
To prepare for the film, Pattinson would work with Benny Safdie, who would play Nick to his Connie. They would walk around New York and act like their characters. Among the more noteworthy stories was working at a car wash where Pattinson would get highly critical of Safdie for not being able to perform simple duties correctly. Pattinson would also walk around in prostate noses to find out which ones looked convincing (this is also how the make-up for his face was formed). Pattinson would also talk to various criminals who had just gotten out of jail, even sometimes recording them reading the script so that he could get the accent down. Whenever someone would come close to recognizing him in public, he would just play in character and say "I get that a lot." Pattinson was crucial to helping to shape the character and creating the overall arc of the story. Even the fact that he had to bleach his hair constantly for the film meant that his hair eventually began falling out in clumps towards the end of shooting. He also lived in character by only eating tuna an not taking out the trash, making his apartment smell like rotting fish.
Most of the film was shot with the concept of making the film feel like it was shot on the fly. A lot of the actors weren't professional, and key scenes were shot in a guerrilla style. In one scene, Pattinson is seen running through a mall while chased by a police officer. They had the permits to close down the mall, but chose to just shoot with hidden cameras. Anyone who questioned staff were told to answer that it was a public service video. Few people recognized Pattinson and it is said that no bystanders recorded the events on a cellphone. Because of the many night scenes, the 15-17 hour days started filming in the afternoons, leaving most of the cast and crew to sleep most of the morning. Scenes shot in a hospital were done in actual Emergency Rooms as well, meaning many of the extras were actual patients at the hospital. The same could be said of the bail bondsman, who was initially called upon to just use his location, but came to be in the film after he was seen as a convincing fit. The music was done by Oneohtrix Point Never, who wanted to make the music sound like a destabilized hydraulic lift, which would make a subliminally unnerving vibe.
In October of 2016, A24 acquired the rights to Good Time. It would go on to play at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival where it was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or. The film would win the Cannes Soundtrack Award for Oneohtrix Point Never, which was the first of many for the score. Its acclaim helped to raise interest in the film and get attention for Pattinson's potential Oscar chances, especially since it was against-type. The film would go on to earn $4.1 million at the box office after it opened.By the end of the year, it received several awards nominations, most notably for Pattinson. Among the most noteworthy of these is the Independent Spirit Award, where the film earned five nominations, including Best Director for The Safdie Brothers.
The film was a critical success earning a fairly high 91% on critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. It was praised for its visual style as well as the performances presented in a gritty, realistic atmosphere. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe reflected the film's uncomfortable antihero with the belief that "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?"Others like Bill Goodykoontz of Arizona Republic chimed their enthusiasm for the performances, noting that "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." Rex Reed of Observer was one of the few to opposing, suggesting "The acting by a mostly amateur cast is over the top, the writing is genuinely ludicrous, and the characters so contrived that the movie defies even the most basic logic." With that said, it was one of the highest praised A24 films of 2018 so far.
With an indie aesthetic at heart, Good Time ended up becoming another hit for A24 as a film that played fast and loose with an against-type performance from Pattinson. It's a film that has a loyal following and reflects the studio at its best. Considering everything, the future of The Safdie Brothers is promising, and who knows how soon until Pattinson breaks his good guy image entirely. Similarly is the next film from the studio, which finds another franchise actress doing an even stranger performance in a story that's rich with esoteric themes. Kirsten Dunst may have become known for her odd indie credits, but there's still little that will prepare audiences for the weird world of Woodshock, which also had the distinct honor of being directed by another pair of siblings, this time by The Mulleavy Sisters.
Up Next: Woodshock (2017)
Whether intentional or not, there was a certain shift between A24's early 2017 releases and what would come after August. It was another period of releasing their unexpected awards season hits, and few were as surprising as The Safdie Brothers' Good Time, starring Twilight star Robert Pattinson. Despite his reputation, the film would become a turning point for his career with a role that he emerged himself in and would earn some of his highest praise as an actor. The film ranks among Pattinson's best work to date as well as one of the studio's most intense releases to date. It was a film that challenged conventions and in the process recalled the studio dramas of the 1970's that made everything look cheap and effortless, as if they didn't have permits for anything. It was the A24 way, and helped to make The Safdie Brothers into more of an indie household name.
The story's beginning is a bit difficult to properly place. Benny and Josh Safdie created the character of Nick on a previous film. However, the idea of the film came in part from Pattinson contacting them not from seeing any of their movies, but instead a poster for their previous film Heaven Knows What. He loved it so much that he contacted them and wanted to work on their next film. It also was inspired by Buddy Duress' prison stint. The Safdie Brothers would visit him in prison and became interested in the idea of what went through criminals' heads. There wasn't necessarily a need to understand what was going on with him, but more how Connie chose to operate sporadically within the moment, believing that what he did was right. The Safdie Brothers would also write extensive back stories for the characters with help from Pattinson, who would work on the script in between shooting The Lost City of Z. He was passionate about the film to a ridiculous degree.
To prepare for the film, Pattinson would work with Benny Safdie, who would play Nick to his Connie. They would walk around New York and act like their characters. Among the more noteworthy stories was working at a car wash where Pattinson would get highly critical of Safdie for not being able to perform simple duties correctly. Pattinson would also walk around in prostate noses to find out which ones looked convincing (this is also how the make-up for his face was formed). Pattinson would also talk to various criminals who had just gotten out of jail, even sometimes recording them reading the script so that he could get the accent down. Whenever someone would come close to recognizing him in public, he would just play in character and say "I get that a lot." Pattinson was crucial to helping to shape the character and creating the overall arc of the story. Even the fact that he had to bleach his hair constantly for the film meant that his hair eventually began falling out in clumps towards the end of shooting. He also lived in character by only eating tuna an not taking out the trash, making his apartment smell like rotting fish.
Most of the film was shot with the concept of making the film feel like it was shot on the fly. A lot of the actors weren't professional, and key scenes were shot in a guerrilla style. In one scene, Pattinson is seen running through a mall while chased by a police officer. They had the permits to close down the mall, but chose to just shoot with hidden cameras. Anyone who questioned staff were told to answer that it was a public service video. Few people recognized Pattinson and it is said that no bystanders recorded the events on a cellphone. Because of the many night scenes, the 15-17 hour days started filming in the afternoons, leaving most of the cast and crew to sleep most of the morning. Scenes shot in a hospital were done in actual Emergency Rooms as well, meaning many of the extras were actual patients at the hospital. The same could be said of the bail bondsman, who was initially called upon to just use his location, but came to be in the film after he was seen as a convincing fit. The music was done by Oneohtrix Point Never, who wanted to make the music sound like a destabilized hydraulic lift, which would make a subliminally unnerving vibe.
In October of 2016, A24 acquired the rights to Good Time. It would go on to play at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival where it was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or. The film would win the Cannes Soundtrack Award for Oneohtrix Point Never, which was the first of many for the score. Its acclaim helped to raise interest in the film and get attention for Pattinson's potential Oscar chances, especially since it was against-type. The film would go on to earn $4.1 million at the box office after it opened.By the end of the year, it received several awards nominations, most notably for Pattinson. Among the most noteworthy of these is the Independent Spirit Award, where the film earned five nominations, including Best Director for The Safdie Brothers.
The film was a critical success earning a fairly high 91% on critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes. It was praised for its visual style as well as the performances presented in a gritty, realistic atmosphere. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe reflected the film's uncomfortable antihero with the belief that "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?"Others like Bill Goodykoontz of Arizona Republic chimed their enthusiasm for the performances, noting that "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." Rex Reed of Observer was one of the few to opposing, suggesting "The acting by a mostly amateur cast is over the top, the writing is genuinely ludicrous, and the characters so contrived that the movie defies even the most basic logic." With that said, it was one of the highest praised A24 films of 2018 so far.
With an indie aesthetic at heart, Good Time ended up becoming another hit for A24 as a film that played fast and loose with an against-type performance from Pattinson. It's a film that has a loyal following and reflects the studio at its best. Considering everything, the future of The Safdie Brothers is promising, and who knows how soon until Pattinson breaks his good guy image entirely. Similarly is the next film from the studio, which finds another franchise actress doing an even stranger performance in a story that's rich with esoteric themes. Kirsten Dunst may have become known for her odd indie credits, but there's still little that will prepare audiences for the weird world of Woodshock, which also had the distinct honor of being directed by another pair of siblings, this time by The Mulleavy Sisters.
Up Next: Woodshock (2017)
No comments:
Post a Comment