Good Time

Josh Safdie directed this with his brother Benny, who also plays Nick. They considered casting an actor with a developmental disability and decided against it: their method, tight blocking and constant physical steering, would have meant pushing that performer around, a line they would not cross. Much of the rest of the cast came off the street through casting director Eleonore Hendricks. The bail bondsman is a real bail bonds proprietor from Kew Gardens, Queens, and the therapist in the opening scene is Peter Verby, a criminal defence lawyer. Sean Price Williams shot on two perf 35mm, Kodak Vision3 500T for the night work and 250D for the robbery and prison scenes. The colour was not added later: ARRI SkyPanels threw purple, blue, red and green across the sets, burning the look into the negative. It played in competition at Cannes in 2017, where the Palme d’Or went to The Square, and Oneohtrix Point Never took that year’s Cannes Soundtrack Award. At the Independent Spirit Awards it was nominated for director, male lead, editing and supporting female, and won none. A good fit if you want Connie’s night bracketed at both ends by his brother in a therapy room. Not for anyone waiting for Connie to stop and weigh what he has done, because no such scene arrives.