Robert Pattinson Giving the Performance of his Career in GOOD TIME

 

It features a strong performance from the criminally underrated Robert Pattinson, Collider

[Pattinson] once again demonstrating his capacity and range in a commanding, robust performance, The Hollywood News

Not sure if you’re following my retweets of the initial reaction to the film at Cannes this morning, but to say they are overwhelmingly good is an understatement.  Here’s the first print reactions, I will update regularly so stay tuned.  UPDATE: Here’s the link for LETTERBOXD (currently has positive reviews as at 26 June 2017  – may include spoilers – this will update automatically as users add their reviews)

THE SWEET

The Hollywood Reporter (#Cannes70)

Led by Robert Pattinson giving arguably his most commanding performance to date as a desperate bank robber cut from the same cloth as Al Pacino’s Sonny Wortzik in Dog Day Afternoon, this is a richly textured genre piece that packs a visceral charge in its restless widescreen visuals and adrenalizing music, which recalls the great mood-shaping movie scores of Tangerine Dream.

Variety (#Cannes70)

Robert Pattinson hits a career high in Benny and Josh Safdie’s nervy, vivid heist thriller, which merges messy humanity with tight genre mechanics. … A career-peak performance from Robert Pattinson, as a scuzzy Queens bank robber on a grimly spiraling mission to break his mentally handicapped brother out of jail, will attract more eyeballs to this A24 release than the rest of the Safdies’ oeuvre combined, though this “Good Time” is still no commercial picnic. Rather, it’s exciting proof of its makers’ ability to chafe and challenge audiences in a growing range of registers.

Indiewire (#Cannes70)

The actor is astonishing in the Safdies’ rambunctious heist thriller, which takes place in a single frantic New York night. … This time, Pattinson provides the propulsive energy that makes the whole apparatus churn. Pushing beyond the muted roles for which he’s best known, the actor transforms into a vain, reckless character driven against impossible odds.

‘Lost City of Z’ review featured in March issue of Studio CineLive (France) magazine.

Thanks Posh

Pattinson delivers an impressively subtle, yet brilliant performance, Hey U Guys UK

Robert Pattinson, meanwhile, continues on his quiet quest to prove that he’s an excellent character actor, We Got This Covered

[A] very special shout-out to Robert Pattinson, who went and became a fantastic character actor while nobody was looking, The Film Experience

Might as well start this off because there are definitely more to come with the world premiere at the New York Film Festival.  The review extracts will focus on Robert’s performance, but if he isn’t mentioned, then I will post extracts on the movie as a whole. Please note that some reviews may contain spoilers, but I will give a heads up when that happens.  This post will be updated as the movie is released around the world.

THE SWEET

New York Times (NYFF 2016)

Stunningly shot on 35-millimeter film … Mr. Gray both wrote and directed “The Lost City of Z,” and he has managed to pull off something exceedingly tricky here: a film that has the old-fashioned cinematic sweep (and sense of New World awe and discovery) of a picture like David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia” but without all the familiar colonialist stereotypes. Fawcett isn’t any great white savior; sometimes he barely seems to know what he’s doing or why. Nonetheless, he stumbles and paddles forward, even as he’s pulled back home by his family, notably his wife, Nina (Sienna Miller), a thoughtfully realized character who insists, if vainly, on her rightful place as his equal.

Lincoln Centre blurb (NYFF 2016)

The Lost City of Z represents a form of epic storytelling that has all but vanished from the landscape of modern cinema, and a rare level of artistry.

Indiewire (David Ehrlich) (NYFF 2016)

If not for the ineffably modern hollowness of Charlie Hunnam’s speaking voice, or the distinct rind of 21st century celebrity that still clings to co-star Robert Pattinson like the dying traces of yesterday’s cologne, someone could easily be fooled into thinking that The Lost City of Z was shot 40 years ago,” writes . “Uncommonly sumptuous, patient and textured for a movie with such little emotional heat or staying power, The Lost City of Z doesn’t feel like a work of mimicry or homage so much as it does an immaculately crafted throwback—this isn’t just what movies used to look like, it’s also how they used to crackle, move and hum…. The film is further removed from Gray’s own experience than anything that he’s made before, and yet something about it feels indivisibly personal.” (Grade B)

Indiewire’s Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson talk films and festivals and what it means for those films with regard to awards and commercial prospects. They discuss The Lost City of Z at The New York Film Festival at 17.29.  They debate the kind of a director they consider James Gray to be, how they don’t really know what to expect from the film, but more importantly they confirm that the film does not have a US distributor.  Although they do mention the fact that Plan B is involved is a good sign because of the quality of films that these producers are involved with. Miles Ahead was the last film to be shown at the New York Film Festival without a distributor and they immediately found one, but the film was released the following year.  According to Anne,  it will be interesting to see whether LCoZ is released in the Fall or is pushed back to Spring. Interesting listen in any event.

 

Here’s a roundup of reviews from around the world for the release of “Queen of the Desert” in addition to the initial roundup we put together for Berlinale.  The focus is on comments on Rob’s performance, but if his performance is overlooked, then we will post what is considered about the film as a whole.  This post will be updated as the film is slowly released around the world.

    

THE SWEET

Erin Lloyd Jones

“… Robert Pattinson playing Lawrence of Arabia, the man himself.  I was really quite pleased, however, that although Lawrence’s character was definitely one to remember and had a big impact, it wasn’t a leading role, leaving the limelight for the extraordinary explorations of Gertrude Bell to achieve the exposure they deserve.”

Jo Blo (US)

” Her co-stars are fine. Both Lewis and Pattinson are good enough, and Franco has a sort of quirky chemistry with his leading lady.”

Controlled Obsession (US)

“As for the rest of the cast, it’s mostly good. The other main stars in the movie, Damian Lewis and Robert Pattinson, do an admiral job with what they’re given. With Pattinson being one of the only male leads in the film that isn’t romantically involved with Bell, his relationship with her actually ends up being one of the more fascinating and engaging portions of the movie, the same which can’t be said for the aforementioned Franco and Lewis.”

 

With the movie being released at several film festivals, I thought I would roundup the reviews so far.  The review extracts will focus on Rob’s performance, but if he isn’t mentioned, then I will post extracts on the movie as a whole. You can check out the initial reviews we posted from Venice here, I won’t repeat them in this post, but I will add any from Venice that I didn’t include. Please note that some reviews may contain spoilers.  This post will be updated as the movie is released around the world.

THE COOL

Cinedivergente (Spain) *SEFF15

“…  on the one hand, it gives the genre a dignity and firmness that few dare to give (Rob Zombie and maybe a little more) and another ripping hard historical film conventions and reconstructions of past key fiction. And today we need someone from time to time we may sift and stands up a bit. To me he has moved me the whole tree.”

Accreds (France)

“Two things are very clear by cons: Bérénice Bejo must stop playing English maternal roles as the Phantom of The Search will not be exorcised, and Robert Pattinson must work in France; there is even better than elsewhere.”

Cine Europa (EU) *Venice

“… a German played by Robert Pattinson with the questionable brilliance he’s known for (to pass his accent off as European …”