Robert Pattinson, the Safdie Brothers and Ronnie Bronstein discussed the “chaotic mood” of their new film “Good Time” when they stopped by the New York Film Society at Lincoln Center this week for a Q&A. This frenetic drama follows a young bank robber, played by Pattinson, who embarks on a desperate journey to free his brother from jail following a botched robbery. This energetic and high-paced film captures the essence of New York City and the intensity of the race-against-time Pattinson’s character Connie endures (read our review from Cannes).
Breaking out with the critically acclaimed “Heaven Knows What,” the Safdie Brothers are known for films that lie on the cusp of danger but also excite and thrill audiences. In this vein, the development of the backstory for “Good Time” took on a somewhat unorthodox and equally dangerous process. Both Ben and Robert started by sending emails to each other in character and through this process the script began to take shape. The Safdie brothers credit Pattinson’s openness with them as one of the driving forces of the film’s honesty and relatability for audiences.
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With that relatability though, there is also a sense of mystery. The directors give the audience room to determine things for themselves, something many of the audience members seemed to appreciate. In response to a question from an audience member on that topic, Ben Safdie noted: “The process of filling in the blanks is so exciting because if they lie, you see how they lie. If they tell the truth you see how they tell the truth and that on top of everything else makes the narrative more interesting because you’re learning about someone. And so, you grasp for the littlest glimmer that you get from them.”
This blistering tour-de-force drama is about a character who isn’t a hero, but a man on the “fringe of society.” As Pattinson puts it, “[Connie] functions as if the world is against him and every second of the day is a problem that needs to be dealt with,” he explained. “A never-ending series of problems.”
To hear more about Pattinson’s journey into the New York City underbelly and the science of capturing the soul on film, watch the full 45 minute Q&A.