The Good Night

source: The Good Night

It is probably wise to take it easy on first venture by writer/director personas who probably would not have had their initial film see the light of day (or dark of theater) were it not for the connections of a famous show biz family. But Jake Paltrow did indeed achieve this goal so with the idea in mind that this is an initial outing so its best to look for the reasons this little film works and the reasons it could be better. Gary Shaller (Martin Freeman) is an artist on the skids: he has a history of being a successful songwriter/musician but now is woefully stuck writing asinine jingles for second rate TV shows. His home life is no better as his wife Dora (Gweneth Paltrow) is a nagging discontent whiner. And he is now thirty-four years old with little hope for change. All of this is brought into clear focus by the quite opposite life of his best friend Paul (Simon Pegg) who seems to have it all right. Gary encounters dream whisperer Mel (Danny DeVito) who introduces him to Lucid Dreaming - and Gary somnolently discovers the beautiful, smart, sexy Anna (Penelope Cruz), the woman of his 'dreams' who crosses over being imagined and being real - and who adores Gary. And this discovery and the manner in which Gary deals with it forms the solution of the story. The idea of lucid dreaming has been used before (Inception, The Science of Sleep, Eternal Sunshine, etc), but the concept is strong enough that Jake Paltrow's offering of his version is not a problem. Many parts of the film are sweet, but in general it drags and refuses to flesh out the characters enough to make us really care. But as a story about choosing between dream life and real life, a bit of Shakespeare would help: 'We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep.' Grady Harp

I didn't know anything about "The Good Night" when I turned it on...and I'm still not sure that I know what it was supposed to be about. Martin Freeman (of "The Office") plays Gary, a former pop star now in a pseudo-relationship with Dora (Gwyneth Paltrow). It looks as if his life is truly going nowhere, when he starts having fantasies featuring a strange woman (Penelope Cruz) who appears in advertisements. I think that that was the plot. I assume that the movie must be a look at Gary's being nearly at the end of his emotional rope, but I found it a little too weird to really follow. A movie dealing with this topic that I recommend is John G. Avildsen's "Save the Tiger", starring Jack Lemmon. Maybe I would have liked this one better had they elaborated on how Gary's experiences change his life - if at all - in the long run. Not terrible, but not one that I would recommend above all others. Also starring Danny DeVito and Michael Gambon.

I'm a major Charlie Kaufman fan, enough so that I am willing to see other filmmakers lightly tread the territory he has mastered while waiting for his next masterpiece. Zach Helms' script for Stranger Than Fiction (8/10) is the rom-com answer to the theme of art and reality being interchangeable, as expressed also in Adaptation (9/10). Jake Paltrow's The Good Night is an indie-dramedy look at the subconscious vs. reality theme CK nails in Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine (both 10/10). This film tells the story of Gary (Martin Freeman), a 30 something ex-rocker scoring commercials in New York. His stagnant relationship with an art-dealer girlfriend (Gwynneth Paltrow) and his complicated, brotherly friendship with an egotistical ex-bandmate and boss (Simon Pegg) give him little fulfillment. So he turns to a lucid dreams with an exotic dream girl (Penelope Cruz). But when both the dreams and his real life seem to unravel, he struggles to fix both. The story is certainly not innovative, but it is well-developed, and the characters are interesting enough. The movie feels very authentic and sincere, which makes it worth sitting through. Jake Paltrow is not a particularly inventive director, but the camera-work is generally competent and the dream sequences are nicely photographed. The real highlights of the film are the subtle supporting performances by director's sister Gwen and the brilliant Simon Pegg. Freeman's role is pretty typical of his other work, but he carries the movie reasonably well. Devito and Cruz are both dull and distracting in their roles. It would have been better if their parts had been given to lesser-known actors who would have cared more about the production. A rental of this movie is certainly worth 90 minutes of your evening.

The idea is interesting enough. A musician in his thirties suffers from a major dip in his career and his relationship. But instead of addressing these problems, and have a serious talk with his girlfriend, the main character is more interested in explaining his childish dreams of a hot brunette. I didn't feel gripped for one minute by the story. And at the end, we are supposed to believe that Gary has surmounted his problems because the dreamgirl has said she for one believes in him. He composes a piano tune, gets one more chance from his girlfriend, and that's that. By the way, why has Paltrow used the documentary form? Was there anything to make a documentary about? The guy broke his leg, for heaven's sake. That's not to say there's nothing enjoyable about this film, but it's very little. It's okay if director's debut doesn't smash box office records or win three Palms in Venice. But Paltrow should dig deeper into his subject before making any other movie at all. No matter how good your cast is (and it's pretty decent), without good ideas, any film is bound to disappoint.

I'm really not sure where the references to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are coming from. This was an extremely well crafted and highly sophisticated film filled with realistic characters and an unusual message for this day and age. The plot structure and main character of the film appear to have been modeled after Brazil. If you like the films of directors like Mike Figgis (Leaving Las Vegas, One Night Stand) and Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Closer), then you should like this one. This was a good move for Simon Pegg. He's shown that he is capable of more than just being "that guy from Shawn of the Dead". I'd like to see him in more serious roles.

It's a real bummer when you see the potential in a cast but the script doesn't live up to their abilities. The directing is adept, the camera-work is nice but ultimately I don't get anything out of this film. You have a character who escapes from his naggy one dimensional girlfriend to a model in some billboard prancing around on a beach. If we are going to get into why dreams are cool please spare us the old cliché of some hot chick on a beach. Clichés or not the biggest crime of the film is that it has no point. I am not invested int he flimsy characters and I don't buy the story. It's a true feat when we spend half of a film inside a character's head and learn almost nothing about him. Paltrow needs a lesson from Fellini, Bunuel and some others who know how to make a dream interesting...

There's something about dreams that requires relaxation and patience. They have a certain fluidity about them that if they're hurried or rushed they just aren't as effective. As is fitting for a film about dreams, "The Good Night" works because of good acting and gentle pacing. The result is one of those good old fashioned dark comedies that walks the line between drama and dark humor. Martin Freeman is one of these actors that takes grips on the "average guy" role and has as much fun as he can with it. As Gary, the band member turned commercial music composer, he is effective in demonstrating his lack of joy in his current relationship with Dora (Gwyneth Paltrow) and sinking into obsessive dreams about the make believe Anna (Penelope Cruz). Freeman is always a good lead because no matter what he does, he's likable and we're always rooting him on, even as Dora calls him a jerk and she's probably right at one point. But a lot of the humor in the film comes from the supporting players. Simon Pegg is always a no brainer for comedy because of his spot on delivery. As Gary's friend and boss, Paul, he jumps into the role of the somewhat amoral friend with his own relationship problems. However, he does still listen to Gary and even takes joy in some of his obsessiveness. Then there's Danny Devito, playing the typical Danny Devito character as he hosts a dream support group but works odd jobs and hasn't had a relationship of his own for over 40 years. Despite all this, he still hears Gary out and Gary takes a lot of his advice. Devito has a lot of good one liners and a very funny introduction scene. As to the movie as a whole, it's good but not great. Definitely worth a look. Part of me saw this as a dark comedy going through the motions and becoming very predictable as we got closer to the end. The premise was very fresh though and director Jake Paltrow really seizes the opportunity of capturing the dreamlike quality of some of the scenes. The performances and well paced direction really glue the movie together though, and at 90 minutes, it's not a bad movie to give a watch.

I have heard great things about this film, and plan to see it at this year's Ninth Annual Williamstown Film Festival; I heard a rumour that it is to be screened there. Cheers. I must say something of the comments that have been made by those who were at Sundance, for example: not I single person to whom I spoke said a negative thing about this film, which makes me endeavour to see it all the more. I know some people who have met Jake Paltrow, and all have commented upon what a fine gentleman he is. This being his first feature-length film and all, I do wish him all the best as he embarks upon what I'm sure is bound to be quite an illustrious future in his own world of directing.

good story. how the dreams can conquer our 'real' life, but also how escaping in this dream world cannot actually solve your problems, because you have been given this life and must face your troubles and turn things go your way. dani de vito's character was an interesting example of how his dream world was more important to him than his awake being. martin freeman's character - gary - though, at one point has the chance to meet his dream girl in real life, and sadly this ends not very well. i was glad to see penelope cruz in a role(gary's real life acquaintance) that i think maybe reflects her off-stage personality - open and honest girl, friendly and looking for fun. her dream world appearance in the scene when gary presents his new song also was admirable. gwyneth paltrow made a good appearance as the cold (brunette, this time :) girlfriend, and i was surprised to see simon pegg in a 'serious' role overall - good movie, more European in feel, even though it is filmed in new york enjoy peace