The GoodTimesKid

I watched the trailer. Absolutely horrible. Simply put, the trailer was everything a trailer wasn't supposed to be... Somehow, I still watched it. I know now, I'm done with experimental theatre and independent movies. It's code for "horrible waste of your time". Usually it's subpar acting, mindless direction, ugh!! For decades over try to indulge friends and family but giving them all a chance. In 20 years I've yet to see anything worth while.

For the most part it's always a grandiose idea that always fall short. Sometimes it's a terrible idea that's executed even more poorly than it what was conceived.

In the spirit of the indie heyday, when names like Alex Cox, Stephen Frears, Wim Wenders and Jim Jarmusch were the currency of cinema's promise, comes Azazel Jacobs, hopefully the new bearer of the long-smoldering punk cinema torch. The GoodTimesKid is a wonderfully observant and comical character study made with nothing but pocket change and a love of movies. In fact, this is obviously not just a labor of love but of friendship: Jacobs stars in the film with his co-writer and former classmate, Gerardo Naranjo, as well as his producer and real-life girlfriend Sara Diaz.

I'll refrain from saying too much about the movie's plot, not because there really is much of a plot but what small revelations the script does have in store would be that much nicer to discover in the theater. (Let's hope it makes to theaters!) Suffice to say that Naranjo's character receives a summons indicating that he had enlisted in the Army (truth is, he hadn't) and that the time to report for duty has come. He goes down to the enlistment office to explain the mistake and he winds up following another recruit home. That would be Jacob's character, an angry and disheveled journalist, who seems to be joining the Army only because he's given up on every other aspect of his life, especially his girlfriend, played by Diaz.

Naranjo, in a near-silent performance that, I swear to God, is downright Chaplin-esquire, makes friends with Diaz, the irony being that he knows that her boyfriend is busing off to join the military in the morning, and she doesn't. Jacobs isn't the strongest actor in the world but he certainly looks the part and exonerates himself well. Diaz is nothing but a delight, a young Shelly Duvall in Converse hi-tops, and she owns outright the movie's funniest scene, in which she dances a jig in an effort to pull Naranjo out of his chronic stupor.

There are all kinds of things that real people in real life might say to each other, and ways that they would behave, which the characters in The GoodTimesKid never do, but this is one of those movies which doesn't need literalism to feel authentic. Much like in Godard's romantic comedies (Masculin, Féminin comes to mind) the feelings are real and the inspired silliness only elevates it further.

A very challenging and interesting film The Good Times Kid is short on plot and narrative and instead it portrays mood and atmosphere to the viewer. When we follow these characters throughout the day we get the sense of their aimlessness adrift in this world. No one directly says it or there is no voice over to state this, the film lets the mise-en-scene say all of this to us. A lengthy scene of two characters sitting on bus looking lost and sad with accompanying music speaks more and louder to the viewer than a few minutes of dialog or plot points. One of the most impressive aspects of the film was its use of focus. Quite often objects will go in and out of focus as well as the actors themselves. We get the see the world around the characters as it loses its meaning and clarity. There are some moments that are quite truthful and pure. Sara Diaz dancing in the kitchen, Sara and Gerardo Naranjo sitting in a dark boat with flashlights making faces to each other while his lover tries to kick down the door or that wonderful long take to end the film with one character sleeping and the other sitting looking into the world like a dear in headlights.

Dialog is sparse and far between but when there is dialog it is very realistic and quite introspective to add an extra layer to the film. While it is very bleak it never loses a sense of humor. Characters actions or expressions are often a source of comedy as well as some scenes like where Azazel Jacobs puts on boxing gloves and a cape and jumps into a large group of bikers starting a fight. While The Good Times Kid is very raw it is part of its charm. The acting is not the strongest aspect of the film it fits in quite well with the overall feel and never takes away or becomes distracting. Sara Diaz is the best aspect of the acting who is photogenic and has lots of personality though delivery of her lines could use some work. With the use of the music, playfulness of the subject matter and importance of the editing and camera I can't help but feel a connection to the early films of Jean-Luc Godard expect with less dialog. I am quite dismayed and saddened by some of the negative reviews it has received here so far. Frankly if you find yourself stumbling on this film you should be equipped with enough cinematic knowledge to enjoy this film. Nowadays when people in indie film try to make an overly quirky dramedy or the next installment of a "mumblecore" film it is nice to see Azazel Jacobs stand out and show great originality and craftsmanship without relying too much on dialog or plot.