A Good Person

"A Good Person", at the surface, is a nothing film. An indie drama with little-to-no buzz, all-too familiar subject matter, and no action or CGI.

I remember when I saw David Schwimmer's film, "Trust". I didn't know much about the subject of internet/sexual predators(especially the depth of its' impact on families), but it became very obvious to me that the filmmaker DID! It wasn't until after I finished the film, that I found-out that Schwimmer had a lot of experience/knowledge of the subject matter, and that is what elevated the drama/realism to a level you don't often see in film. This film does the same thing.

The first hour of "A Good Person" is about the best hour of any drama that I have ever seen. That's a bold statement from a guy that's seen about 4500 films, but I'm sticking to-it. I have been affected by both addiction and major car accidents, so in this case, I know the subject matter quite well. Perhaps that skews my opinions about the film, but it also qualifies me in some way to critic the writing, acting, and subject matter(realism); under a more powerful(and watchful) lense.

Zach Braff's writing and Florence Pugh and Morgan Freemans' acting make this, undoubtedly, one of the years best.

An hour-in, I had to stop the film after a couple different scenes, at that point, I was befuddled and truly shell-shocked by the effectiveness and realism of the first 2 acts. Scene after scene it was just so well done. I went from going-into the film quite blind, to realizing I was watching something VERY special. I felt like Indiana Jones in THe Last Crusade, "You have chosen, wisely". I also realized, that if the last act was as good as the first 2, that I would undoubtedly be rating the film as the 48th 10/10 that I have awarded. At the halfway point, definitely a 10 out of 10! Each scene in the films' first hour is realistic, completely engrossing and impeccably written.

I knew Braff had an impossible task. To finish the film on as high of a note as the films' first hour, would be difficult for any director. Its not that the final act is that bad, it's that the first two are just simply that good.. The only problem is that the film gets so many subplots involved, that it stood no chance of timely and adequately resolving each of them. Therefore the final act is slightly convoluted, rushed, and overdone. IF the final act were as strong as the films' first hour, literally removing one-less than perfect 5-min scene, I would have nudged-it onto the exceptional shelf with my favorite dramas of the last 2 decades; films like Whiplash, There Will Be Blood, The Descendants, and Short Term 12. As it sits(or finished), it will rank at or near the final film, "Short Term 12", in overall quality(9/10), and most akin to that comparison in genre and scope. Zero doubt that this film will hold a top-5 spot for 2023, and it currently sits at #1.

This is one of the best films I've ever seen in terms of tackling multiple dramatic subplots like addiction, grief, rehabilitation, friendship/support and hope; and by simply doing-it so well. It literally has the potential to save real peoples lives, and i don't think too many films can say that. It understands the subject matter. It realistically portrays serious family dynamics(maybe minus one scene), but is mostly, uncomfortably, realistic and dynamic.... Zach Braff moved way up the drama-director to watch list, if there is one. The writing of the entire film, the extremely well-fashioned scenes of the films' first hour(in particular), and those incredible performances, are what truly sets this film apart. It's a little more restraint in one particular scene away from 10/10 for this reviewer.

To start, I LOVE Florence Pugh. She had me at Midsommer and I've been a huge fan since. She definitely was the amazing talent in this movie. I chose my title because, as many of you probably do, you scroll through the other posts and then come up with your own take and THIS MOVIE - is one that is much better if your life has been somewhere close to where Allie's (Pugh) life took her. This is a story of grief, guilt, love, hate - it really runs the gamut. Admittedly, the story doesn't bring anything new to the table but I don't think it has to. I believe that when you can see yourself through Allie's story - it's pretty gripping. How did Allison Janney say it in 'The Help' - 'love and hate are two ends of the same horse'? I guess you're going to love this movie or hate it. As a woman of 50+ years that has had my own rocky road, I'm blown away at how well FP acts out the character of Allie. She's so young and it usually takes real life trauma to unearth those acting chops.

I vote you watch this. Zach Braff (director) punched out a great story.

This movie is about a girl who gets in a car accident and kills two people and she survives. She is in so much pain afterwards that she gets addicted to painkillers. There were so many moments in this movie that got me emotional and I even cried at a lot of moments because even though I am no drug addict, I related to the main character so much because even though she caused the car accident, she blamed herself nonstop for it and never got over it. And I've been the same way too with stuff that happened in my life; only difference is 90 percent of the time it isn't my fault. It's like a part of me sympathizes the main character but doesn't at the same time. And I won't give away spoilers so you gotta watch it yourself to realize why I say that. Overall, this was a great movie and it can leave you with a lot of emotions. I give it an 8 out of 10. And tbh this was the first time in my life I ever cried AFTER a movie ended.

For some inexplicable reason Morgan Freeman cannot hold a film by himself. But when coupled with a similarly talented co-star he shines brightly, and he does here when paired with the exceptional Florence Pugh.

A simple tale of loss and grief, redemption and forgiveness, but a story of a long and difficult journey to achieve all of those things.

Freeman and Pugh both give vulnerable, honest performances designed to show true grief and shame and anger, rather than poorly portrayed emotions.

It's an old story really of overcoming grief and shame and addiction and coming to terms with life, but it's done so powerfully here without us having to fill in any blanks or be unsure of the real affect on the people involved.

A major plot point offers an interesting and surprising glitch when Daniel berates Allison her for being on her phone when she crashed, yet he's just driven to meet her while very drunk. His anger at her is very ironic.

Nevertheless, fine performances from everyone, great, thoughtful dialogue and beautifully directed. Don't miss this one.

'A Good Person' tackles challenging themes of grief, addiction, and family struggles as Allison's entire life is uprooted from a tragic accident.

The highlight of the film is definitely the acting from the two lead characters. Pugh delivers a standout performance and manages to perfectly express the pent-up emotional state of Allison as she tries to rebuild her life. Freeman also does a great job at depicting a torn character who is wrestling with an internal struggle of blame. The camera work and soundtrack enhance the performances, so together, they elevate the films emotional impact, and it hits hard.

It's a shame to see critic reviews bash on the film. I agree it wasn't a perfect film. Yes, it runs a tad long. Yes, the story isn't anything new. And yes, there are a few plot points that feel out of place and a bit preachy.

But ultimately, for me, these issues were overshadowed by the raw emotion the movie evokes. It expertly weaves together complex characters that don't fall into simple "good" and "bad" buckets. The story is simple but relatable. Almost anyone, from all walks of life, can find a moment that they've been in or struggled with. And even through all that, the script manages to stay poignant, yet weave in moments of charm and comedy.