Good Time Max

You gather the plot: Two brothers, one studious decent and hardworking, the smarter one being a rebel etc etc. From the various movies throughout the decades this Cain & Abel-ish by-play has been done over and over again. (James Dean, Brad Pitt are two actors that spring to mind). This movie has none of the complexity or character development of East of Eden or A River Runs Through It or Legends of the Fall and it is infinitely more forgettable.

I see the various points the movie is trying to make and yes, it does make you stop and think about how pointless life can be and the merits of hard work and the merits and disadvantages of various drugs, but ultimately why bother ?

The movie is a teensy bit poignant, somewhat artsy, the character acting is good and the movie manages to convey a seedy, life through a Handycam feel. I was vaguely bored throughout with this character study, wondering if anything would happen and after a fashion maybe it did maybe it didn't (I wouldn't want to add a spoiler!), but really - who cares ?

There are far better movies around in hundreds of different genres, I feel like I wasted the evening. If I were to use a single word to review this movie, I would choose the word 'dull'.

You may like it, but I found it rather boring from start to finish.

This movie never would have seen the light of day without an A lister to head the cast as actor, writer and director. Poorly executed on every level. 1) These guys are supposed to be geniuses, but how do we know? Easy, Franco/Max reminds us of it throughout the film ("I'm a genius") and he solved a fairly easy math problem (easy for anyone who is good at math), and his brother is a surgeon. None of that really works and it makes all the other observations about how a genius deals with being a genius hollow an empty. 2) Max is the life of the party and the guy everyone likes yet the movie shows someone who is just obnoxious, cocky and annoying to watch. 3) The drug scenes dont offer anything insightful or new whereas a movie like Requiem for a Dream shows the upside and the down side of extreme drug use. Anyone who has done meth knows that if you are up for 3 days, you are down for 3 days. And the doctor using prescription drugs seems like they took that right out of Requiem with the mom and her diet pills. 4) The characters are mostly cliches, and poorly acted. It plays like amateur hour. Even Franco seems like he's reaching. And to be honest, he works best in dumb comedies (though I thought he was good in 11 23 63) 5) This movie would have worked better as a satire. Or a meth version of Pineapple Express. But it doesnt know what it wants to be and ends up falling flat on all sides as it tries to go for a deeper meaning.

The movie is about two brothers that are supposed to be alike - but are not in any way expect for being smart - one is a surgeon and they other is able to write a computer code. Geniuses as they like to call themselves which sounds very exaggerated if you compare it to personal characteristics can you perceive from the material of the title.

I honestly didn't like the style of the movie. I believe that anxiety, confusion and deep blues it brings are there for a purpose, but what I don't get is why there is so much of it. The movie is cheap on scenes and tells the story basically with no human aspect in it at all. It gives the comic book like experience. However it's visually numbing the viewer, it somehow brings him inside the blues with brief dialogs, monotonic scenes, dynamic cut, music and abrupt noises.

The movie's storyline is very simple, most of what's going on is being dramatically pictured for long minutes, mostly in confusing delirium simulating effects of drug use and dynamic cuts.

I will say openly that this movie didn't meet my expetations a tiny bit.

Twin brothers, they're BOTH doctors in Dead Ringers though. One is a bit of a rebel, addicted to drugs, the other one just wants to be a doctor and go about his day. Then the gentler twin becomes addicted to drugs, they both go crazy, weird surgeries happen, the end. I haven't seen this movie, but from the plot summaries I've read this sounds pretty damn spot on. Do they both fall in love with the same woman in this movie too? Then that'd be THREE, count em THREE movies I know of where twin brothers fall in love with the same woman. It's an interesting idea for sure, but come on. Did both of the twins in Twin Fall Idaho love the girl? I don't remember now. They were Siamese twins anyway.

I found good time max to be a very enjoyable movie. Although it may have been very ominous at times I think there is something very glamorous in this portrayal of self destruction. It was an audacious attempt at the triple threat( write, star in, and direct) which I believe paid off and is worthy of a good review. James Franco plays a genius whos addiction to drugs prevents him from making the most of his abilities and doing something useful with his life. He makes the role of callous, self absorbed drug abuser seem exuberant and his character is oozing with charisma. His older brother is also a genius however it seems his work ethic and outlook on life is somewhat different to max's. This movie takes us on an adventure involving max's drug fuelled rampage and everyone else is just along for the ride. I think this movie only touches on one profound question... when does the party end? everything else was just far-fetched and entertaining. If you take this movie for what it is, a great effort at something that has been done one hundred times before, not to be taken too seriously, you will enjoy.