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.

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.

Pretty good movie. More aesthetically pleasing than psychologically intricate. I liked the original soundtrack and creative filming. Gave me a strange feeling at the end. Had some funny parts. Worth watching, but personally I don't think I'd watch it again.

It's not the kind of movie you will love. It's the kind of movie that will either intrigue you and grab you, or bore/disappoint you. It's the kind of movie that ends too soon and leaves you feeling unsatisfied when the credits come on.

What I liked about it was the uniqueness, the intensity. These qualities compensated for lack of interesting story line.

Really the tale of two cocky brothers and their respective falls from grace (via drug addiction) and later redemption. One brother, a self-proclaimed genius played by James Franco is your typical sensitive but intelligent man-child. The other brother is a hard-working future doctor who becomes less judgmental as he himself falls prey to addiction while dealing with the stress of living up to his family's expectations for both children. Not too heavy handed as drug fables are want to be, and all in all a pretty realistic sketch of the family dynamics that drug problems bring about. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in such character studies and commend James Franco for his efforts in what was obviously a labor of love.

I saw this at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan.

Directed, co-written and starring James Franco, Good Time Max is about two brothers Max and Adam (Franco and Matt Bell) who are geniuses. Adam is training to be a doctor and is very focused on his career. But Max is immature and gets involved with the drug world. After a drug deal goes bad, Max plans to flee New York and go to California. Convincing Adam to go with him, the brothers set out for a new life.

Though the acting is decent, it's a clichéd movie that has been done many times before. It's the typical man gets involved with drugs, tries to quit, then somehow finds his way back into them. Don't worry, I'm not giving away spoilers, because a lot of that happens early in the film.

A worthy effort for James Franco, I can't imagine it being easy to direct, write, and star in a film, so he made a good attempt. But I wish the story was better, it's just way too familiar.