Uma Boa Pessoa

Just got back from watching this and I found it a very moving, if rather sad and tragic story.

Morgan Freeman adds his charismatic presence to any film he is in, and this is no exception with 'A Good Person'. Combined with a great performance from Pugh they really 'nail' the intensity of the tragedy.

A story of one brief moment of inattention leads to a tragedy that ripples out to many others. An aftermath of grief and blame and addictions . In part rather gritty although to a degree rather neat and tidy portrayals of addictions.

I found it a great story and I was riveted for the whole 129minutes, which passed in a blink.

I'd give this film a very solid 7.5/10 and well worth the price of a cinema ticket.

Would I watch it again? Actually probably not, i'm glad I watched it once and certainly well worth a watch, but the subject matter is rather to depressing for me to watch it again.

'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.

Leave it to funnyman Zach Braff to play a subtle joke on all of us: casually and quietly dropping a superbly-written, powerfully-acted emotional gut-punch of a film the same day that we also get the gleeful carnage-fest that is John Wick 4. What a good weekend for movies this is turning out to be.

A Good Person tells a story of addiction recovery that has certainly been done many times before, but rarely do we ever see it done with this much tact, wit, and genuine power.

Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman both arguably give some of their finest performances here, with Pugh bleeding raw grief and Freeman sporting visible scars of grief so convincingly. Their friendly chemistry is tangible and compulsively watchable. If they were all this movie had to rely on, they would carry it easily.

Thankfully, though, the film also has the finest screenplay I've seen this year. The dialogue has an engaging charm to it but never loses its authenticity, carrying character development for EVERY character effortlessly and subtly through natural conversation.

When writing a comedy about a topic as bleak as this, it's very difficult to balance tones, but Braff makes it look easy. His film switches quickly between heart-wrenching and gut-bustingly funny many times within a scene, and often blends these tones together while never once coming across as insensitive or mean-spirited.

Braff clearly cares about his characters, and wants us to find the humor in their situations because he loves them and wants them to be happy.

My only complaint, if it even is a complaint, is that I found the ending to be a little too...nice, easy, and clean. A little bow gets wrapped on top of the ending of an emotional rollercoaster of a story and it seemed like the only contrived part of an otherwise beautifully authentic tale of recovery through genuine purpose.

When Morgan Freeman said, "I'm hugging you with my eyes", I completely lost my cool and little did I know, that was just the start. A Good Person isn't a roller coaster, it's an intergalactic journey of struggle and redemption. Everyone's hyping up Oppenheimer right now, but Florence Pugh was 10/10 perfect here too. And, this will not come as a shock, Molly Shannon is the perfect mother for a recovering drug addict. Morgan Freeman pairs well with every character he comes into contact with. In usual Braff fashion, the score is also amazing. A Good Person was a truly complete and surreal experience and I hope Zach Braff never stops making movies. One final note- "I will forever grieve for the life that we might have had". *exhales painfully* what an ending.

Florence Pugh is going to need to start bringing a chiropractor with her to set because A Good Person is yet another example of a film where Pugh's performance carries the entire film. In the case of Don't Worry Darling, she made an average film watchable, however, in the case of A Good Person, she takes a good, solid film and takes it to the next level. A Good Person is a great movie - it just so happens that its best element, its strongest strength is Pugh herself. Pugh's excellence in roles is becoming a trend, I can't remember a movie from her career where she wasn't the standout. She showcases time and time again why she is one of the best actresses working right now, and it is especially noticeable in this film. In moments where the script is lacking, or another actor might not be doing enough, Pugh's performance completely covers it up. Frankly, I am stunned by her skills as an actress, especially in how she can sell nearly any scene with ease. The movie on its own is good, but it is Pugh's complex and nuanced performance that makes it a great movie.

A Good Person left me on the verge of tears for most of its runtime. Go in expecting yourself to cry at one point or another. I cried, I laughed, and then I cried again. It tells quite a moving story, working through themes of tragedy and addiction. The story overall is quite simple as it really is nothing we haven't seen before, but the movie finds its strength in its portrayal of its themes. It's a raw, honest, human story about two battered and bruised souls whose fates are intertwined trying to find some solace in their lives. Two good people who have been broken by their addictions, by life. The film hits you where it hurts while also reminding you what a gift it is to be alive and have other, good people in our lives, despite all the bad things. Now, let's be real. The subject matter has all been covered before, it's nothing revolutionary. We really have seen everything before, and perhaps in better ways. The movie is too long, it drags in some places and overall nears becoming a tonal mess in some places.

Despite this, writer/director Zach Braff managed to truly craft an effective, emotional, and moving film. It purely is a good film. Part of the reason it doesn't become a rambling mess is that Pugh and Freeman are so damn good. Frankly, this movie is an excellent example of why casting matters. Without these two, I don't know that this movie would have been as good as it was. It probably would have been fine, but their presence 100% elevated the film in so many ways.

A Good Person is a good movie. You know the type: the kind that you come out of just feeling good. It may not be the most refined or revolutionary film, but it is good. It works. It had everything I wanted from it plus some phenomenal performances. It reminds me of the tone of shows I am loving right now: Ted Lasso and Shrinking. Sure, this movie might be a little darker than those, but they still are all from the same vein. Mental health, grief, and addiction. This one takes less of a comedy-drama approach and more of a dramatic approach, but it sure does work. It's sad but so worth watching, if only for Florence Pugh's amazing performance!