It has been a long wait for fans of Twilight starlet Robert Pattinson, and the day has finally arrived. The British actor has released his first movie in four years, and surprisingly, it’s a comedy. The 29-year-old has been taking a break from film, tweeting in 2015 that he needed a “gasping for air break.” Now he’s back with a new movie, and it’s one that’s definitely not your typical Hollywood comedy. So, is it any good? Let’s take a look.
Robert Pattinson’s Comedy Career
It all started back in 2011, when Rob’s first attempt at a mainstream comedy, Garage Sale, came out. The movie wasn’t that great, but it did OK at the box office, bringing in $8 million on a $3 million budget. He followed that up with another romantic comedy, Drinking Wedding (2014), and after that, things got a little quieter. He did, however, star in the indie comedy, The High Street, which came out last year.
So, what has Robert Pattinson been doing in the meantime? He’s been acting, producing, and, of course, tweeting. During that time, he’s retweeted a lot of funny memes and interesting tidbits of information. Most notably, he’s been in contact with Harvey Levin, an entertainment lawyer who specializes in celebrity disputes and litigation. According to Levin, in 2015, he started a Twitter account in order to defend himself against bogus lawsuits, as he found it exhausting to deal with the “hyenas” pursuing him. Now, some of those lawsuits have been settled, and while other cases are still ongoing, he’s been able to put that exhausting part of his life behind him.
The Plot Of ‘Good Time’
Good Time is the story of Martin Luther King Jr. (Pattinson), who has had a change of heart after decades of being a disenfranchised minority in the United States. In a last-ditch attempt to save his marriage, he travels to Havana, Cuba, where he meets and marries Marta (Maribel Verdú), a local girl. After the wedding, King decides to follow his heart and take a stand against racial injustice, setting off a series of events that will forever alter the course of American history.
The story is told from two conflicting points of views. We first meet Martin Luther King in the present day, as he’s about to give a speech to an audience that includes Fidel Castro (Ricard Castro), who has invited him on a visit. After the speech, Fidel asks Martin if he would like to stay in Cuba and live with the people, much to the horror of King’s wife, Coretta (Kerry Washington), who is determined that her husband should return to the United States. Martin Luther King refuses the offer, as he knows that once he does, it’s over. The audience is then shown clips from speeches and radio interviews from years past, detailing his stand against racial injustice and his trip to Cuba, which he later regretted. This provides us with a glimpse into the complicated world of Martin Luther King Jr., and the toll that the Vietnam War took on him as one of its most prominent victims. In the end, we realize that while his stand against injustice was important, it’s his life and his journey that will be remembered. The movie also shows clips of other civil rights leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, as well as other historical figures, such as Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks, all of whom Martin Luther King Jr. admired and looked up to. As he said in his last interview, “The people will remember these names long after we are forgotten.” As far as I’m concerned, Rob has done well by following his heart and speaking his mind.
Why Is This Movie Being Released Now?
The last time we heard from Robert Pattinson was in 2015, when he announced that he was taking a break from Twitter and returning to the big screen. The last movie he starred in was the romantic comedy, Drinking Wedding, which came out in 2014. Since then, he’s been working on this one, which is set to be released on May 24, 2018. Why now? The simple answer is that he wanted to do something different. After four years away from the camera, he decided to take a chance on a risky career move and did something that very few people can do: made a comedy and released it in theaters. While it wasn’t his first choice, he figured that if it doesn’t work out, then it’s only a matter of time before he’s back in a movie, preferably one where he doesn’t have to pretend to be someone else. So far, so good.
Is It Any Good?
So, is it any good? Well, it’s a brave move to make a comedy after such a long break, and, quite frankly, it wouldn’t have surprised me if it turned out to be terrible. But, happily, that wasn’t the case. In fact, it’s even better than I expected. As I said, it’s a comedy, so I think it’s fair to assume that most of you reading this are probably wondering the same thing: is it any good? Let’s see.
The Good In ‘Good Time’
First of all, let’s talk about the casting. As I mentioned above, Rob has decided to take a chance and try something new, and he couldn’t have chosen better people. The guy who plays Martin Luther King Jr. is called Jordan Peele, and, frankly, he’s almost perfect. Peele, who you may know as the director of Get Out, has an uncanny way of playing crazy, socially awkward people who are absolutely hilarious. If you saw Get Out, you know exactly what I mean.
Peele also directed and starred in the movie, Key and Lock, which came out a few years back. Since then, he’s been working on getting more projects off the ground, and while none of them have been released yet, I think we can all expect great things from him. The same goes for Kerry Washington, who you may remember as Valerie on TV’s The Wire. She played a key role in making this movie work, and she did a great job. If you’re looking for a funny, quick, one-line joke, then she’s your gal.
The Bad In ‘Good Time’
Now, on to the bad. There’s not that much bad to talk about, but you know what they say: better to be safe than sorry. One of the reasons why this movie is getting such positive buzz is that it doesn’t play by the usual Hollywood rules. It doesn’t have to. For one thing, it’s a comedy, which automatically makes it exempt from many of those rules. For another, it’s a movie about Martin Luther King Jr., which means it will inevitably be compared to the 1993 movie, In The Name Of The Father, which also focused on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Even so, the 2018 version is a far cry from the 1993 movie. In that one, the main character was a white man named Tom Hansen, and he portrayed King as a complete buffoon. It was very insulting, especially considering that Dr. King was one of the most important figures in American history, and he certainly didn’t deserve to be laughed at. The new Martin Luther King Jr. doesn’t play by those rules, and while it’s great that the film-makers didn’t want to shit on the memory of a great man, it still irks me that they could be compared to him in some regards. This new Martin Luther King Jr. is a complete badass, and, quite frankly, he’s one of the best protagonists in a movie I’ve seen in a long time.
In the end, it’s all about perspective. This movie isn’t about Martin Luther King Jr.; it’s about Martin Luther King Jr. as seen through the eyes, or more accurately, the ears, of a punk kid named Jack who idolizes him. It doesn’t have to be about Dr. King to celebrate his life and work, but it is a great way to honor his memory while also showing the world his true, complicated, and somewhat badass side.
So, is it any good? I say yes. It’s actually better than most people think, and it’s a damn good thing that Rob is back doing what he does best: telling funny, interesting stories that make you think and maybe even laugh a little bit. While I wouldn’t have pegged him for a comedy guy, he proves that he can digress effectively and remain hilarious even when he’s not playing a character.
And that’s worth something.