Gordon-11
This film tells the story of two genius brothers, one grows up to become a surgeon, the other becomes a drug dealer.I guess it's quite common for two brothers to diverge on their paths and throwing their lives away - at least in films anyway. The story is told in a linear fashion, it plainly tells the effects occurring in their lives. Max is the messed I up one, while Adam is the high flier. However, they are both unsympathetic, and I don't find myself caring for them. Towards the end, I was confused as to what the video tape contains that leads to the character's downfall. Hence, I was left with the feeling of confusion and apathy towards the characters. That being said, "Good Time Max" is a better effort than the other films directed by James Franco.
g-boyle3
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.
sandover
James Franco must have had a good time doing this film, or this comes through for me at least. Some fine sense of space, film-making here and there.But too much music, too much good music, but the kind of use one attributes to enthusiastic film-makers, young mostly, but now with a keen sense of music, to Franco's credit.It is just nagging the way music tells you what to feel, in general. The problem here being that take off the soundtrack, you don't know what to feel without the music either. Another reviewer said this read like an extended comic experience or something, and that would be good, that would be sufficient, properly handled, but too much precious, if you will, composition of each frame and sequence, weighed the whole thing murkily. If it was for "genius babble is an excuse for bad social adaptation," it was something met half-way: too much real-time consuming of the film's time depicting sniffing and other drugs-related activities.Franco in a triple, simultaneous endeavor - what can I say? It's the kind of thing that titillates me, but here the glasses gave him a too perfect air of an intellectual at odds with his character, but perfectly matching his face's bone-structure, and paired with a white t-shirt unfavorably reminded one of his superior Dean portrait.Bro becoming an addict was too soon off the wall, too.The rabbit vision and the vampire baby on the milk especially was terse and tense, and showed that with real concentration James Franco is a good, good film-maker.
Jeff Beachnau
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.
AD
