This sweet and simple film was an absolute delight from start to finish and proved that you do not need much to make a great movie. Interesting characters treated realistically and honestly, natural dialogue, a stunning location and just a smattering of drama, that is all you need. Whilst I have seen “Good One” described as a coming of age film, it is really about fathers and their connections to their children, while coming to terms with the mistakes they have made in their own lives (which ultimately affect their children's lives too). This is done via three characters; Sam, a seventeen-year-old girl camping with her father Chris, who are joined by Chris's best friend Matt, a recently divorced man who has a combative relationship with his own teenage son, who was originally meant to go on this trip but bailed at the last second after a fight with his father.
What I loved most about “Good One” were the conversations between these three characters which felt casual and very real, particularly of people who have known each other for a long time. They talk about real tangible things like their fears, their kids, all the mistakes they have made in their lives, their future and then other times they just hang shit on one another like good friends do. Even when one may be pouring their heart out, someone might then make a joke in poor taste about what they are talking about due to their shared history, and yet it is not offensive. The film has been so well written by India Donaldson (who also directed) because I cannot think of a moment between these characters that comes across as false. The relationship between Sam and her father is just beautiful and for me, is the heart of the film. Having a seventeen-year-old daughter myself, their connection really resonated with me and touched my heart. Poor old Matt is a bit of a fuck up, always the clown, but you can sense his loneliness and pain at the anger his son shows towards him, which is heightened by being around Sam and Chris, watching them interact together with so much love. There is a sad moment when they reach a picturesque spot on their journey and Sam and Chris ask for a photo together. As Matt takes the shot, he has tears in his eyes as he wants the same with his son and mentions that they need to do this more often. Chris basically dismisses him and the idea, but Sam notices Matt's pain and, after quietly putting her dad in line, says “yeah, we should definitely do that”.
As this exchange highlights, Sam has a beautiful heart, is wise beyond her years, and genuinely cares about people. She also gives outstanding advice to people older than herself. She appears to be able to see the bigger picture of life, but this may be because she hasn't made the same mistakes these men have made in their lives and thus have to deal with the consequences of those mistakes in real time. I love when Matt flippantly says “Why is my son so angry?” and Sam casually answers “Because of his parent's relationship ending”; it is so simple and obvious but the way she says it explains so much (as she must have gone through a similar thing when her mum and dad split up). The other sage advice she gives Matt is when he asks if his son will ever stop hating him. Sam replies that it is not that his son hates him, it is that he feels he needs to protect his mother at this stage since she was the one cheated on. She then goes on to say that because of this Matt should always talk positively about his ex-wife around his son so he doesn't feel the need to protect her from him, or see him as a threat. It is brilliant advice, and again you notice that she got this advice from her own life, as Chris never talks badly about his ex-wife, Sam's mother, in any of the conversations where she is brought up in. Sam also isn't afraid to tell these men that they need to own their mistakes because they are complicit in the problems of their lives.
As you can see, Sam is the heart of “Good One” and she has been played by a stunningly good Lily Collias. She is amazing but so natural in her role; you believe her every moment. She plays Sam with a fun energy, light, sensitive and open to others, always up for frivolity. When the third act arrives and tensions arise, Collias does an excellent job of portraying the hurt and betrayal that she feels, so your heart pours out for her. Danny McCarthy plays Matt and is impressive portraying him as “the sad clown”. He is very funny at times, and has no filter; everyone knows someone like Matt, but he is also in a lot of pain behind all the jokes and laughter, and through McCarthy's performance we really feel it. I actually felt really sorry for him, besides his mistakes which are many. James Le Gros is the actor I was most familiar with, and he plays Sam's father, Chris, and what I liked about his performance most was how natural he was in “Good One”. In other roles I've seen Le Gros in, he is, I wouldn't say mannered in his performances, but you can feel him “acting”. Here he just feels like a regular guy, a bit insensitive at times and blind to people's needs and feelings, but real.
As I was watching “Good One”, thoroughly engaged in the involving conversations between the three characters, I remember consciously thinking “this is great! You do not need drama in a film to make it good, you just need great characters.” As such, I was thrown for a bit of a loop and unprepared for the third act when tensions arise and relationships change, all due to one stupid mistake. A mistake so obvious that the perpetrator knows immediately that they have messed everything up in this instant. The scene is actually heart breaking and my cinema let out a collective “oh no!!!!” when it happened because we loved these characters so much. The drama is then amplified when the others do not take ownership of their mistake or acknowledge the hurt and pain caused by another. It totally changes the dynamics of the film, and the group, and the final third of “Good One” is both tense and painful. Will it tear these friendships apart for life, I am not sure, but it certainly has the potential to do so if not handled correctly.
The look of “Good One” is simple and, again, naturalistic with the Catskill Mountains (where they shot the film) stunning in its beauty. The lovely greenery present in every frame is striking making the area look like an inviting place to visit and hike. Speaking of the hike, I loved that you can tell that this is something these characters love and have done a fair bit of (well, maybe not Matt), which director India Donaldson shows through the little details. From the way they intricately pack their (dehydrated) food and backpack, the ease they put up and pull down their tents, they way they are aware of the dangers of the natural wildlife and the respect they show them; all of this shows that these are experienced campers / hikers. Donaldson goes one step further to expose that Sam has to go through a ritual that the men do not, as we learn early on that she has her period, so we regularly see Sam slipping away to change her tampon, which is something men wouldn't even consider, nor is it something often portrayed in a film, so I appreciated that too, as it shows the reality of the situation for all of the characters. During one of these tampon changes, Donaldson even uses a split diopter shot, showcasing the men just goofing around (in the background) whilst Sam makes the change (if the foreground), which was an impressive use of this camera technique.
Overall, I thought “Good One” was an utter delight; it is just a simple tale, beautifully told. I loved the characters and all of their interactions. Like everything in the film, there is a naturalness to them that is so engaging. While the film does not end on a concrete note of conclusion, which initially disappointed me, after some thought I realised that neither does life, and if the drama happened in real life, there would be no definite “ending”, as relationships would need to be mended and worked on over time. I have only positive things to say about this film, so I guess it is safe to announce that “Good One” is, ahem, a good one.
3.5 Stars.
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