The Good Night (2007) User Reviews

Decent movie around a somewhat unsatisfying story.

[CineCritic2517 · 7/10 · 2 September 2007]

I'm still not completely sure what this movie was exactly about. The initial layer suggests a story about an insecure bloke who tries to escape his run aground life through lucid dreaming. Real life and the dream world coincide as he finds out that the woman he is pushing away from his life is actually the one he wants to stay with. People trying to dig beyond this layer have some difficulty. Not because this movie is especially deep but simply because there's not much beyond it period.

Do movies have to be deep or insightful? Of course they don't. But this one to me suggested it may become that. And when it didn't, it left me feel a bit dissatisfied.

With an interesting story nonetheless, solid acting throughout, some great jokes and appealing visuals this movie rises well above the average Hollywood production. What it simply lacks are some really poignant scenes and build up towards the end. But just like the main character Gary who never rises above himself, the movie doesn't either. But maybe that was the whole point.

That said, there's absolutely no harm in bringing this one home for a view.

7/10

The Good Night, just a decent night at the movies

[sundevil27 · 6/10 · 1 February 2007]

Saw the world premiere showing of the Good Night at the Sundance Film Festival last week and have come to report back on my findings. Was really looking forward to this one, story sounded interesting in an Eternal Sunshine kinda way, and the cast is top notch. The Good Night stars Martin Freeman as former brit pop star Gary, who hasn't exactly been doing a whole lot since his famed band went on the skids. Gary lives a less then fulfilling life with his long time girlfriend Dora, played by the excellent Gywenth Paltrow, and keeps company with successful ex bandmate Paul, played by the hilarious Simon Pegg. Gary spends his days doing meaningless commercial gigs in which his creative talents are kept in check in order to create more familiar music that sounds like the theme from "Cheers". Understandably Gary needs an outlet from his less then stellar career and from his almost non-existent relationship with Dora. One night Garys finds that outlet in his dreams, more specifically in the perfect female form played by Penelope Cruz. Desperate to escape reality Gary finds himself wanting more to live in his sleeping life then in his real life and he finds an unusual guide in Mel, played by Danny Devito. Mel mentors Gary on this lucid dreaming and soon Gary finds himself mastering his dreams, but in reality his good nights are turning into bad days.

Sounds interesting but does it work, well not so much. Much like a dream the story is scatter shot and incomplete. We only get a glimpse into the characters lives and as the story goes along we still don't have a lot of info here. Does Gary want to be a pop star again, is he jealous of the success of his friend, does he really care about his girlfriend - did he ever and whats so special about his dream girl? Gary is as lost in life as he is on the audience, he feels distant as do most of the characters here, aside from the amusing Paul. In the end this movie just doesn't quite work out, maybe it wasn't supposed just like a dream. All that being said its a nice first movie by Jake Paltrow, he's got a good vision and his effort here is obviously promising but frankly the story was beneath his directing talents. As for the actors, Martin Freeman, Gywenth, Devito - all very good work but again the story just is so-so and the acting can't save that. The Good Night, just a decent night at the movies

Not bad, but victim to a classic blunder

[cody-shepherd · 6/10 · 5 September 2007]

Making a movie about dreams or dreaming is tough, and it shows in this one. The difficulty with dreams in any bit of fiction is that they can't be held accountable; that is, by definition, there isn't any kind of direct correspondence between dream occurrences and narrative significance. A dream (singular) here and there can enrich a narrative with symbolism, causality, subconscious, but when the dream becomes plural then almost universally a story starts to break down. Having gritted my teeth through movies like Waking Life and The Cell, to name a few, I've come to associate "dream" with "lazy" in cinema.

That being said, I had to see what Simon Pegg and Martin Freeman would do in a movie together. And the bottom line is, due to these two guys, the movie is worth a watch. Don't may more than $4 to see it.

What you get really is a movie without consequences. You have Martin Freeman obsessed with a dream character. OK, kind of interesting, but there's not enough dimension to his girlfriend (Paltrow), who just seems like a nag, or his friend/former bandmate (Pegg), who, granted, is extremely funny but ultimately without Pathos, to really make his dream obsession a truly engrossing psychological/sociological study.

And again, what happens here is that the dream sequences, and even the obsession with them, because of the, by definition, incommensurable quality of dreams, their inability to be authentically expressed through proxy (language, film, journals, etc.), leave us as audience members bereft of any feeling of causality, arc, or direction.

Also, as a sidenote, the pseudo-documentary format that the film opens with and halfheartedly maintains is confusing and ultimately misdirecting. It ends up looking like the mistake of a novice director.

Martin Freeman performs his lines well, Pegg is funny, DeVito is a pleasing eccentric, and Paltrow isn't as annoying as she usually is (however Cruz is somewhat intolerable), so the movie is worth seeing once, if you've got nothing better to do.

modest but occasionally insightful mid-life crisis drama

[Buddy-51 · 8 November 2011]

If indie dramas are to believed, there are essentially two reasons why there is so much unhappiness in the world (at least among the more privileged classes who have the time and resources to think of such things): a) people can't stand the idea of being alone in the world, yet they also can't stand the idea of being with another person for long stretches of time either, and b) it's hard to come to terms with the contrast between what we imagined our life would be like and what it actually turned out to be.

A case in point is "The Good Night," a mid-life-crisis drama with a surrealistic twist. Gary is a songwriter/musician who used to be part of a band but who has now been reduced to writing commercial jingles and scores for second-rate TV shows. A somewhat de-glamorized Gwyneth Paltrow plays Gary's nagging long-time girlfriend who's definitely become disenchanted with their relationship, while the ultra-glamorous Penelope Cruz stars as the literal woman of his dreams – until she materializes and becomes a part of his waking world that is. In fact, a fairly large chunk of the movie's running time is taken up with Gary's dreams, which inevitably feature this alluring figure who stands in obvious counterpoint to Dora's flesh-and-blood imperfections. And then there's Danny De Vito as the scene-stealing New Age dream-whisperer who attempts to maneuver Gary through his crisis.

The point of the film, written and directed by Jake Paltrow (brother of Gwyneth), seems to be that ideal worlds and ideal relationships exist only in dreams, and that, if you want to survive and maybe even find a little bit of happiness in this life, you had better start accepting some compromises and limitations and not, as Voltaire once opined, make the perfect the enemy of the good. Even Gary's dream-woman is eventually unmasked as a relatively pedestrian fashion model who definitely does not live up to the dreams and fantasies Gary has about her before he meets her in the actual flesh.

The movie does a nice job transitioning back and forth between the world of reality and the world of dreams, and the actors demonstrate an astute understanding of the roles they are playing. Some of the conversations and arguments the lovers engage in are almost too painfully realistic at times, with Dora, in particular, unloading her feelings on Gary to withering effect.

It's not exactly a world-shaking human drama, but it offers some insightful observations into those maddeningly messy things we euphemistically call "romantic relationships."

Nice cast , nice sets BUT as a movie it is DULL

[jaybob · 6/10 · 14 April 2008]

Penelope Cruz, & Gwyneth Paltrow, Danny DeVito & 2 UK actors Martin Freeman & Simon Pegg team up in this languid romantic comedy-dram.

Jake Paltrow (brother of Gwyneth) both wrote & directed this. It is supposed to be a comedy, BUT I found little to laugh at or even smile about. It tends to verge into a dream state, then back to reality,much of it made little sense to me.

Supposedly Freeman & Pegg are popular in the UK, I will hold off further opinion to I see another one or 2 movies with them in it.

Most if not all of you never heard of the film,reason is simple.It played only in 2 theatres in the US. one for 3 weeks & the other for one week, Total gross (as per IMDb) under $25,000. the film cost about $ 15 million to make. I also was shown in various festivals.

This is be a nice tax write off.

Filmed in both London UK, & New York City.

This type film would have been shown as part of a double feature when I was a lad. It definitely should never have been shown as a single feature.

Ratings:**1/2 (out of 4) 67 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)

'The guy who discovers that perpetual dream, he's my man.'

[gradyharp · 7/10 · 23 May 2012]

It is probably wise to take it easy on first venture by writer/director personas who probably would not have had their initial film see the light of day (or dark of theater) were it not for the connections of a famous show biz family. But Jake Paltrow did indeed achieve this goal so with the idea in mind that this is an initial outing so its best to look for the reasons this little film works and the reasons it could be better.

Gary Shaller (Martin Freeman) is an artist on the skids: he has a history of being a successful songwriter/musician but now is woefully stuck writing asinine jingles for second rate TV shows. His home life is no better as his wife Dora (Gweneth Paltrow) is a nagging discontent whiner. And he is now thirty-four years old with little hope for change. All of this is brought into clear focus by the quite opposite life of his best friend Paul (Simon Pegg) who seems to have it all right. Gary encounters dream whisperer Mel (Danny DeVito) who introduces him to Lucid Dreaming - and Gary somnolently discovers the beautiful, smart, sexy Anna (Penelope Cruz), the woman of his 'dreams' who crosses over being imagined and being real - and who adores Gary. And this discovery and the manner in which Gary deals with it forms the solution of the story.

The idea of lucid dreaming has been used before (Inception, The Science of Sleep, Eternal Sunshine, etc), but the concept is strong enough that Jake Paltrow's offering of his version is not a problem. Many parts of the film are sweet, but in general it drags and refuses to flesh out the characters enough to make us really care. But as a story about choosing between dream life and real life, a bit of Shakespeare would help: 'We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep.'

Grady Harp

Surrealist Dramedy Falls Way Short Due to a Muddy Execution

[EUyeshima · 4/10 · 6 May 2008]

It's pretty obvious that first-time director/screenwriter Jake Paltrow was heavily inspired by Michel Gondry's surreal, off-kilter work in "The Science of Sleep" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" in making this downbeat 2007 dramedy. Barely in theaters before heading right to DVD, the film works on an intriguing (albeit unoriginal) premise but is then undermined by a muddy execution and unlikable characters despite some nice visuals. The plot concerns put-upon Gary, a TV commercial jingle writer who was once an '80's Britpop star. His professional life has become a drudge as he begrudgingly works with his best pal and former bandmate Paul, who has sold his soul to become a successful advertising executive. Meanwhile, life at home is no picnic since Gary has to suffer from the constant passive-aggressive derision of his frumpy, needling girlfriend Dora.

Into this emotional void, Gary starts to have vivid dreams of a beautiful fantasy woman named Anna, who turns out to have a basis in reality. It's no wonder that Gary seeks the counsel of a "lucid dreaming" expert from New Jersey named Mel who helps him find ways to elongate the dreams for fear of having them evaporate entirely. Once all this is all established, Paltrow lets the film flail around in a series of frustrating scenes that have Gary turning more and more into an emotional zombie. Moreover, the marked contrast between Dora and Anna comes across as overstated with the result being complete indifference toward both women. Paltrow also uses a framing device of documentary-like testimonials from colleagues in Gary's past, a technique that doesn't make sense until the abrupt ending. None of the principal actors are terribly remarkable here except Simon Pegg ("Shaun of the Dead", "Hot Fuzz") who brings a much-needed energetic brio to the comically unsavory role of Paul. His cutting scenes with Gary are the best the movie offers.

As Gary, Martin Freeman (BBC's "The Office", "Breaking and Entering") is likeably dweeby at first, though he doesn't make credible his past as a debauched rock star. Danny DeVito merely plays a plot device in his customary matter and not much more as Mel. No matter how gorgeous she is (and she truly is in this film), Penélope Cruz is given short shrift by the script, so much so that her character remains incoherent and incomplete. But ironically, a worse fate befalls the filmmaker's famous sister Gwyneth, who has been so deglamorized as Dora as to render her character nearly unsalvageable. Granted there are some funny, off-the-cuff bits like Dora reacting to Gary's maniacal installation of foam over the bedroom windows by asking if it comes in white or Gary inexplicably reading "The Idiot's Guide to Understanding Iraq" in bed, but there isn't enough such cleverness to sustain the film. At 93 minutes, it actually feels overlong. The 2008 DVD provides a rather inchoate commentary from Jake Paltrow that is not very insightful.

Good old fashioned dark comedy

[mrtimlarabee · 7/10 · 2 November 2008]

There's something about dreams that requires relaxation and patience. They have a certain fluidity about them that if they're hurried or rushed they just aren't as effective. As is fitting for a film about dreams, "The Good Night" works because of good acting and gentle pacing. The result is one of those good old fashioned dark comedies that walks the line between drama and dark humor.

Martin Freeman is one of these actors that takes grips on the "average guy" role and has as much fun as he can with it. As Gary, the band member turned commercial music composer, he is effective in demonstrating his lack of joy in his current relationship with Dora (Gwyneth Paltrow) and sinking into obsessive dreams about the make believe Anna (Penelope Cruz). Freeman is always a good lead because no matter what he does, he's likable and we're always rooting him on, even as Dora calls him a jerk and she's probably right at one point.

But a lot of the humor in the film comes from the supporting players. Simon Pegg is always a no brainer for comedy because of his spot on delivery. As Gary's friend and boss, Paul, he jumps into the role of the somewhat amoral friend with his own relationship problems. However, he does still listen to Gary and even takes joy in some of his obsessiveness.

Then there's Danny Devito, playing the typical Danny Devito character as he hosts a dream support group but works odd jobs and hasn't had a relationship of his own for over 40 years. Despite all this, he still hears Gary out and Gary takes a lot of his advice. Devito has a lot of good one liners and a very funny introduction scene.

As to the movie as a whole, it's good but not great. Definitely worth a look. Part of me saw this as a dark comedy going through the motions and becoming very predictable as we got closer to the end. The premise was very fresh though and director Jake Paltrow really seizes the opportunity of capturing the dreamlike quality of some of the scenes. The performances and well paced direction really glue the movie together though, and at 90 minutes, it's not a bad movie to give a watch.

Jake Paltrow should have spent less money on first try

[wel-kom · 4/10 · 15 April 2008]

The idea is interesting enough. A musician in his thirties suffers from a major dip in his career and his relationship. But instead of addressing these problems, and have a serious talk with his girlfriend, the main character is more interested in explaining his childish dreams of a hot brunette. I didn't feel gripped for one minute by the story. And at the end, we are supposed to believe that Gary has surmounted his problems because the dreamgirl has said she for one believes in him. He composes a piano tune, gets one more chance from his girlfriend, and that's that. By the way, why has Paltrow used the documentary form? Was there anything to make a documentary about? The guy broke his leg, for heaven's sake. That's not to say there's nothing enjoyable about this film, but it's very little. It's okay if director's debut doesn't smash box office records or win three Palms in Venice. But Paltrow should dig deeper into his subject before making any other movie at all. No matter how good your cast is (and it's pretty decent), without good ideas, any film is bound to disappoint.

Interesting, but not groundbreaking

[glennsouthall · 6/10 · 20 February 2008]

I think enough has been said about the strengths and weaknesses of this movie, so I'm not intentionally going to add to that. I just for a change want to give a simple and highly personal opinion as a viewer, looking for a nights entertainment with a new movie. I had never seen any trailers or read any articles on the movie so I had no idea what to expect, but how could I resist a movie with such an interesting blend of some top notch US/UK performers? But that was part of the problem that I'll come to later.

Right from the outset I was disoriented. The context and frame of the story were laid out using an opening series of documentary style interviews with both real and fictional characters. Why? It is a fictional story, so adding Jarvis Cocker correctly billed as he is in real life threw me. It added nothing except confusion and took me a long time into the film to realise I was watching a completely fictional tale and no further real life characters were going to pop up.

The storyline and performances were deliberately low key, in order to underscore and enhance the main theme, which was one of escape from tedium, routine and the commitment required in real life. Because of this it is easy to see how Martin Freeman was chosen for the central character as he is a master of the droll. But, not wanting to take anything away from any of the fine cast, this created an imbalance which played on my mind throughout. Martin Freeman is a good actor and perfect for the part, but would have thrived better if he had been supported by talented, yet less famous actors/actresses. As it was he was supported by actors with a much higher Hollywood profile, so I was always mindful of upstaging, even if not deliberate. As it turned out Gwynneth Paltrow, Simon Pegg and Danny DeVito managed to restrain their performances in keeping with the theme of the movie and in deference to Martin Freemans leading role. No easy job (especially for DeVito), but they managed it well in the end.

The premise as it developed was interesting. Quite by accident, MF found the promise of a life within his dreams that he had always desired. But could he manage to control it to the extent that he could influence its outcome? Could he find a way that this dreamworld could become his new reality? Thereafter, the premise shifted to whether all of this "perfect fantasy" was in fact a better solution than the real world had to offer and at the end of that road, how would it change us as human beings? Interesting and challenging enough to entertain, no doubt. The outcome will surprise few, but satisfy many.

Overall, I was entertained and felt that I had good value. I cannot recall a movie with precisely the same themes as this, however it does flirt outrageously with many other movies that weave reality with surreality, such as Eternal Sunshine (as one of the better examples) and because it does not explore any of it's unique aspects to any real depth, I feel it is impossible not to classify it in this genre.

Mediocre fare best left back in 2007

[danieljfarthing · 4/10 · 3 February 2022]

In mediocre drama "The Good Night" (featuring pointless blink n miss 'em cameos from Keith Allen, Stephen Graham & Michael Gambon btw) middle-aged ex-90s-band-member Martin Freeman finds escape from his stalled NY life with gf Gwyneth Paltrow & boss/pal/rival/ex-band-mate Simon Pegg thru surreal dreams of beautiful Penélope Cruz. As real life continues to slowly spiral he further sinks into his fantasy world with help of dream expert Danny DeVito, and even meets the actual Cruz... but where will it lead... and will any of us care (answer: no). Written & directed (blandly) by Paltrow's bro Jake, this one's best left in 2007 (from whence it came).

Excellent, well done !

[bobcolganrac · 10/10 · 9 September 2008]

I see that this movie isn't well-received. . .? . . . ---I loved it!

I like dark humor, and subtlety, and a script that trusts the viewer enough to simply suggest what's happening, and this movie satisfies all of that. Written and directed by Jake Paltrow, starring a mostly British cast of Martin Freeman, sister Gwyneth, Penelope Cruz, Simon Pegg, and Danny DeVito in a strange ensemble none of whom seem to really know one another. There's a sense that this movie isn't really happening, that the characters aren't sure who or what they are to one another, that the action may or may not be delusional: dream? not-dream? the boundary edges of reality have been softened or erased to the point of ambiguity. I believe this is what the director was striving for, and he got it perfectly.

I am still reeling by the few comments I saw that disliked this movie--- --were we watching the same flick?

Jake has captured the ennui and uncertainty of intimate relationships, especially when artistic personalities are involved. Wishes are faded, hopes for success, mega- or otherwise, are withering or stunted, and the concept of "dreaming" becomes itself part of the uncertainty of the storyline---an uncertainty purposefully part of the script. We live our dreams, we get caught up in our dreams, yet our dreams exist often aside from how we live. And who's to say what's real? Is night consciousness less or more than daytime consciousness? Nothing is 100% real.

I don't want to give anything away. I hate spoilers if I haven't seen a movie, and don't want to even accidentally mention something that would detract from another's enjoyment of discovery. Freeman's character is going through a minor meltdown, his life increasingly one on the outside looking in. He's "married," but the love and desire has diminished for both of them. He seeks help from a most unlikely (and most unprofessional) pseudotherapist, DeVito, and the reality of his life begins to unravel as he struggles the more to make sense of it all. It is a brilliant study of a mentally ill and conflicted world with pervasive fears and worries. The cast is excellent. Couldn't be better.

I love this movie. I love its dark humor, and its subtlety. Well done, Jake!

Not funny, dark, or inventive enough to let it take off, but enjoyable, at least

[secondtake · 6/10 · 17 February 2010]

The Good Night (2007)

Gwyneth's brother directs a curious but strained movie featuring both Gwyneth Paltrow as the real world lead and Penelope Cruz as some kind of vixen of the lead men's dreams. Now you might wonder what leading man Martin Freeman has wrong with him that he gets to sleep with his wife, played by Gwyneth, and yet he dreams of this other, Latina, woman. This is so filled with simplistic male fantasy, with stereotypes of ethnic types and gender roles, it's sometimes painful.

Most of the time you can, hopefully, gloss over this and see pure cleverness (in the footsteps of The Science of Sleep 2006) and layers of reality (a pale version of any Kaufman film like Eternal Sunshine (2004) or the more recent Synecdoche, New York). In fact, you might see the use of the woman's face in advertising as an echo of Red (1994). I guess I'm struggling to find the originality here, which I'm sure is meant to hold it all together.

Martin Freeman is likable but a little milquetoast for me, as the locus of the whole movie. Cruz is a relief in leather (the white fur on the beach scenes are total gag me clichés, even as clichéd dreams). I rather like Paltrow the sister as an actress when she is the normal young woman, which she is, but it does force the script to rise up and make their normal coupleness vivid, or trenchant, or comic. It is only slightly two of these. The fourth main character in spurts, besides the caricature that is Danny DeVito, is Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead fame), who is really a great presence, stealing his scenes.

Do I say see this movie? Only if there are some aspects here, and some influences, that are up your alley. It's not horrible at all, a kind of back-handed something to say without just saying it tries too hard.

Truly Pointless

[hcharton-944-475761 · 2/10 · 14 November 2021]

What is attempting to be achieved here? It qualifies as neither a character study nor an interesting relationship movie with plot development. The acting and casting is adequate but there is just no substance that I could glean from this story.

Less deep than the paper it's script was typed on.

[RyanCShowers · 26 July 2013]

Being a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow and Penelope Cruz, seeing the neat looking poster, and having an interest in the exploration of dreams in films, I decided to give The Good Night a try. Little did I know the nightmare that would become the next hour of my life. The Good Night has an inadequate exposition; it's a poorly introduced and explained film that flatlines for the first hour. If The Good Night would've supplied the theaters showing it with sleeping masks like 3D movies handing out glasses, it would've been a more enjoyable night out.

I love watching films about our dreams. When filmmakers make us think about our subconscious when we rest and the truths we realize about ourselves are extremely interesting to me. The only truth Martin Freeman learns about his dreams until the third act is how much he wants to have sex with Penelope Cruz. The storyline of the film doesn't warrant the film's existence. The Good Night tries to comment on a mid-life crisis, but inaccurately musters up a conventional, musty representation of one.

The simple thoughts the filmmakers built the film on could've been the starting point of intriguing ideas, but instead feel like they were tomatoes, cut in half, placed on hot pavement, under the sun on the hottest day of the year. Every idea is dried up and are roasted by the lack of effort. The first hour contains some really awful dialogue on top of the lack of development behind the plot. The person who designed Gwyneth Paltrow's character's look should've been fired, her unflattering hair is the thing I focused on most of her screen time due to lack of interest in The Good Night's third-rate production.

A thought that I literally squealed out of my mouth during The Good Night was "How did this script and director attract this cast?" The cast is not as ghastly as the rest of the film. Gwyneth Paltrow actually delivers a few great scenes throughout and the film finally begins to wake up when Penelope Cruz's character is not just a figment of the imagination anymore, Cruz is much to thank for the film's kick in the ass to at least shift out of reverse. The one upside of the script is the occasional sincere quotes about life. The Good Night does begin to look up in the last half hour. It finally starts to dig deeper into the Paltrow-Freeman relationship, I began to feel this trip wasn't completely waste of my time.

When I was watching The Good Night I had no clue who the director was that I was throwing insults at in my head. After finishing, I was informed it was none other than Gwyneth Paltrow's brother, Jake Paltrow. When the talent was being divvied up in the family, it's clear Jake wasn't given the fair amount. The Good Night is poorly made and dreadfully thought up, though the film's last act begins to rectify the harm of the first hour, there's no salvaging the departed film. The bottom line is, The Good Night shouldn't have been telling us how to have a mid-life crisis, it should've been living one. It's unmistakably obvious The Good Night isn't even as deep as the paper in which its script has been typed on.

Rating: 4

Grade: C-

Good for Impatient Kaufman Fans

[zyxek · 7/10 · 9 June 2008]

I'm a major Charlie Kaufman fan, enough so that I am willing to see other filmmakers lightly tread the territory he has mastered while waiting for his next masterpiece. Zach Helms' script for Stranger Than Fiction (8/10) is the rom-com answer to the theme of art and reality being interchangeable, as expressed also in Adaptation (9/10). Jake Paltrow's The Good Night is an indie-dramedy look at the subconscious vs. reality theme CK nails in Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine (both 10/10).

This film tells the story of Gary (Martin Freeman), a 30 something ex-rocker scoring commercials in New York. His stagnant relationship with an art-dealer girlfriend (Gwynneth Paltrow) and his complicated, brotherly friendship with an egotistical ex-bandmate and boss (Simon Pegg) give him little fulfillment. So he turns to a lucid dreams with an exotic dream girl (Penelope Cruz). But when both the dreams and his real life seem to unravel, he struggles to fix both.

The story is certainly not innovative, but it is well-developed, and the characters are interesting enough. The movie feels very authentic and sincere, which makes it worth sitting through. Jake Paltrow is not a particularly inventive director, but the camera-work is generally competent and the dream sequences are nicely photographed.

The real highlights of the film are the subtle supporting performances by director's sister Gwen and the brilliant Simon Pegg. Freeman's role is pretty typical of his other work, but he carries the movie reasonably well. Devito and Cruz are both dull and distracting in their roles. It would have been better if their parts had been given to lesser-known actors who would have cared more about the production.

A rental of this movie is certainly worth 90 minutes of your evening.

dreaming is believing, but not necessarily filming

[lee_eisenberg · 6/10 · 18 May 2008]

I didn't know anything about "The Good Night" when I turned it on...and I'm still not sure that I know what it was supposed to be about. Martin Freeman (of "The Office") plays Gary, a former pop star now in a pseudo-relationship with Dora (Gwyneth Paltrow). It looks as if his life is truly going nowhere, when he starts having fantasies featuring a strange woman (Penelope Cruz) who appears in advertisements. I think that that was the plot.

I assume that the movie must be a look at Gary's being nearly at the end of his emotional rope, but I found it a little too weird to really follow. A movie dealing with this topic that I recommend is John G. Avildsen's "Save the Tiger", starring Jack Lemmon. Maybe I would have liked this one better had they elaborated on how Gary's experiences change his life - if at all - in the long run. Not terrible, but not one that I would recommend above all others.

Also starring Danny DeVito and Michael Gambon.

What is the point of this story.

[ngruber-1 · 3/10 · 4 June 2009]

It's a real bummer when you see the potential in a cast but the script doesn't live up to their abilities. The directing is adept, the camera-work is nice but ultimately I don't get anything out of this film. You have a character who escapes from his naggy one dimensional girlfriend to a model in some billboard prancing around on a beach. If we are going to get into why dreams are cool please spare us the old cliché of some hot chick on a beach. Clichés or not the biggest crime of the film is that it has no point. I am not invested int he flimsy characters and I don't buy the story. It's a true feat when we spend half of a film inside a character's head and learn almost nothing about him. Paltrow needs a lesson from Fellini, Bunuel and some others who know how to make a dream interesting...

A somewhat familiar tale, but it had an interesting take.

[Rishad · 6/10 · 27 May 2013]

This DVD popped up on my shelf randomly today, turning out to be a serendipitous find, and an enjoyable way to pass a rainy holiday afternoon. "The Good Night" tells a somewhat familiar tale; a musician trapped in a floundering relationship who seeks escape in the world of his dreams, and eventually finds solace in the arms of another woman in this dreamscape. Or does he?

Starring none other than beloved hobbit Martin Freeman as Gary, the cast is well-supported by Gwyneth Paltrow, Danny DeVito, and the ever- gorgeous Penélope Cruz. The film starts off rather slow, dull and uninteresting, which in retrospect, fits in well with the overall storyline. One night, he dreams of meeting a strange, beautiful woman on the beach (Cruz, as Anna), but is awakened before he can go further. A turning point is reached when Gary seeks the advice of a lucid continuous dreaming expert (DeVito) and begins to see more and more of Anna, and eventually forms a dream-state relationship with her, gradually losing touch with his less-than-stellar reality.

As mentioned, this is a somewhat familiar tale, and one that's been treated quite a bit in films. Starcrossed lovers who can only meet in dreams, dreams being better than real life, which part of the film is real, and which is not - they've all arguably been done before, but I still enjoyed this director's take on it. Particularly interesting was the slight "documentary" twist on theme, which I wasn't quite sure what to make of. All in all, worth a watch.

Vertigo without the Suspense

[mitchelljane · 1/10 · 4 March 2022]

Insomnia is the affliction, not fear of heights, but the scene where the main character wants his dream girl lookalike to wear a white gives away the Hitchcock connection.

This movie moves along too slowly and you care less and less what happens to Gary as you move along. Only the real life version of the dreamgirl recognizes what a freak he is. Like romantic comedies, the longterm girlfriend, played by Gwenith Paltrow with long dark hair, has the typical art gallery job and his best friend is a super jerk with women. The dreams became more and more boring, even compared to Gary's boring life, which may have been the point.

The interviews at the beginning portend that the main character will do something horrific that makes him famous as a composer. Yes, something happens, but not anything you'd interview old mates and girlfriends about.

The only interesting things were the sets ... apartments, studios, and street scenes felt real and claustrophobic.

Review: The Good Night

[bloodymonday · 6/10 · 7 July 2008]

"The Good Night" is what Michel Gondry's "The Science of Sleep" would be like in your typical Hollywood production. It tried so hard to distinguish itself by having A-list cast and extra cool music. But without intriguing script and visual creativity, this story tends to be bland and pretty uninteresting. In the end, it just doesn't really have anything new to talk about.

Gary Shaller (Martin Freeman) is at a crossroads in his life: his job is going nowhere, his wife, Dora (Gwyneth Paltrow), drives him crazy, and he passed his thirtieth birthday four years ago. Add to that his best friend Paul seems to become more successful every time he breathes. Gary is feeling depressed and dejected... until he meets Anna. She's beautiful and smart; she's sexy and funny. Best of all, she's crazy about Gary. Anna (Penelope Cruz) is the girl of Gary's dreams...literally. And that's the problem. Gary can only see Anna in his dream life, so he's got to find a way to carry on the most satisfying relationship of his life, in his dreams. His quest for lucid dreaming techniques introduces Gary to some crazy characters (that is Danny DeVito) who ultimately give him a new perspective on life (credited by IMDb)

Nothing wrong with the story of people in midlife crisis and quest to find their soul mate (even you are already being with one). But, for me, the way they presented to us is pretty uninspired. "The Good Night" invite us to go into a deeper layer by examining a various phases of our protagonists. But once we're already feel attached to it, it just didn't really worth afford. We knew that Gary and Dora are unhappy married couple. He's depressed and she's desperate for something fresh in life once again. And we hope that, in the end, they're going to sort things out (whatever that is). Yes, they're finally sort things out. But it's unraveled in a sense of script-wise. For me, I found a difficult time to believe anything that happened in the last act, when Gary attempted to salvage his life.

Speaking about the casts, "The Good Night" might have one of the best casts in such a small scale production. Martin Freeman and Simon Pegg are just amusing to watch (their jokes are hysterical and their rapport seemed casual). On the other hand, Gwyneth Paltrow and Penelope Cruz are not entirely memorable (Especially Penelope who just having a very thankless role). And the character that Gwyneth (who might do a favor for her younger brother Jake in his directorial debut) played is just so mean and unpleasant to be around. Having she uttered a lot of f-words is completely unnecessary. And the worst part is she and Martin seemed to have zero chemistry (and that's not a good sign for this kind of film).

"The Good Night" may neither break any new ground, nor has a potential to be a great one. But it's seemed harmless to watch. The story is easy to love and appreciate. The casts are just having a good time and it will definitely make you relax while watching it. And that's enough reason to take a look at this one.

Oh drear What Happned To Penelope Cruz

[FilmMan47 · 1/10 · 30 October 2012]

why she is picking movies this these making bad career choices if it was Nicolas cage i would have loved it because i am a big cage fan & he can turn a boring movie into fun.

you can just forget the plot about this movie & Simon Peg he had no business being there,this film is a waste of time

i am not gonna go into the detail & give a spoiler i am just saying these actors are great but it their bad luck they don't get good scripts & roles.

id like to warn people specially Penelope Cruz fans please don't buy this film for your own good.

the good night becomes worst nightmare .

my rating is 1/10 awful film

Genuinely Special

[berns111 · 10/10 · 11 February 2007]

Saw this one.... loved it. Variety sums it up perfectly.

"Sweet dreams, indeed. As becalmed and refreshing as a good night's sleep, writer-director Jake Paltrow's first feature delves assuredly into the mind of a lost soul who literally encounters the woman of his dreams. Though its forays into the subconscious may strike more adventurous cinematic palettes as precious and unimaginative, few will be able to resist Martin Freeman's appealing lead turn or the wry Brit wit that gives this fanciful confection a robust comic core. Given the right push emphasizing its marquee names, "The Good Night" could hit sleeper status. Compared to David Lynch's convulsive dreamscapes and Michel Gondry's "The Science of Sleep" - all films that seek to strand the viewer in an impenetrable chain of dream logic -- "The Good Night's" fascination with hallucination and reverie doesn't go much deeper than the surface level. Fortunately, it's an enchanting surface that doesn't wear out its welcome for a good 93 minutes.

Puzzling mock-doc prologue introduces a trio of characters discussing the life of sad-sack musician Gary Sheller in tones of hushed regret. Of the three, only Paul ("Shaun of the Dead's" Simon Pegg) plays a part in the story that follows, set two years earlier.

Gary (Freeman) is a thirtysomething Londoner now living in New York, a nice but hapless bloke with all the detritus of a movie midlife crisis. Since his band broke up seven years ago, he has eked out a living scoring TV commercials, to the increasing chagrin of his mildly depressive live-in girlfriend Dora (the helmer's sister, Gwyneth Paltrow). Even worse, Gary's friend and former bandmate, Paul, is doing quite well for himself in an advertising career.

Given Dora's irritable demeanor and Gary's tendency to aggravate it by saying exactly the wrong thing, it's no surprise that their love life is mutually unsatisfying. So when Gary starts having recurring dreams about a beguiling mystery woman (Penelope Cruz) who seems to offer more of herself to him every night, they have a rejuvenating effect. Wanting more, he takes an active interest in lucid dreaming - the act of becoming aware of and even controlling one's dream state - getting all sorts of tips from a New Age-y, self-styled expert (an amusing Danny DeVito).

Gary's growing obsession with manipulating his nocturnal entertainment - he sound-proofs his bedroom and gets cranky whenever he's awakened mid-dream - doesn't improve his relationship with Dora; somehow, even Paul's foolhardy dalliances in cybersex manage to widen the rift. Eventually Dora announces they need time apart and jets off to Venice, leaving Gary to indulge his fantasies to the fullest.

But after a wide-awake Gary sees Anna's face plastered on the side of a bus, he soon learns she's a real-life model (whose actual name, Melodia, strikes a rather obvious note), and Paul all too conveniently books her for a commercial. The foundation for Gary's discovery and face-to-face meeting with his fantasy lover isn't particularly well-laid, but by this point, the script has set a fascinating structural dilemma for itself, and Gary and Melodia's waking interactions easily compel one's interest and anticipation.

Subsequent plot turns are anything but predictable, and the tale begins to take on a quiet gravity as Gary's fantasy life is increasingly infected by his reality. The moving denouement is both a testament to the power and necessity of dreams and a bittersweet acknowledgment of their limitations.

With so many first-time helmers lately piling on the flash and visual gimmickry, the measured pacing and almost crystalline purity of Jake Paltrow's direction can't help but come as a soothing relief. The film-making is arguably too tasteful at times; intriguing as they are, Gary's dream sequences are absent any real sense of mystery or danger, and the use of stately fade-ins and fade-outs as delineating markers leads to some rhythmic awkwardness. In "The Science of Sleep," dreams and reality blurred together inscrutably; here, they exist opaquely side-by-side.

Best known Stateside for "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and the BBC's "The Office," Freeman carries the movie in his sleep, so to speak, showing terrific leading-man chops in a delightfully shaggy, self-effacing role. Continuing her dowdy-brunette look from "Running With Scissors," Gwyneth Paltrow comes through with a prickly, witty characterization that, despite a maudlin streak, occasionally lets the sun peek through.

Supporting perfs are similarly well handled. Looking as ravishing as she did in "Volver" (with no small help from Verity Hawkes' splendid costumes, including one striking white tux), Cruz breaks her so-called English-language curse with a role that requires her to be seductive and not much else. Needless to say, she acquits herself admirably. And Pegg, with his crack comic timing, pockets every other scene as Gary's lovable bastard of a best friend.

Production design is aces, the predominantly gray scheme of Gary and Dora's dreary apartment providing a "Wizard of Oz"-like contrast with the vivid colors and textures of the film's dreamscape; Giles Nuttgen's cinematography astutely follows in kind. Alec Puro's unobtrusively melodic score, which incorporating a tender composition Gary writes late in the picture, plays an especially significant role.

Gotham-set pic was largely filmed in London -- a disjunction that, given the film's Anglophilic bent, almost makes sense."

Cool romantic with great cast

[robertemerald · 7/10 · 25 November 2019]

The obvious comparison for The Good Night is Sliding Doors (1998). Two 'stories' run side by side, although in The Good Night things are a far lighter affair. Both movies also feature Gwyneth Paltrow, whom in this movie is delightfully down-to-earth. Overall this is a great examination of modern relationships, and ends up with a pleasing, if simple, message. Highlights include Penélope Cruz at her sexiest in essentially two roles, one where she is a great knock-about girl and fairly ordinary if outspoken, and the killer role where she is a real siren, which comes with enough startlingly sexy images as to be worth watching the movie for that alone. Martin Freeman here can be imagined as the same character he was in The Office (2001), if not a few years older. Simon Pegg is that character we know from Mission Impossible, if not a little more assertive and original. Danny DeVito is perfect in his role as an adviser/friend. All have some great lines. The soundtrack isn't challenging, but it is used well. There's some narration too that is also used well. I didn't find it laugh out loud funny, but the performances and the script, the story and its editing, were enough to keep me interested throughout. The contrast idea of Brits in New York may occur to some viewers as being a positive depiction as well. The boys work really well with the girls. The Good Night is a sort of feel good movie, one in which many of us will recognise characters and situations we know ourselves, and in that sense it is a little bit of a masterpiece.

A dull man resorts to living out his life through dreams.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 12 February 2022]

In many ways, "The Good Night" is like the Thurber story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty". It's also about a dull man who retreats into a fantasy world instead of living out his fantasies for real. But unlike "Mitty", "The Good Night" is incredibly dull and lifeless....and makes for difficult viewing.

Gary (Martin Freeman) is a man whose best years, it seems, are behind him. In his youth, he'd been in a rock band. Now, he's writing music for TV commercials and his marriage is hollow and unfulfilling. So, he begins to retreat into a fantasy world in his dreams where a perfect woman (Penelope Cruz) loves him unconditionally and wants him physically. What's to become of his marriage and what will happen if he actually in real life meets a woman who seems to be the fantasy lady?

It's odd that the film is about a guy who writes music and yet there is so little incidental music in the film. Too often it's quiet and flat...which, I understand , it a metaphor for Gary's inner life. But it makes for tough viewing and the film really could have used an infusion of energy.

By the way, although I am a trained therapist, I've never put a ton of stock in dream interpretation...particularly Freudian dream interpretation. But clearly this film IS incredibly Freudian and Gary tends to use his fantasies as wish fulfillment....and Analytic psychotherapists would no doubt adore the movie since it's based so much on Freudian concepts.

Overall, it's not a bad film but it's also one which COULD have been so much better. A story about mid-life crises and disaffection is potentially very watchable and insightful...but this one just didn't hit that mark. The issues it touches on are great and I liked the ending...but why did the journey there need to be so lifeless?