The Good Night (2007)

A former pop star who now writes commercial jingles for a living, experiences a mid-life crisis.

Director:

Jake Paltrow

Writer:

Jake Paltrow

Stars:

Martin Freeman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Penélope Cruz

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Keith Allen	...	Norman
Steffan Boje	...	Karlheinz
Penélope Cruz	...	Anna / Melodia
Danny DeVito	...	Mel
Sonia Doubell	...	Shawna
Martin Freeman	...	Gary Shaller
Michael Gambon	...	Alan Weigert
Stephen Graham	...	Victor
Kate Harper	...	Ballet Teacher
Gael Le Cornec	...	The kitchen chef
Bruno Lastra	...	Italian Slickster #2
Martino Lazzeri	...	Italian Slickster #1
Meredith MacNeill	...	Tica
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Dora Shaller
Simon Pegg	...	Paul

Storyline

Former British pop star Gary Shaller (Martin Freeman) is at a crossroad in his life: his job in New York City is going nowhere, his American wife, Dora (Gwyneth Paltrow), drives him crazy, and he passed his thirtieth birthday four years ago. Add to that his best friend Paul (Simon Pegg) seems to become more successful every time he breathes. Gary is feeling depressed and dejected, until he meets Anna (Penélope Cruz). She's glamorous and smart; she's seductive and witty. Best of all, she's crazy about Gary. Anna is the girl of Gary's dreams, literally. And that's the problem. Gary can only see Anna in his dream life, so he has 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 who ultimately give him a new perspective on life.

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Plot Keywords:

lucid dreaming | lucid dream | lucid dreams | dream | girl | 

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Taglines:

A comedic fantasy.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK Germany USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

18 January 2008 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Good Night

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,377, 7 October 2007

Gross USA:

$22,441

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$508,084

Company Credits

Production Co:

Good Night Productions, Inferno Distribution, Destination Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Simon Pegg and Martin Freeman appeared in Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007), and The World's End (2013).

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Quotes

Terry: [Paul and Gary are hiding in Terry's apartment] I know you're here, Paul. The doorman told me you just came in. Come out and I won't be mad.
Paul: [sits up on the couch] Did you or did you not fuck a lumberjack by the name of Randy?
Terry: That's none of your business.
Paul: Is that a yes?
Terry: I'm not answering that.
Paul: Oh, for fuck's -- well, all right, well -- What, does he go to the gym alll the time, does he?
Terry: What?
Paul: [picks up a vase of flowers] From Randy?
[smashes the vase]
Paul: I'm gonna rape you!
[...]

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Connections

References Gremlins (1984)

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Soundtracks

The Universal
Written by Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James (as Steven Alexander James) & Dave Rowntree
Performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Courtesy of N2K Publishing Ltd.

User Reviews

Good old fashioned dark comedy

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.