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.

---

Plot Keywords:

lucid dreaming | lucid dream | lucid dreams | woman wears a fringe bra | woman wears a rhinestone bikini | 

---

Taglines:

Dreaming is believing

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Music | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

When they're in the new age bookstore, Paul (Simon Pegg) says to Gary (Martin Freeman), "What are we doing in the hobbit hole?" Martin Freeman played Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit trilogy.

---

Quotes

Anna: [Melodia on street] You're making me feel like I have to break up with you- and I don't even know you.

---

Connections

Featured in WatchMojoUK: Top 10 Martin Freeman Performances (2018)

---

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

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

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.

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