Highly Overrated But Still Good

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I rented this movie out, because it reminded me of the plot of UK low budget classic Shallow Grave. That's where the similarity ends, since Shallow Grave was actually good, this movie was slow to begin, slow in the middle, slow in the build up to the predictable somewhat dramatic ending.I feel as though the makers of this movie couldn't decide what it was. Was it a drama? A thriller? I've been noticing this more and more as the years go on, one of the reasons movies made by committee usually suck. Most of the truly great films were made because one Great Man made them great.The only positive in it, is that Kate Hudson is a fine actress and great to look at. I liked how she intoned the line "Guns are for pussies"; I'm inclined to agree. It's a pity this movie is for insomniacs and not fans of faster paced compelling thrillers. Tom Wilkinson was better as the genereic cop stuck with the task of solving what passed as the mystery element in this film, both he and Hudson was far better than Franco, who after a great early career, seems happy to get paid well, phoning in his performances. I thought he was thoroughly disinterested in the Planet of the Apes movie. 5/10

I never really had seen (or wanted to) a film with Kate Hudson. Now I know why. Maybe the worst performance for a lead character in any I've seen. Terrible script and even worse acting. I'm amazed that Ms. Hudson can still get work. Maybe it's because of her family's Hollywood connections (?) Not even the on locations shots saved this film. Even the music score was average at best. What more can I say. Not enough good to mention. Hard to make this ten lines worth as IMDb requires. Why??? I guess they think that people can't verbalize their feelings and opinions in less than ten lines of garbage. IMDb, please change your policy regarding this.

The movie isn't that bad as some want make us to believe. Okay it might be a story that we already have seen before but it has the merit that the acting is not bad at all and the filming is also good. You might get the feeling of been there, done that but I'm also sure that you already saw the same kind of movie but a worse version. You can't really fault the actors because they did their job making the whole scenario believable. It's not a movie that will make history but it's enough to keep you entertained for an evening. It's not really a thriller, it's just a crime movie, with the good people and the bad guys. Okay it's predictable, but is that not every movie with bad & good people? The good always win, and the villains always lose. Nothing new but watchable.

I generally don't like the "normal people find a lot of money" formula. I understand its value as a dramatic catalyst which invites to explore the reactions and attitudes of characters due to their unexpected richness, as well as the ethic complications that implies. And, in some cases, it also adds a danger element because of the illegal provenance of the money and the criminals who are surely looking for it. I understand the potential of the premise, and I have even liked some films which employed it (such as Shallow Grave and Millions), but in many occasions, it feels like an artificial and lazy trick. That might explain the apathy the film Good People provoked on me. Or it might be one of those mediocre movies, which aren't boring, but without any distinctive element to make it good or bad. Just... meh. James Franco, Kate Hudson and Tom Wilkinson make a credible work in their roles, despite how superficially written their characters are. Good People never reaches the level of dramatic intensity or visual virtuosity in order to capture the spectator beyond a vague curiosity to know how everything is going to end. And when we finally reach the conclusion, it's convenient and improbable. In conclusion, despite the apathy it provoked on me, I can give Good People a slight recommendation, because it managed to keep me moderately entertained.