Hi Carol, sorry I didn't spot your post earlier.  I will try to answer as best I can about this film for you.  It is sad and definitely has a dark side.  Martin's character is an 'every man' who has hit a mid-life crisis and his life has become very unfulfilled.  His long time live in girlfriend is just dreadful and it seems like he takes a lot of emotional abuse from her, the same from his friends.  When he begins to dream about this beautiful, sexy woman it's because he needs something in his life that's exciting and wonderful.  It's supposed to be funny that his dreams keep getting interrupted night after night just before they get to the 'good part' (if you know what I mean) but it really was sad to me. I wanted him to have some happiness.  When he finally does get to meet this sexy woman in real life (she's a model), she treats him poorly.  I can tell you right now you won't like the ending.  At first you think everything is okay but then you realize, no, it's not okay. And the very, very end is highly ambiguous.  From your statements about 'meaningless twists of fate' and the character being 'needlessly crushed' - this is not a movie for you because that is exactly what happens.  I loved Martin in this and adored seeing him on screen just about every second; but my heart ached for his character.   Sorry I can't recommend it for you.

I bought the DVD, I watched it -- and I really liked it!  I may stop just short of saying I loved it, but I would certainly watch it again (in fact, I already have).  And my husband enjoyed it.

I too found the movie fascinating and thought-provoking.  For example, what significant difference is there between Gary's preoccupation with his dream life, and another person's preoccupation with, say, spectator sports or soap operas or internet chat rooms -- or Sherlock?  Am I (like the Everly Brothers) "dreaming my life away"?

The plot was strong enough that Freeman's performance didn't need to "make up" for anything -- but I do consider this one of his best.  The subtle emotions that play across his face are just wonderful.  (I swear, the man could do an entire movie without uttering a word, and still turn in a powerful performance.)

And the rest of the cast was very good.  Danny DeVito particularly impressed me, since I found his character rather endearing, as opposed to his usual (nicely done) obnoxious persona -- of course, he's obnoxious here too, but we're allowed to see behind that mask.  And I must mention Amanda Abbington, who was nicely wistful as "Vivian Jesson, Gary's first girlfriend."  Oddly, the role was uncredited, though Abbington did get "very special thanks" at the end.

As for the feared ending, I actually found it intriguing.  As opposed to the ending of Reuben, Reuben (where I felt that the movie had set me up for a nasty "gotcha!"), The Good Night's ending seemed perfectly fitting, in a cockeyed sort of way.  At this point, I am going to get specific, so I am issuing a

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* * * *  S P O I L E R    A L E R T  ! ! !   * * * *
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It seems to me that everybody got what they really wanted.  Mel has his best-seller, of course (though I still don't understand quite what that has to do with Gary -- inspiration, perhaps?)  Dora has a Gary who doesn't annoy her.  And Gary, after realizing that the perfect Anna was nothing but a figment of his imagination, has "grown up" sufficiently to find happiness with a somewhat-less-idealized version of a woman who actually knows and loves him -- plus there's always the hope that he may wake up, and may have learned enough to really work things out with Dora.

And "Happy Talk" cued in just perfectly!


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* * * *  Please continue to be wary of spoilers below!   * * * *
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Last edited by Carol the Dabbler (October 6, 2012 3:14 am)

I jumped the second time, too.  Bit overdone, perhaps, ... that ... ?

****  Continue Spoiler Alert!  ****

No, I wouldn't call the ending "happy" either, KeepersPrice, certainly not in a tra-la-la sense.  But, like I said, I found the ending "perfectly fitting, in a cockeyed sort of way."

The interviewees use mixed tenses when referring to Gary, and I think that's intentional.  His life has obviously changed drastically, so they tend to use the past tense when talking about how he used to be, and the present tense when talking about how he is now (though they may not be completely consistent, and it's definitely confusing).

I actually borrowed the "maybe he'll wake up" idea from the director-writer's audio commentary.  I didn't look closely at the hospital monitor, but if it does indeed show a flat line, that was a major continuity error.  Going by the commentary, Gary was intended to be alive but unconscious, dreaming happily about his recent decision to reconcile with Dora.

So, to sum up, my take is that Gary's attempt to patch things up with Dora outside the gallery is supposed to be real, as is the accident.  The scene on the lawn outside the dream house (where he once more chooses Dora over Anna) is of course a dream.  And finally, the few seconds in the hospital room is again real.  My sense about the use of "Happy Talk" is that it signifies Gary's feelings in the dream.

Nightwatching also has ambiguities for me, by the way, some of which I've posted on that thread (actually, I made a discussion/spoiler thread, in order to leave the regular Nightwatching thread for spoiler-free stuff).  Would love some discussion of that movie -- as well as more on this one!

Last edited by Carol the Dabbler (October 6, 2012 4:04 am)

You're right, Davina.  In fact, toward the end of the movie, someone quoted that part of the lyrics (I think it was Jarvis Cocker, who was playing himself).

I just ran across an interview where Martin Freeman discusses being in this movie.  Regarding the ending, he says:

The ending is one of the reasons I wanted to do it. When I got to the last page [of the script], I thought it was great way to finish it—sort of, unresolved. It could have been a lot happier. I like knowing that it’s enough for him to keep dreaming.

Random thoughts:

It seems like the people in Gary's everyday life (Dora and Paul) are taller than him, whereas the people associated with his new dream life (Anna and Mel) are shorter.  (It would have been an interesting touch if Penelope Cruz had worn lifts when she played the real-life Melodia.)

While we were listening to the commentary, my husband and I realized that we have been in the room where Dora's dream Van Gogh exhibit takes place.  It's the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.  We had just ducked in there to get out of the pouring rain on our way to the observatory, but then noticed what a beautiful room we were in.  Our photo didn't turn out well, so here's Wikipedia's (which unfortunately seems to have been taken from the other end of the room than the movie's pov.)

Last edited by Carol the Dabbler (October 15, 2012 3:11 am)