Today’s quick review: Good People. Tom Wright (James Franco) and his wife Anna (Kate Hudson) are trying to start a family, but they can barely make rent. Their luck turns around when their downstairs neighbor dies, leaving behind a small fortune in stolen cash. Hiding the money from John Halden (Tom Wilkinson), the detective in charge of the case, Tom and Anna weigh the costs of using their ill-gotten gains to pay off their debts.
Good People is a crime drama about an ordinary couple who find a bag of stolen money. Their decision to hide it rather than turn it into the police sparks a chain of events that puts Tom, Anna, and those around them in danger. Good People features solid character work, an intriguing premise, and a grounded and unpredictable plot. The movie doesn’t hit quite as hard as it could have, but it makes for a worthwhile story nonetheless.
The heart of the movie is the Wrights, a loving couple with good reasons to make the choices they do. James Franco and Kate Hudson strike a delicate balance with their characters. Tom and Anna are affectionate but not saccharine, fallible but sympathetic, and surprisingly tenacious. Neither one is outstanding as far as dramatic characters go, but there’s enough nuance to them to give the film some weight and help its story find traction.
The other major part of the film is the tangled struggle for the money. What starts as a basic moral dilemma becomes urgent when Jack Witkowski (Sam Spruell), the criminal who stole the money, comes for what’s his, pursued by Khan (Omar Sy), a French drug dealer and the money’s original owner. The interactions between the factions make the film hard to predict and give the Wrights the chance to show their resourcefulness.
The result is a decent watch that never rises to the level of greatness. Good People goes reasonably far with its characters, its premise, and the chaos that follows. But the film falls short of its potential: the moral ramifications of the Wrights’ choices are examined only in passing, while the plot isn’t as cleverly coordinated as it could have been. As such, Good People has something to offer crime fans but won’t satisfy critical viewers.
For a crime drama about a family man forced to confront hardened criminals, try A History of Violence. For one about five people in a similar situation, try Money. For a more subdued drama about the influence of wealth on good people, try The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. For a black comedy starring Tom Wilkinson in a similar role, try Dead in a Week (or Your Money Back).
5.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for decent plot and character work.