Not Many Good Things
David Marks (Ryan Gosling) always felt like a disappointment to his father, the powerful real estate tycoon Sanford Marks (Frank Langella), and despite finding happiness with working-class student, Katie McCarthy (Kirsten Dunst) who together set up home away from the city that feeling still lingers. Persuaded to return to the city at the cost of his own happiness David goes to work for his father whilst Katie returns to college before applying to medical school. But between Katie's new found independence, David's mood swings and his not wanting to have children things start to go wrong till Katie suddenly disappears. 20 years later the unsolved case of Katie's disappearance is re-opened when one of David's friends is found dead and he is a suspect.
I watch a lot of made for TV movies and to be honest I am surprised that "All Good Things", which is inspired by the story of Robert Durst, was not made in to a TV movie as movies inspired by real crimes seem to work better on the small screen than big. Unfortunately "All Good Things" doesn't really work either and seems a generic movie which fails to deliver the depth needed for the story to really work and come alive.
Now the thing is that movies inspired by true stories especially those which are true crimes are naturally fascinating as there is that aspect of human nature which is interested in knowing. That aspect is part of what will keep you watching "All Good Things" as you will want to know why David Marks seems so screwed up whilst you will want to know what happened. Unfortunately this is where you are really let down because there are no answers and there is no depth which means by the time the movie is over and we have been lead through Marks' troubled life you won't know anymore than what you started with.
Luckily for director Andrew Jarecki he has a fine cast with Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst making "All Good Things" better than it really is. Now Gosling is a natural at playing these edgy types of character and he brings his natural ability to the movie so as David he can go from charming to edgy in a blink of an eye, flashing that smile and then delivering that stare. But then Dunst plays off of this and she delivers the cuteness which makes Katie attractive but then brings that aspect of a woman struggling in a marriage where she no longer understands her husband because of his behaviour.
What this all boils down to is that "All Good Things" has some things which are right and which keep you watching but unfortunately it lacks the depth to make the story really come to life.
