Written and directed by Daniel Antebi, Dev and Luca race through New York to stop Regina, on a righteous mission to murder her ex-boyfriend. Starring: Ben Groh, Dion Costelloe, Liz Caribel, Yvette Mercedes, Sol Miranda and Jared Abrahamson.
One of the first things that comes to mind with God’s Time is that it feels like a modern day Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: the fourth wall breaks, the hyped energy and the fast pacing hit that same tone. Now, the two have very little to do with each other when it comes to story but that’s a different matter. The way that it moves also feels like a great representation of the recovered addict’s persona, looking to find that thrill elsewhere and needing to keep forward momentum, perfectly matched with Dev (Ben Groh). It’s colourful, it’s ultra modern and it builds that classic feel of a chaotic day, following the characters as things spiral out of control. In that sense it feels more parallel to Zola, with eccentric, unpredictable personalities and an intoxicating frenzy to the atmosphere.
A big part of that is the performance from the leading trio Ben Groh, Dion Costelloe and Liz Caribel, each of them bring a big energy in a different way. Starting with Groh’s hapless but hopeful Dev, he’s chaotic and reckless but has a huge heart and a refusal to quit, even when he should. Costelloe’s Luca is the reliable best friend, side by side in recovery and willing to support Dev even in his wildest of antics. Caribel’s Regina is the unexpected element, you can get the vibe of her personality quickly but the psychology behind it is revealed as God’s Time moves forward, making her a mystery to unwrap. Together the three of them build a greatly entertaining and vibrant feel to the film which keeps you absolutely glued in for every minute.
That energy combined with the quick pacing is a gigantic strength of God’s Time, it creates a hugely satisfying flow to the movement of the story. It’s always got something new to add, the adventure gets crazier and the risk gets bigger. There’s a fantastic use of music and particularly the jazzy score with tops the opening scene is a clever touch. One of the great things about it is that it forever focuses on the friendship between Dev and Luca, it brings romance into it but it never takes the limelight fully. It succeeds where so many others have failed, to make a film that reflects a modern tone and still holds onto a huge dollop of charm and genuine fun.
God’s Time is crazy and endearing, like the energy of a new puppy, you’re not quite sure where it’s going to go or how much of a mess it’s going to make along the way but you can’t stop watching. The lead actors all do a brilliant job, watching Ben Groh, Dion Costelloe and Liz Caribel bring these characters to life is absolute chaos, in the best way. There are the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to fourth wall break films but this one falls unquestionably into the good. It ticks a box which a lot of films seem to forget about these days, it’s a hell of a good time.
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