Customer Reviews

Go (Special Edition)

5 star:		(129)
4 star:		(60)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

Doug Liman follows up Swingers with a very funny and well-written movie, with a fresh-faced cast. The story is enjoyably unpredictable, going back and forth in time, yet this is never confusing - quite the opposite, as you happily know that when something rather unexpected happens it will be explained later in the film. Katie Holmes is as appealing as ever, and the pairing of Jay Mohr and Scott Wolfe creates a very amusing partnership. The star is William Fichtner, who creates one of the oddest characters that I have seen for some time, as you can never quite work him out - but Desmond Askew is very annoying with his horrible 'cockerney' accent. Some of the lines are very sharp, and it's nice to know that not all American teenagers spend their time worying about who's going to take them to the prom. The extras on the DVD are extensive, with a wealth of very interesting deleted scenes (when there are two pages of them, you know that you're onto a good thing) - including a very funny improvisation. The commentary is interesting if you can bear the two rather dull voices on it, and there's a nice selection of music videos. The trailer's suitably eclectic, mixing all types of music to the mad goings-on that are on the screen, and only the featurette is disappointing, being a short and useless 'press-kit' promo with nothing of substance. Altogether, a very nice package - Go and buy it. Sorry...

"Go" is most assuredly an oddity. I remember a review for "Go" back in '99 that states something like, "'Go' is a much better film than it has any right to be." My feelings exactly.

The mark of a good director is being able to construct a good film translated from good script material. However, Doug ("Swingers") Liman's sophomore effort ably demonstrates that with style, intuition, and -- above all -- energy, he can craft a magnificent film from shoddy script material. In Hollywood lingo, this is damn near impossible to accomplish. So, thanks to Liman for smashing that preconception.

EVERYONE that reviews this mentions "Pulp Fiction" for obvious reasons, so I'll be no different. Yeah, it owes a lot to it. But PF owes big debts to other films, as well. Don't look at this as derivatives of derivatives, although some films definitely are. Try to view "Go" as something more cunning and sneaky than one might first think. First of all, attempting to find depth, soul, and social philosophy inside a movie entitled "Go" seems like a moot point to begin with. So roll with me here. That title itself should suggest that it's less likely to offer humane insight and is more concerned with feeling, sensations, adrenaline -- all of which wrap around the present moment: RIGHT NOW. This here is "Go"'s priority. And it's executed to exhilirating effect.

The stories go:
RONNA - needs extra shifts at her grocery store in order to make rent money this month. She takes amateur drug-dealer Simon's shift after a 14-hour stint, so he can go to Vegas with his buddies. But Zack and Adam (Jay Mohr and Scott Wolf), two soap opera actors, come calling on Simon but hook up Ecstacy through Ronna (Sara Polley) instead, Ronna dealing in hopes of closing that rent gap. She needs to get pills from Todd Gaines (Timothy Olyphant), but she leaves her friend and coworker Claire (cutie-pie Katie Holmes) with Todd as collateral while she goes off to deal with Adam and Zack. Ronna's "sale" goes dead-wrong, the stash gets flushed, so she opts for selling naive ravers allergy medicine and chewable aspirin to make up the difference, stalling Todd long enough not to find out. But he does. Complications ensue.

SIMON - begs Ronna to cover his shift at the "SONS" grocery store, and she accepts. He wakes up in a trunk, on the road to Vegas, and later acquires the location of a rowdy strip club from Todd over the phone (this phone conversation is the chief link between the first two stories). Simon (Desmond Askew) and pal Marcus (Taye Diggs) leave their gutter-butt friends in the room while they scope out this "Crazy Horse". A lap dance and a gunshot later, and the four guys have two pissed-off bouncers on their heels. Complications ensue.

ADAM & ZACK - are in trouble. Legal trouble, apparently a charge of possession. They decide to play ball and assist undercover Officer Burke (a disconcertingly funny William Fichtner) in busting Simon to clear their record, but Simon's in Vegas. They arrange a deal at the store later with Ronna, and setup the sting house, Burke being the principle dealmaker. At the deal, Ronna senses she's been had after a remark about orange juice, and Zack clues her to book out of there. The stash gets flushed, Ronna bullies her way out of there with a beer they offered her (she's only 17), and the "sale" ends. But Zack and Adam are NOT out of the woods yet. Though they've done what they were instructed, Burke has ulterior motives for the two and invites them over for an early Christmas dinner. Do they really have a choice? Complications (yes, that's right) ensue.

As long and arbitrary as those descriptions are, that is not even a half of what happens in the movie. All the surprises and shocks I left out, but there are many. The timeline jumping and reworking irks QT fans, but that trick's been employed since at least the '50s, so gripe elsewhere. "Go" illustrates how Generation Y (man, I hate these vague labels) is not about planning for the future, but trying to survive this very second. Liman's immediate and flashy camerawork (accompanied by "Traffic" Oscar-winner Stephen Mirrione's gifted editing) accurately captures those sheer moments of frenzy. Rent, sex, drugs, street justice -- all these are the impetuses to shoot the characters through this rollicking 24 hours across Los Angeles and Las Vegas just days before Christmas, and Doug Liman can handle these two Dystopias better than anyone out there, see "Swingers".

But "Go" is no "Swingers". It's darker and edgier, much racier -- a thrilling danger zone in which the viewer doesn't expect a stop in the action, and there isn't one. Though I saw "Go" twice in theaters 5 years ago, I could never pinpoint exactly what was the Main Attraction for me. 5 years later and wiser, maybe I figured it out. There is such earnestness and attitude, especially from the near-flawless ensemble of actors, in Liman's guidance that I conceive of him directing the film as if he were sitting three seats down in that dark auditorium watching the story unfold for the first time, right along with us.

This is a movie I should be discrediting for its lack of substance (even though it's mainly about ingesting substances), but I'm not. "Go" is just too damn fun: guilty-pleasure filmmaking of the highest order. Sleek, funny, sexy, shot full of vitality, don't ever hesitate to "Go" for broke.

I'd seen this movie around for ages but I never gave it a chance coz of one thing... somebody from Dawsons Creek was on the front! Out of pure boredom I decided to read a review anyway, just to find out how bad it was gonna be. First I looked at the rating, 5 out of 5!! Unbelievably it sounded like a really decent film so I rented it and boy was I pleasantly surprised! Go is a fast paced Comedy/Drama based on one story told from three angles. The first is one girls adventure to try and score some rent money by doing a first time drug deal with a menacing drug dealer. Meanwhile two soap opera actors have been busted for drugs and are helping the cops bust their dealer who is actually away in Las Vegas! The film opens with lots of quick shots at a rave, with Katie Holmes rambling on as if shes on all kinds of drugs - this was something I wasn't expecting, that good girl from Dawsons Creek completely out of it! We then move to a super market and meet one of the main characters Ronna (a superb Sarah Polley) Shes desperate for rent money the day before she is set to be evicted, and so hastley agrees to cover Simons (Desmond Askew) shift so that he can party in Vegas. Two guys arrive at her checkout wondering if she could sort them out for a party that they are going to. With money on the brain she accepts and takes Claire (Holmes) and Mani (Nathan Bexton) on a mission around LA to score some E. The nice thing about this film is that the three stories manage to connect really smoothly and not much brain power is needed. The cast are fantastic, all giving something to make this film very special. I now have changed my mind on that girl from Dawsons Creek and will now continue to call her Katie Holmes and will sometimes even tolerate Dawsons Creek. If you're gonna buy this, I recommend the DVD, its packed with loadsa goodies including an interesting Making of feature and 14 deleted scenes.

Loved Pulp Fiction? Then you will most likely enjoy a fun-ride called GO, directed by Doug Liman who also did Swingers and is currently attached to direct Bourne Identity with Matt Damon. I went into this movie expecting a typical teen comedy but I walked with my jaw dropped. I could not remember the last time I have seen a movie that was this much fun. This flick is pure example of how much fun a story can be. An intelligent, balls-out entertainment for everyone who enjoys fun movies. Most people tend to praise movies with a 'message', Go has no 'real' message but it does show how much fun something can be. Most people will try to live this story out on their own because it's just that good. Everyone, in some weird way, would love to experience what these bunch of people experienced in this movie. Comedy, sex, guns.. I can go and on.. but who can forget this fun cast who made the movie oh-so-memorable.

Here we have three separate stories that take place the same day/night. It's one of those things that shows you that everyone you meet has a story to their name, and what fun stories do these character have! First up we have Ronna Martin (Sarah Polley) who goes a bit too far and tries to screw a local drug dealer over, we all know how those stories end up but you'll never guess what turn this one takes. Ronna is a work related friend to Simon Baines (Demons Askew), a (...) British dude who just so happens to be friends with the drug dealer who is out to find Ronna. Simon decides to take some vacation time to Vegas with his buddies Marscus (Taye Diggs), Singh (James Duval) and Tiny (Breckin Mayer). Next up we have the third story that just barely fits into the loop. A story of Adam (Scott Wolf) and Zack (Jay Mohr), two guys who have been busted by a cop named Burke (William Fichtner) for a drug possession. Adam and Zack just so happen' to be friends with Simon, who use to hook them up with the right stuff thru the drug dealer Todd (Timothy Olaphant) who just so happens to be out to find Ronna who screwed him over. See how much fun this sounds like? Well, it is. I have seen this movie over thirty times and I am yet to get bored with it, every time I watch it, I get more and more entertained. It is just that much fun!

Go reminded me why I love movies so much, the fact that I can sit down and watch this movie over and over and not get bored. We rarely find movies such as this and it would be shame for any movie fan not to see it because it is a real treat. Older folks will not be drawn to this movie one bit because this movie will simply give them fuel for their fire. An excuse to rip the younger generations apart, so to say. However I will go as far as to say that if this movie was ever brought back to the big screen, I would definitely go back and see it again.

First thing I want to say is that THIS IS NOT A TEEN MOVIE. These are young adults doing young adult things-going to raves, experiencing the joys and not so many joys of being an adult. Definitely a slacker movie, and it has really no redeeming characters or morals, which is fun. The only things to learn is not to take too many Ecstacy pills and what not to do in the Champagne Room at a strip club (oh, and don't eat the shrimp at a buffet).

It's more the ride than the destination. I've tried to set my DVD player to shuffle to see if it will work, but this movie already so crazy you won't need it.

Take a Magic Carpet ride and GO!

Once you get over the Tarantino thing, Go becomes quite a ride of its own. Darkly funny, twisted and at times really sweet, Go makes for a good couple of hours of entertainment. Polley is terrific - her character reminds me more of Griffin Dunne's in After Hours. Holmes is cute, the guy trio on their Vegas jaunt are fine and Fox and Mohr are great together in this. In fact, all the roles are cast quite well. Kind of After Hours meets Pulp Fiction without the pedigree or historical significance.

If you like movies like Pulp Fiction and Two Days in the Valley, you'll really like Go!

Set over a 24 hour period, with very smartly overlapping plot lines and very well written. The slackers in this movie bring it up to a whole new level. Vegas, LA, grocery stores, strip clubs, raves, and casinos all set the backdrops of this story within a story within a...

The acting is great. Katie Holms, Sarah Polly, Tim Olyphant just to name a few people, take this from where it could have ended up...Obscure Goofball movie...to where it should be, on every shelf in every collection of people who enjoy great movies.

Narratively akin to Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction in its freewheeling, character-based structure, Go taps into a much funnier, less savage vein with a group of truly oddball characters and a plot that's less a plot than a paratactical series of events.

Sarah Polley wins this one hands down as the strongest protagonist of the bunch. Edgy, deliciously bitchy at times, and purposeful, her Ronna kicks off the movie with a bang. A breathless trek through her desperate 11th-hour attempt to make rent money gives this movie a relentless rhythm perfectly suited to director Doug Liman's cinematic techniques. This section also introduces the characters at their best: Katie Holmes' wonderfully oddball Claire; Timothy Olyphant as the dangerous and charming Todd Gaines. Easily the best section in this multiple-narrative movie, Ronna's sets the bar very high for the rest of the film.

Too bad the middle two sections meander way too much to the point of almost losing narrative drive altogether. Once Simon and his buddies hit Las Vegas, the pace slows down, dialogue gets multiplied disconcertingly, and events lose the kinetic energy of the drug-deal section. Personally I had a limited tolerance for Simon's silly exploits, best shown in the strip-club sequence. It's not much fun to watch a protagonist (and in his section, Simon is) who's constantly babbling with little motivation other than the most basic impulses.

The "Adam and Zack" section is even worse. Though it's nice to see the Ronna set-up from the other side, this section is the most languishing in the movie. A drop-dead boring dinner scene with flickers of comedy, and then the watery, dewy-eyed but completely uninteresting Scott Wolf comes along as pretty-boy actor Adam, ruining the irresistibly tough attitude of the movie. Jay Mohr fares much better as wishy-washy but proactive sidekick Zack, and he's the one who succeeds in driving the action somewhat in this section. Overall, however, the "Adam and Zack" section is like one long, not-so-exciting sitcom episode.

The final section, thankfully, rediscovers the engine of the movie when Claire re-enters the scene. Katie Holmes' interactions with Olyphant (who does a marvellous 180-degree turn to become a starry-eyed macho specimen in this segment) are priceless, and it's here that the funniest bits of the movie emerge: Claire screaming at the club guys looking to kill Simon (Holmes' final reaction shot in this sequence is hilarious); Ronna re-entering the movie (with a limp, no less) and discovering what she'd forgotten amidst all the mayhem; Manny's re-entrance.

One star off for those shaky middle points aforementioned. But the comic jewels we pick up along the way, in the beginning and at the end are well worth suffering through the weaker moments.

This movie has everything you're looking for in a good action/drama movie. Sex, drugs, gunfights, and a lot of laughs. If you have ever seen or heard about the movie "Magnolia", you will realize that the theme is somewhat the same. The way the movie is aligned, it shows that everyone's lives are interrelated, and for one crazy night, this movie shows you how. This movie takes you everywhere from the everyday supermarket to underground rave parties, casinos, to stripclubs. I highly suggest that if this sounds remotely interesting to you, at least rent it.

It is an old technique to link three stories under a similar theme and tie them together in the one film. It was done in memorable films such as Neil Simons "Plaza Suite" and in "The Yellow Rolls Royce".

Here, the technique is souped and hyped up to modern fast lane speed.
Story one is the tale of Ronna, the rude shop clerk facing eviction who is handed the opportunity to sell drugs to get herself out of debt. But she finds herself set up in a police sting, and then has to double cross the drug dealer to stay solvent. One bad move begets another and she ends up in a carpark at night having her live saved by being run over by a car. Sounds incredible, but it works brilliantly. This part of the movie owes a lot to Pulp Fiction and True Romance.

Story two is Ronnas drug dealing english buddy on his trip to Vegas. He loses his money, scores with two bridesmaids, burns down the hotel room, steals a car with his buddy, goes to a strip joint, shoots the pimp and has to exit Vegas in a high speed car chase to avoid being shot himself. Unbelievable? But it works. This section of the movie pays homage to college/road movies such as American Pie, Planes Trains and Automobiles and Road Trip.

Story three is the gay TV detective stars forced into a police sting to clear a drugs charge. Their day descend into consumer hell when they find the only way to clear their rapsheet is to sign up an "Amway" style franchise with the detective. They kill Ronna in the carpark, but then come back to save her, and perversely do the right thing for all the wrong reasons. This is the most surreal part of the movie, replete with dangerous sexual situations that cannot be consumated.

Backed up by a sizzling sound track, full of excellent jokes and side-splitting situations, this is a really good black comedy. Top viewing! I can't understand why it never screened in Europe. Oh I do! It is all very black, and very adult and probably bombed in the USA.