Go (1999)

3 out of 4

Starring: Sarah Polley, Katie Holmes, Desmond Askew, Scott Wolf, Jay Mohr, Timothy Olyphant, William Fichtner, Jane Krakowski

Director: Doug Liman

Time: 103 mins

The influence of Quentin Tarantino's seminal Pulp Fiction is never more evident than in Go, director Doug Liman's third film. It is a fascinating look into Los Angeles drug culture, inhabited by a host of young people who just want to have fun and party, but at the end of the day still have to pay the rent. Employing a similar, though not as dazzling, structure to Tarantino's crime classic, it documents what happens in one hectic night from three different viewpoints. These events seemingly have no relation to each other, but they all converge at the end. Writer John August throws his characters into dangerous situations, much like in Pulp Fiction, and even inserts the same type of right-angled turn into weird territory (though, again, not as audacious) that highlighted Pulp's third act. It even goes so far as to star someone who looks like Uma Thurman (Canadian actress Sarah Polley), who was such an integral part of Pulp's second act. In fact, one could almost label Go as Pulp Fiction Lite, or Pulp Fiction For 20-Somethings.

The film is divided into 3 sections. The first focuses on Ronna (Polley), a young woman working as a supermarket checkout girl who needs to raise a few hundred dollars or else get evicted. Simon (Askew), a fellow worker, offers to pay her to take his shift so he can go to Las Vegas with some of his mates. Later, when Adam (Wolf) and Zack (Mohr) asks if she can get some ecstasy for them, Ronna can see the dollar signs light up. She gets involved in a drug deal with Todd Gaines (Olyphant), but the deal goes awry and Ronna finds herself in some deep trouble. The second part of the film depicts Simon's adventures in Las Vegas with his mates, and the third shows how Adam and Zack got involved in the whole mess. Along for the ride are Ronna's friends Claire (Holmes) and Mannie (Nathan Bexton), as well as Burke (Fichtner), a cop who is out to bust Ronna but also, on the side, sells Amway-type products.

There is a lot to like in Go. The writing is not as sharp as in Pulp Fiction, but there are still several funny lines and tense situations. There is even a scene in the third stanza, when the perpetrators of a hit-and-run discuss what they're going to do about the victim, that reminds one of the hilarious "Bonnie Situation" chapter in Pulp. There is a definite energy that pervades the film, but one gets the feeling that Liman and August don't fully go for the jugular (so to speak). Of course, one might argue that Go's worth should be judged on its own, and not in comparison to Pulp Fiction. That's true, but with so many similarities, it's hard not to.

The cast of mostly young stars acquit themselves well. Polley, well-known for movies like Atom Egoyan's Exotica and The Sweet Hereafter and TV's Road to Avonlea, does a fine job as Ronna. Her desperation about her rental situation drives her into illicit dealings, but little does she know what she is about to get herself into. Askew is fun as the British bloke who just wants to spend a night in Vegas gambling and sinning, but little does he know what he is getting himself into. Best of all are Wolf (from TV's Party of Five) and Mohr (Tom Cruise's former boss in Jerry Maguire) as the couple who know what they're getting into, but are unsure how to get out. The other relatively well-known face, Katie Holmes, from TV's Dawson's Creek (gee, how many TV performers are there??), is adequate, but there is little for her to do.

It's a tough task to emulate a film like Pulp Fiction. Go uses a similar structure and plot, but doesn't quite hit us in the way Pulp did. Still, with its fast-paced story and some funny situations, it entertains all the way through. Go is not a classic, but it has the potential to be a minor cult favourite.

(c) Joe Wong (25 June 2000)