Go
A Review by Jessica McCartney

In reviewing the movie GO, I feel that I must also review my own life, which is quite boring by comparison. I have ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS wanted to go to a rave. I mean, since the age of like 16, I've been trying to get on "the list" which will warrant me to receive an invitation to these exciting, energy filled, head pounding, sexy dance fests. Hell, I'd like to go to a party and get home when the sun is coming up, instead of going home early to walk my dog. The problem is I'm a loser. I do NOT take any sort of drugs, unless you count the gallons and gallons of alcohol I consume each weekend, and I am now married, which excludes me (unfairly I think) from cool, raucous parties. So, thank God for movies like GO, which allow me to live vicariously rough Katie Holmes. I can have a vicarious flat stomach, go to a vicarious rave and VICARIOUSLY HAVE SEX WITH A REALLY, REALLY HOT DRUG DEALER ON THE STAIRCASE OF HIS APARTMENT BUILDING. Guh. What a scene. Pay the eight bucks just for that. Oh wait, I should give you a rating system before we go any further.

Jessica's Rating System For Films is based on how I react when you ask me, "Did you like the movie?":

OH MY GOD, IT ROCKED, RUN TO THE THEATRES, IT'S ALMOST AS GOOD AS FERRIS BUELLER. (Shaking of head in disbelief of greatness, two hands in the air, dancing…)

IT WAS REALLY GOOD, INTERESTING. (then I change the subject or maybe shrug)

WELL, THE ACTING WAS GOOD. (this is accompanied by eye rolling)

IT WAS WORTH IT FOR THE JUNIOR MINTS. (again, shrugging)

I MIGHT RATHER SIT THROUGH STRANGE DAYS AGAIN. (no gestures, monotone, frowning)

For GO, I give it a OMG,IR,RTTT,IAAGAFB. I really thought I would NOT like this movie. Mainly because I saw that other Katie Holmes debacle, Disturbing Behavior, (which I thought described the screenwriter's actions more than the actors), and because I really feared a Pulp Fiction-ish attitude of laughing at tragedy, which I sure as hell didn't need this week. What happened was I was pleasantly surprised. The three separate stories were each able to stand on their own and hook me to the point that I didn't want THAT story to end, yet watching them all come together was, of course, the best part of all. In watching GO, I discovered some things:

  • Scott Wolf is actually a good actor, not just a guy-on-the-cover-of-Teen-Beat.
     
  • I have a psychological disorder… an actual, psychological disorder which leads me to IMMEDIATELY fall in love with the bad guy/villain/outcast.
     
  • Which leads me to my third point. TIMOTHY OLYPHANT…I LOVE YOU. If I had to go back and pick my, say, 5 favorite scenes in the movie, Todd Gaines, the drug dealer would be in three of them. OK, fine, I'll tell you my five favorite scenes without giving them away:
     
  • Ronna goes to get the 20 hits of X from Todd.
     
  • Todd and Claire are stuck together and he gets a phone call from Simon…let me say this…watch how Todd watches Claire. Frankly, I had goosebumps.
     
  • Simon meets the bridesmaids and visits them in their room.
     
  • Going to Christmas dinner with Adam and Zack.
     
  • And, of course, Todd and Claire have another "discussion" at the end of the movie…I'll never look at Family Circus the same way again.


I love these guys, the guys who made Swingers and Go, because the dialogue is so great, and half the time it's great without being riddled with swearing… it's clever and smart (got that Quentin?). I think a movie is effective if I'm quoting it for the next two days after I see it. Go lines that I'm quoting:

"Oh sure Ronna, let me just fill out a return slip and have my manager give you a REFUND."

"Thank you Rhythm Nation"

Claire: What are you going to do? Shoot all three of us? Todd: Claire, would you shut the fuck up? Please?

These quotes aren't funny to you, I know, but when you hear them in the movie, you'll laugh. There's another one that I can't print out of context, but rest assured, I almost wet my pants.

So, if I could end this on a Gene Schalitish note…my advice for this movie is…GO! HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHhahaahahahaaaaaooooooooo