Doug Liman stitches together a hip jigsaw puzzle of a film with sharp dialogue, cinematic pinnace, and interwoven storylines with Go (1999), his second feature. Think of it as a Pulp Fiction for the twentysomething LA underground scene.
Borrowing a time-rewind trick that’s become popular in the wake of Tarantino and Jim Jarmusch, Go follows three narrative threads that all begin with the same scene. First up is Ronna (Sarah Polley, whose sunken, half-awake eyes mix incredulity with jaded indifference), a harried, overworked, and desperately broke supermarket checker about to be evicted from her apartment. Fellow clerk Simon (Desmond Askew, more on him later) offers her his shift, and as chance would have it a pair of party-going guys looking to score drugs from Simon ask Ronna if she can help out. A plan hatches and her pal Claire (Katie Holmes) is roped into helping her make rent in one night… only nothing in this film is going to be that easy.
The second story involving Simon on a mad weekend in Vegas with a trio of buddies is the loosest of the sections, little more than a collection of shaggy stories and male sex fantasies that lead them to a dangerous run-in with a bouncer and his vindictive dad. The final story follows the two drug scoring dudes (Scott Wolf and Jay Mohr) from the first story through the mind games of a truly unnerving a cop (the subtly creepy William Fichtner, who adds a level of discomfort to every scene he’s in).
Go is inventively directed and packed with quirky turns by appealing young performers and the screenplay by John August offers a whole Christmas tree full of boxes that open through the course of the film. When it works it’s delightful, a zippy little picture that pauses here and there for a conversation about Tantric sex and how much “The Family Circus” comic strip sucks, only to take a left turn into unpredictable territory. When it doesn’t the film spins its wheels in pointless scenes and meandering conversations, but with this screenplay you only have to wait a few minutes for the weather to change.
Sure, it sacrifices plot for character but their journey is a blast. Polley and Holmes make more of their parts that the script even begins to suggest while the rest of the cast skates through on amiability and Lyman’s energetic direction. It’s all there in opening monologue, as Claire muses over what she loves about Christmas. It’s the surprise, the discovery of something completely unexpected.
Go tells the audience exactly what it’s going to get, and it gives it to them with style and sly humor. In this case, it’s more than enough.
Watch for a young Timothy Olyphant. It’s small part but he makes a big impression.
Director Doug Liman and actor Sarah Polley earned nominations at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Rated R
Also on Blu-ray and DVD and on SVOD through Amazon Video and/or other services. Availability may vary by service.
Go [Blu-ray]
Go (15th Anniversary Edition) [DVD]
Go [DVD]
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