Sarah Polley Books

It is too easy to compare this to Pulp Fiction but yes it has a lot in common with the Tarantino film. Clever dialogue, three main stories whose characters overlap and lots of jumping forward and backward in time. It is still a lot of fun and what sets this film apart is its energy and extremely talented young cast. The first story concerns Ronna (Sarah Polley). She is desperate enough to become a drug dealer for one night since she is facing eviction. Her coworker Simon (Desmond Askew) who deals from the supermarket where they both work has just left for Vegas and two of his customers soap actors Zach and Adam (Jay Mohr and Scott Wolfe) are hoping to score something "euphoric". They ask Ronna if she can hook them up instead. Ronna agrees and becomes involved with Simon's dealer Todd (Timothy Olyphant). He gives her the drugs even though he doesn't do favors and Ronna doesn't have enough money to pay for them. When she meets Zach and Adam for the buy she can tell that something isn't right so she flushes the pills and leaves before anything can happen to her. Now she doesn't have the cash or the pills to give back to Todd and to top it off her best friend Claire (Katie Holmes) who was against the plan from the beginning is being held as collateral by Todd. Ronna comes up with an idea of how she can make the money back. The second story concerns Simon and his trip to Vegas with his mates (Taye Diggs, James Duval, and a hilarious Breckin Meyer). During their crazy two days in Vegas they have to combat diarrhea from the all you can eat shrimp buffet and two small time Mafiosos who want to kill them since Simon as he puts it "slept with two girls, stole a car, and shot a bouncer". This story was the most humorous notably Breckin Meyer as a whiteboy who "sees black" when he looks in the mirror and Taye Diggs listening to him with little patience. It was also fun to see Frank the rabbit from Donnie Darko James Duval out of the bunny suit. The final story concerns Zach and Adam. Turns out they got busted for pot and in order to have the charges dropped they have to give the cops Simon. Wearing a wire they arrange the buy from Simon but instead make the deal with Ronna who had the good sense to leave and not go through with it. Their handler is a cop named Burke (William Fichtner). Fichtner a character actor who usually plays twisted sadists is so funny in this role it is as the EPK says an unforgettable performance. Burke is interested in these guys, really interested. He comments on their muscular bodies and wonders if they have girlfriends. He even handcuffs them and demonstrates the proper way to frisk and cuff a suspect. Just when you think Burke is gay the script reveals him to be something else entirely same goes for Zach and Adam. The whole Burke subplot is just as funny if not funnier than the Vegas segment. The film ties up all the loose ends in terms of Ronna and the drug deal, Claire and Todd's relationship, Zach and Adam after Burke is done with them, and if the Mafiosos ever catch up with Simon. Sarah Polley and Katie Holmes are both very sexy and equally good actresses. It is nice to see Holmes with her long hair and a little curvier than what she looks like today. The film has a pulsing techno soundtrack throughout as the main showpiece is a rave where all the characters collide. The DVD has eleven deleted scenes some good some bad, three music videos including No Doubt, a very brief six minute making of that features some good interviews, and a director and editor commentary.

This clever child of Pulp Fiction and Rashomon is a sheer delight. If you are tired of Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Carol or are just looking for another Christmas film then look no further. Although not recomended for youngsters, don't let the talk of drugs and sex deter you. It is all done in a spirit of fun. You will see a lot of your favorites from TV (including the present Mrs. Tom Cruise) and find much to make you laugh.

Normally I would give "Go" 4 stars, but since I am in it as a movie extra during the rave scene, it gets 5 stars. God it was so long ago since I worked on this, when I was young and still able to do raves. I remember after filming the last rave scene, we wrapped at 6 in the morning at the Santa Monica airport. I had to be at Paramount Studios to film a tv pilot the same morning. I slept in my car for 1/2 an hour and worked the rest of the day exhausted. My memories of the making of "Go". I just remember how magical it was filming the rave scenes, it was good times, cool music and the energy was fantastic. The scenes are some of the better parts of the movie. "Go" is definately a unique film, it still stands the test of time and holds it's own. The acting is great, I love Timothy Olyphants role the best, he is intense as the drug dealer and hot. I was shocked to see him recently in "Live Free or Die Hard", we're all getting old, I saw his grey hairs. His acting was better in this film, same type of jerk character though. Who would have ever thought Katie Holmes would end up marrying Tom Cruise. She was so young when she did this, I'm sure she didn't have a clue either. This was probably her only good movie role despite all her fortune and fame. Honestly, she is a crap actress and sad that her legacy could be just the "wife" of Mr. Cruise. With all the sidetracking I've done in this review, I hope someone finds it interesting, a little behind the scenes of "Go", my little part of history in the film, just a lowly movie extra dancin' in the background.

I love this movie! I live for the cat scene. It's a fun preclub movie. I just hate when Dawson's Creek characters move away from the Creek and onto the silver screen. If I have to watch Kate Holmes push her hair behind her right ear, while she angles her head down and shrugs her shoulders, ONE MORE TIME!!! AHHHH! She needs to play a bald roll. It will mark the end of her career.

Okay, I went off there. Can you blame me? How many more Sandra Bullocks do we really need?

I recently caught a viewing of Go, at a independent theater in New York where director Doug Liman spoke after the showing. It seemed that he genuinely believed this was his best work (also did Swingers, and Mr and Mrs Smith), he seemed reminiscent of the time he was doing independent films. What killed this films chances when it came out(besides the state of film in the late 90's) I think was the top billing of Katie Holmes. A lot of people probably thought this film was your average teen drama, but it was hardly that. I was one of the youngest people at the screening (21), but everyone was laughing, and excited. Like a previous reviewer said, this is a young adult thriller. The film is an adrenaline rush, the plot is out of sequence (Pulp Fiction similarity), and its key plot points include: a drug deal gone wrong, rave party, crazy Vegas trip, and an undercover drug bust gone wrong. The characters are all great, acting is especially good (Polly and Olymphant were the best), and the story never ebbed. Every minute is worth it (it's only 90 minutes). A tribute to decadence, and recklessness all for our viewing pleasure.

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