Just Pass "Go!"

by Jason R. Hewlett

I'm getting tired, folks. Really, really, REALLY tired of all these movies being released that are a teen version of some other popular film or T.V. show or whatever. We've had "Dangerous Liaisons" for teens in the form of "Cruel Intentions." We've had a fourth rate "Star Wars" for teens with "Wing Commander." We've even had a regurgitated cop show for teens with "The Mod Squad." Now we get "Pulp Fiction" for teens with Doug "Swingers" Liman's newest film "Go" and well it isn't as bad, or offensive, as the above mentioned films it is pretty dang weak and uninspired.

"Go" has been labeled as an edgy comedy by its' promoters. It features three stories that interweave characters between them. It starts a few minutes before the end of the movie, then works its' way back through the story to the beginning and follows through with a short wrap-up (hope that made sense) that resolves the three separate stories and finishes the film. All three "mini-movies" focus around the underground rave/drug scene in L.A. and feature a varied collection of seedy/quirky characters and dialogue that tries to be hip. If all this sounds like another movie by some guy named Tarantino then you're right. It does feel and play allot like "Pulp Fiction" with one exception: at the time "Pulp Fiction" and movies heavy on the hip chitchat were new and fresh. However, in the five years since Tarantino's masterpiece we've been bombarded by an endless stream of like-minded films and there is nothing surprising nor cool to the concept any more. Actually, it's not edgy at all. It's boring.

This isn't to say that the film is a total failure. Doug Liman is a great director. He knows how to pace his work and bring life, energy, and realism to a scene. He also pulls solid work from his actors, most notably TV stars Katie Holmes and Scott Wolf. They show some surprising range here in this film. The true find however is Canadian actress Sarah Polley, seen most recently in Don McKellor's "Last Night." She does some great work here and turns her character of Ronna, a pretty shady type, into someone quite smart and likable.

The film's problems lie with its script by John August. Five years ago this would have been fresh but he whole thing feels pretty tired. Also, with the exception of Ronna, none of the characters in the film are worth rooting for. Even in "Pulp Fiction" the scummiest character was likable up to a point. Here we get a collection of flat lowlifes. Well played lowlifes, but flat none-the-less.

Maybe I'm just frustrated by the rut Hollywood has slid into lately. Movies, for the most part, don't feel like movies anymore. They feel like products aimed at the lowest common denominator and, with the odd exception of the great movie "The Matrix," there doesn't seem to be much end in sight till summer when the blockbusters hit the screen and even then, most of them will probably not live up to the hype. Wake me when "Star Wars: Episode 1" opens!

3 out of 10!