# Go (1999)

### reviewed by
Greg King

GO (M). (Columbia Tristar) Director: Doug Liman Stars: Sarah Polley, Katie Holmes, Timothy Olyphant, Desmond Askew, Taye Diggs, Breckin Meyer, James Duval, Scott Wolf, Jay Mohr, William Fichtner, J E Freeman, Nathan Bexton, Jay Paulson, Jimmy Shubert, Jane Krakowski Running time: 102 minutes.

Doug Liman's follow up to Swingers is a much more entertaining and accomplished film, and one of the cinematic surprises of this year so far. The film also features a hot and hip ensemble young cast, drawn primarily from the world of television soaps (Katie Holmes from Dawson's Creek and Scott Wolf from Party Of Five), and a number of rising actors on the cusp of stardom.

Go deals with a drug bust gone wrong, and the narrative thread follows the various characters through an incredibly hectic 24 hour period.

Ronna (Sarah Polley, from The Sweet Hereafter, etc), a check out clerkk in a Los Angeles supermarket, is about to be evicted from her apartment because she is behind in her rent. She agrees to take a double shift, thus allowing her colleague Simon (beautifully played by British actor Desmond Askew) to go to Vegas with three friends. Ronna is approached by Adam (Scott Wolf) and Zack (Jay Mohr, from Jerry Maguire, etc), the stars of a popular tv soap opera, who are looking for some drugs to liven up a party later that evening. Ronna reluctantly agrees, hoping to score some extra money on the side.

She buys the drugs from Simon's contact Todd (Timothy Olyphant, from Scream 2, etc), "the nice drug dealer". But when she approaches the two actors, she finds out the whole thing is a set-up.

Go explores the aftermath of this drug deal. The film then switches to follows Simon's misadventures in Vegas. While two of his friends come down with food poisoning, Simon and Marcus (Taye Diggs, from How Stella Got Her Groove Back) visit a strip joint and run afoul of the management. They are pursued back to LA by the club's owner (J E Freeman), with murder on his mind.

Meanwhile, we learn more about the relationship between Zack and Adam, and how they came to be blackmailed into co-operating with a sleazy cop (William Fichtner, from Armageddon, etc) for the drug operation.

First time writer John August has obviously been inspired by Tarantino and, in particular, Pulp Fiction, and Go wears its influences openly and proudly. In his sophomore film Liman handles the various narrative strands with assurance, and brings the whole thing full circle to a satisfying finish.

Liman directs the complex structure with energy and style, and shows that he is quite adept at staging some inventive action sequences. The use of hand held cameras, especially during the exciting car chase through the streets of Las Vegas, adds to the movie's breakneck pace. The film is also suffused with generous dollops of wry black humour, and a marvellous soundtrack that seems to propel the action along.

    Go is an exhilarating, entertaining and stylish film!  Don't
    miss it!

    ****
    greg king
    http://www.netau.com.au/gregking

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