It’s been nearly 30-years since Quentin Tarantino released Pulp Fiction. The Oscar nominee still remains relevant as one of the best films ever made. Naturally, the popularity of Tarantino’s second film sparked a couple of copycats throughout the years. That’s where Doug Liman‘s Go comes in.
Released five years after the original Pulp Fiction, Go notably stars Sarah Polley, Katie Holmes, Timothy Olyphant, Jay Mohr, William Fichtner, Taye Diggs, and Scott Wolf. The film is about Ronna (Polley), a grocery store clerk who is desperate for cash. She gets an opportunity to sell drugs to soap opera actors Adam (Wolf) and Zack (Mohr), unaware that Adam and Zack are secretly working for obsessed narcotics officer Burke (Fichtner).
On the surface, Go seems like Pulp Fiction knockoff, especially with the structure of the entire film. However, the Doug Liman feature is way deeper than that as the story and characters are the biggest highlight in a film that feels like it’s own by the time the end credits begin.
As Expected, The Story Is Wild But Consistently Entertaining
The Pulp Fiction structure is laid out perfectly here. There’s never a moment where the film feels out of place and the story never overlap or cause confusion. The structure follows three different characters, all of which have something to do with the drug story involving Ronna. Her goal is quite simple honestly. She needs money to pay rent. However, that’s a strong motivation to kick the plot around.
Go never has moments just for the sake of being wild or absurd. The three connected stories are engaging from beginning to end. The best (in my personal opinion) is with Simon (Desmond Askew), Marcus (Diggs), Mannie (Nathan Bexton), Switterman (Robert Peters) in Las Vegas. The story goes in the expected direction because it’s in Las Vegas. However, once the second act kicks in then it becomes a full ride from beginning to end.
That isn’t to say that the other two stories aren’t any good. Zack and Adam’s story of working with Officer Burke provides some hilarious moments. Plus, there plight over what to do with a dead body that they ran over is one of the best comedic moments in the film. As I previously stated, Ronna’s story is rather simple and though she loses the shine once the story shifts focus, her and Claire are arguably the heart of Go. The film is mostly quirky and loose, with sharp writing and quotable dialogue that helps keep up the frantic pace.
The Characters Are The Stars Here
Like Pulp Fiction, the biggest draw is the stars. The dialogue itself pops off the page with nice gusto, but the actors are fully game and committed to the story. Despite a story dealing with drugs, most of the main characters come off as likable. More importantly, they’re distinct from one another.
Ronna never feels the same as Claire Montgomery (Katie Holmes). The same goes for Adam and Zack, or any of the characters throughout the three stories. Ligman nicely constructed Go that develops characters like Ronna, yet her desperate plead for money isn’t treated as some melodramatic cause that could’ve weighted down the entire film.
Go is simply that. It’s a fun ride that features a ban of colorful characters that the story navigates through during an insane night. It’s not in the vein of Pulp Fiction where we’re following a bunch of killers and shady dealers. Ronna is sympathetic, though Ligman never makes any apologies for her actions. The acting is on point in all three stories.
Adam and Zack stand out the most from the this perspective because their arc has more emotional weight than others. Still, everyone pulls off their characters flawlessly and no one sticks out like a sore thumb.
Go Is Beyond A Pulp Fiction Clone
Go is just a great film. Pulp Fiction isn’t the first film in history to have a knockoff and certainly isn’t the last. The key thing about Go is that it never tries to imitate the Tarantino classic. All the moving parts in the story feels organic and fresh, which is why it’s easy to forget that the structure is a carbon copy of Pulp Fiction.
The energy is infectious. The characters and dialogue are fun. You’ll laugh and even be on the edge of your seat at times! Go is a must watch film for any cinephile out there. It’s not a profound or thought-provoking piece, but that doesn’t make the film any less engaging.
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