It has been almost 30 years since Quentin Tarantino released pulp Fiction. The Oscar nominee still remains relevant as one of the best films of all time. Of course, the popularity of Tarantino’s second film has spawned a few imitators over the years. Here Doug Liman‘S Go comes in.
Published five years after the original pulp Fiction, Go especially stars Sarah Polley, Katie Holmes, Timothy Olyphant, Jay Mohr, William Fichtner, Taye Diggs and Scott Wolf. The film follows Ronna (Polley), a grocery store clerk in desperate need of money, who gets the opportunity to sell drugs to soap opera actors Adam (Wolf) and Zack (Mohr), unaware that Adam and Zack are secretly working for obsessed drug agent Burke (Fichtner).
Superficially, Go seems like pulp Fiction A rip-off, especially in terms of the structure of the entire film. However, Doug Liman’s film is much deeper, with the story and characters being the biggest highlight in a film that feels like its own right up until the credits roll.
As expected, the story is wild but entertaining throughout
The pulp Fiction The structure is perfectly laid out here. There isn’t a moment where the film feels out of place, and the stories never overlap or cause confusion. The structure follows three different characters, all of whom have something to do with the drug story surrounding Ronna. Her goal is honestly quite simple. She needs money to pay the rent. However, that is a strong motivation to move the plot forward.
Go never has moments that are just wild or absurd. The three connected stories are exciting 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, as it is set in Las Vegas. However, once the second act begins, it becomes a thrilling journey from start to finish.
That’s not to say the other two stories aren’t good. Zack and Adam’s story about working with Officer Burke provides some hilarious moments. Plus, their plight of what to do with a dead body they ran over is one of the best comedic moments in the film. As I said, Ronna’s story is pretty simple and while it loses luster once the story changes focus, she and Claire are arguably the heart of Go. The film is mostly quirky and loose, with sharp writing and quotable dialogue helping to keep the frenzied pace going.
The characters are the stars here
How pulp Fictionthe biggest attraction is the stars. The dialogue itself jumps off the page with great enthusiasm, but the actors are fully engaged and committed to the story. Although the story is about drugs, most of the main characters are likable. And more importantly, they are different from each other.
Ronna never feels like Claire Montgomery (Katie Holmes). The same goes for Adam and Zack or any other character in the three stories. Ligman has constructed it well Go This develops characters like Ronna, but her desperate plea for money is not treated as a melodramatic affair that could have weighed down the entire film.
Go is simply that. It’s a fun ride that involves a cast of colorful characters through which the story navigates during one crazy night. It’s not in the style of pulp Fiction where we follow a gang of killers and shady dealers. Ronna is sympathetic, although Ligman never apologizes for her actions. The acting is on point in all three stories.
Adam and Zack stand out the most from this perspective, as their arcs carry more emotional weight than others. Yet, all of their characters are flawless and none stand out.
Go is more than a Pulp Fiction clone
Go is simply a great film. pulp Fiction is not the first film in history to have a copy, and certainly not the last. The most important thing about Go is that it never tries to imitate the Tarantino classic. All the moving parts of the story seem organic and fresh, which is why it is easy to forget that the structure is an exact copy of pulp Fiction.
The energy is contagious. The characters and dialogue are fun. You’ll laugh and sometimes even get excited! Go is a must-see for every cinephile. It is not a profound or thought-provoking work, but that does not make the film any less exciting.
