Go

Hollywood has a current fascination with disturbing realism that seemed to begin with the critically acclaimed film “Pulp Fiction”. “Go” seeks to transfer the “Pulp Fiction” genre to the teen and twenty-something set, and in the process it celebrates drug use, illicit sex, and reckless behavior without any demonstration of the consequences.

“Go” is supposed to be a realistic take on the “Rave” scene in southern California, and sadly I would say that it was pretty accurate. It focuses on three groups—three grocery store clerks, a British guy and his friends, and two older (over 25) actors. Each of these groups runs into disaster after disaster, but they always come out on top. In this, “Go” attempts to create comedy, much like Shakespeare and his disaster-prone comedies. But “Go” does not seem to realize that these disastrous situations have serious real-life consequences.

For example the store clerk will be evicted if she doesn’t get $400 by Christmas. So instead she tries to deal Ecstasy (a hallucinogen). No mention of earning the money honestly—dealing drugs is presented as acceptable and natural. This same attitude is applied to illicit sex (graphically portrayed throughout the film), drug use (the funniest scene involves a drug induced hallucination of a talking cat), and robbery. And of course Hollywood had to take one more stab at influencing young minds by making the two actors “acceptably” homosexual. The only semi-virtuous character is portrayed as naive and inexperienced.

“Go” should not be watched by anyone. I am afraid it will convince many young people that drugs, sex, and lawlessness is not only a thrill, but something without consequences. “Go” is filled with extreme profanity (with over 50 instances of the “f” word alone), comic and random violence, and explicit sex.