In the packed cinematic year of 1999, Doug Liman’s sophomore feature, Go, was bound to fall through the cracks a bit. Fresh off the success of Swingers (1996), the indie golden boy goes for something a little more ambitious: more characters, a complicated plot, and a more assured hand.
Of the cool, talky comedies of the ’90s, Go is perhaps one of the most overlooked. Like many cult films, Go was a critical success but didn’t make much of an impact at the box office. Thankfully, it had a second life through rentals and cable viewings, cementing itself as one of the most stylish and fun films of the era. Recent studio comedies could stand to take a page out of Liman’s book, assembling an eclectic ensemble of familiar faces brought together through clever coincidences that feel high stakes and low at the same time.
Among a cast including Scott Wolf, Jay Mohr, Timothy Olyphant, William Fichtner, and Taye Diggs, it’s actress and future director Sarah Polley who steals the show with her specific brand of disaffected, Daria-like cool. Her understated demeanor anchors all the film’s wackier antics. Katie Holmes also turns in a strong performance, using her innocent Dawson’s Creek energy as an emotional anchor for the film. Her scenes with Olyphant’s bad boy drug dealer are some of the best in the film.
Of all the post–Pulp Fiction crime films, Go feels the most natural and unique, rooted in the rave culture of the ’90s, portraying Los Angeles (and Las Vegas) as a nonstop party full of sex, danger, and drugs in anticipation of Y2K. As the new millennium approaches, there’s a certain reckless energy in the air, as if no one is quite sure if they’re going to make it. So if the end is near, why not live it up?
Go screens tonight and tomorrow evening, July 22 and 23, at Roxy Cinema in 35mm as part of the series “Hell or Las Vegas.”
