Going All the Way

There were two things that shocked me about this mostly average film. First, Jeremy Davies gives almost the exact same performance as he gave in Saving Private Ryan, the tics, the mannerisms, the speech patterns, it's all there. Second, his character, an awkward, nerdy photographer home from WWII bags both Amy Locane AND Rose McGowan! Huh? Unbelievable but true. As to the film itself, my main problem with it lay with the friendship at the center. Why does Ben Affleck's character, an outgoing, popular vet also returning from WWII, want to hang out with Davies' character when they are clearly opposites? It's never explained. Also lacking is the plot. There is none. The film simply follows those two characters around on their various exploits but there's never any kind of narrative driving the "story" from scene to scene. All in all, the film is interesting only to see some early work by actors who have gone on to become more popular today - Affleck, Davies and McGowan.

"Going All The Way" has that same problem I tend to encounter in lower budget films: the what-genre-is-this-really? problem. By no means is this a comedy; it's drama -- or at least, it's a "comedy" that concentrates too much on being a very very upset film about an inwardly-angry main character, Sonny (Davies). Sonny had just come back from the war, which might have been more pleasant for him than his regular life. On the way home he meets Gunner (Affleck), a fast-talking moving guy who wants to get real with his life. Davies begins to get a taste of the good side of things -- namely sex -- but can't handle his own self during his moments of intimacy, which the filmmaker decides to illustrate in indulgent detail. We are trapped with Sonny in his psychosis. Sound like comedy yet? I didn't get the joke. "Going all the way" ... back to the video store for me!

I'm not speaking for anyone besides myself, but I thought that this movie was great. It truly showed growing up from a high school boy into a man who has to deal with things such as marriage and faith. This movie truly showed that many things can change a person, even by visiting a country you can be affected. This movie also shows the realization a person can have when reflecting on his/her life. This was a good movie about life.

This is a great movie. Brilliantly acted, especially by Jeremy Davies, but also ably supported by Ben Affleck, it is sometimes very painful to watch and one of the very rare examples of a movie about post-adolescent angst that really works. Very moving, and the director as well as Davies ( the weedy guy in Saving Private Ryan) deserve to be very big.

==ULMER'S RENTAL REVIEW= "Going All the Way," though catchy and engaging, fails to deliver what it promises so clearly, and the incompetent script makes us forget to care about these characters. Usually a film like this one shows some character progression going on. "Going All the Way" doesn't, and it's a shame, because it had some great potential. Pre-stardom Ben Affleck is not even enough to see this movie for. He's not that different anyway: He couldn't act and he still can't. 1.5/5 stars - John Ulmer

Going All the Way is a great film, well, at least it was for me. For anyone who is aware of the sexual repression and confusion that can come from parents and religion should see this film. It moves slow at times, but this is more of an artistic film than a comedy so that is understandable. The underlying themes of escaping what you realize has been holding you back, searching for a point in life, and questioning one's beliefs makes this film an immidiate favorite of mine. If you're looking for a movie with typical Ben Affleck, see Dogma. If you're searching for something with some depth that is up for some interpretation, see Going All the Way. Additionally, if you have seen this already and enjoyed it, I also reccomend The Virgin Suicides.