Sin respiro

Is there really a need to re-examine the seemingly worn-out subject of the plain, skinny guy looking for his heart's desire while his hunky jock buddy gets all the girls with little effort? Yes indeed, and Mark Pellington's "Going All the Way" takes a harder look at just that theme while adding a little humor and dark pathos to the mix.

Based on the novel by Dan Wakefield (who also wrote the screenplay), this film hopes to show another side of the familiar topic of very different male friends who emotionally lean on each other through the trials of dating, this time set in post-Korean War middle America. Servicemen "Sonny" (Jeremy Davies) and "Gunner" (Ben Affleck) had gone to the same high school but haven't seen each other in quite a while when they meet on a train returning to their native Indianapolis.

Sonny is the soft-spoken, non-athletic ex-photographer who did not see action, while Gunner is the handsome, ex-all-around-jock ladies man who served in Korea. Gunner has returned a changed man after his contact with Zen Buddhism (!), which has made him rethink his vacuous high school and college years and wants more out of life, partly explaining why he befriends the likes of Sonny, who he wouldn't have paid much attention to in the old days.

The root cause perhaps of their emotional differences is that Gunner, besides having the typical charmed life seen in other films of this genre, has a very hot, free-spirited, with-it but bigoted mother, Nina (Leslie Ann Warren), whereas Sonny's parents (Jill Clayburgh and John Lordan) are rather plain, unexciting, very religious and controlling. Back home, the guys have fairly sophisticated personal conversations at bars, and Sonny even teaches Gunner about photography, something that interests the latter because he has some artistic spirit to express. They soon become fast friends.

After a while, Gunner begins to question his sex-based relationship with ex-high school sweetheart DeeDee, who wants to get married because she is already 23 years old, after he meets the intellectually stimulating and physically delicious Marty (Rachel Weisz), who is a Jewish (gasp!) art student who inspires Gunner to dabble in abstract painting. Meanwhile, Sonny has gone back to his old sweetheart, the aptly named Buddy (Amy Locane), with whom he has sex--in his religious parents' house, no less!--but for whom he has little passion; it is a comfortable relationship of convenience that Buddy wishes could be more but who doesn't press him on it.

However, when Sonny ends up meeting Marty's gorgeous, sensuous friend Gail (Rose McGowan) and is convinced she is "the one," he is exceptionally funny and charming, mostly due to excessive liquor, but has trouble "performing" when they get down to business. The troubled feelings caused by this setback, combined with Gunner's impending trip to New York City to follow after Marty and to start a new life there, sends the already rather emotionally fragile/unstable Sonny into a depression, causing a chain of events that the two will not soon forget.

Sure, the basic premise of the film is a familiar one, but the performances and production values are what kept my attention. Davies' rather odd acting style adds an effective extra layer of pathos to the troubled Sonny, and Affleck is quite on the mark (despite a couple of distractingly anachronistic mannerisms) for what we are looking for in a smooth and handsome Gunner type. Clayburgh is completely believable as Sonny's over-the-top-sweet but covertly manipulative mother; however, I would have liked to see more of Warren, whose scene-stealing Nina was a great mix of sex appeal and shocking ignorance. Filmed in Indiana, the movie has nice outdoor scenes, unobtrusive sets (although the abstract painting at the museum is fabulous) and a fun score that add to the overall effect, with the exception of the opening tune which actually came out three years after the setting of this movie!

"Going All the Way" is no 10-star film, to be sure, but the earnest efforts of cast and crew come through sufficiently that it is worth your while to give it a look. This is a character-driven film that asks you to open your heart and, although set in the 1950s, examines one aspect of the human condition that we can relate to even today.

==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.

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" is a touching story about learning to let go, coming to terms with yourself, love, and the power of friendship between two young men whose relationship "is the core of the movie," says MTV Award-winning music video director Mark Pellington, whose debut film shows that he clearly knows what he's doing, and that his talents can be set on more than one profession. Pellington tackles the challenge of presenting two authentic young men who we can relate to, and passes with flying colors.

Aside from the catchy oldies tunes, I really enjoyed the dialogue the two young men shared with one another, which was as absorbing as it is true. Among all, one in particular comes to mind, where Gunner was trying to prove a point that "peach pie is fine, but that's all you get? I mean, morning, noon, and night, peach pie? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, peach pie. Peach pie, day in, day out. Day in, peach pie." Jeremy and Ben were terrific together. As improbable a coalition as their character's had, I thought that they, nonetheless, had perfect chemistry together, and were very enjoyable to watch.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.