Going Vegetarian Movie Reviews

Everyone should own this DVD. It shows all of today's top artists in their own element. From the studio to the stage it follows all the artists through making this great remake of Marvin Gaye's classic... and more importantly it raises funds for African AIDS relief. The sound and color are great, the extras are nice...I'd never seen some of the video version before. There is a cool commercial on the DVD too!

SAVE SOME LIVES!! BUY THIS DVD!

...as I thought that my review of the first volume pretty much summed up my thoughts on the series.

HOWEVER; as the sixth volume differs from the rest of the series in a few ways I felt compelled to speak up.

First, this volume is definately NOT for kids. I say this because I let my kids watch some of the episodes on the other discs which, while sprinkled with a little light foul language, are no more or less violent than most Toonami shows.

But this is Quack Experimental Anime's swan song (as it were), so they pulled out all the stops for the final episodes. That means there is gratuitious violence and blood, nudity, simulated sexual situations, really foul language and borderline pedophilia. Boy, those Japanese have some real relationship issues. Even I was uncomfortable watching this one, because even though the girl turns out to be a very short woman the scientist doesn't know that until she reveals it - and herself - at which point his interest in a relationship with her wanes.

But the rest is typical Excel: Menchi finally gets to turn the tables on the humans in the end, Mr. Pedro and Afro Guy save the day, and Excel and Ilpallazo look like they finally might let thier feelings towards each other come out.

I can't give it 5 stars because of the one wierd scene, but I found the rest of the disc great as usual.

The last disc of Excel Saga is by far the best in terms of both generic comedy and dead-on parodies. There is no limit to what this show can accomplish.

Episode 22 (A+): Excel and Hyatt go on a mission with a bunch of PuuChuus to finally destroy F-City. Lots of parodies here.
Parodies: Space Battleship Yamato, Harlock Saga, Queen Emerledas, Mobile Suit Gundam The Movie 3, Power Rangers.

Episode 23 (A-): After destroying F-City, the inhabitants of that area are now in a violent post-apocalyptic war zone. And Excel has been seperated from ACROSS.
Parodies: Fist of the North Star, Digi Charrot, Sailor Moon.

Episode 24 (C+): I only hate this episode because there are 96% less gags in this episode. Ultra serious plot was too much for me.
Parodies: Evangelion, DBZ, Power Rangers.

Episode 25 (B): Slightly better than the last episode, but still a pretty serious one. About 50% less gags.
Parodies: King of Fighters, Giant Robo, Power Rangers, DBZ.

Episode 26 (A+++): Without a doubt the most insane episode in both Excel Saga and anime in general. Since this was an episode not shown on Japanese television, it's anything goes. Completely insane. More violence, more adult situations and more hilarious stuff thats too hot for TV.
Parodies: Black Jack, Lupin The Third, Speed Racer, Getter Robo, Victor Animation.

Overall, both the first and last episodes on this disc are worth the price. I never seen anything so bizzare and I probably won't see anything else that can top it. With sci-fi parodies, ultra violence, cute characters, illegal situations, giant mecha and enough content to be offensive to anyone, Excel Saga has it all. Highly recommended.

Episodes 22-26 are the finale of the Excel Saga. Episode 22 is a rather weak parody of Galaxy Express, with Puchuus playing all the characters. It does, however, launch into the more sobering tones of episodes 23-25. Excel gets serious? You betcha. Many Excel Saga fans point to Episode 24 as the best episode of the entire series, and I'm not one to argue. For the first time, Excel isn't a crazed looney, but a confused girl trying to make sense of the world. WARNING: Episode 25 (also another semi-sobed episode) is the true final episode of the Excel Saga. If you haven't been offended by the Excel Saga lately, Episode 26 will change all that. Ep 26 pushes the envelope or censorship and good taste. If you've been watching Excel with your kids, you might not want to let them see the last one. (Personally, I was appalled by the last episode on the first viewing, but I did enjoy it the second and third times watching. I know, though, that there will be MANY MANY MANY people who will disagree with me. Be very cautious about episode 26.) For all of DVD 6's flaws (namely episodes 22 and 26), the excellent episode 24 trumps all.

I never heard of this film and probably never would have except for a connection I made with another Amazon.com reviewer (hannah12). I suppose as many other people do, I found that hannah12 reviewed several books, movies and BBC series that I enjoyed, so I began reading her other reviews. That's how I was introduced to "I Know Where I'm Going", and I was not disappointed.

The plot is thin, but appealing. It's the gorgeous scenery, even in black and white, that makes this movie a standout-it was filmed on location in Scotland. And being a dog-lover, the scenes that include beautiful Scottish Deerhounds are particularly special to me. Wendy Hiller is terrific as the headstrong young lady bound and determined to marry a very rich older man and Roger Livesey perfect as the low-key local laird with lots of breeding, but little money.

This is a movie with tons of atmosphere. It's a great way to escape from our everyday lives here in the good old USA.

The first ten minutes are very dated, but keep watching, the romance is as inevitable and gratifying as the cavalry showing up in an old western. Wendy Hiller is as beautiful as she was in Pygmalian and Livesy gives the performance of a lifetime. The DVD extras are excellent. Scotland is ravishingly beautiful. A couples movie if ever there were one.

This is the first DVD I have reviewed. I do it because this is the most memorable film I have seen in years. It totally absorbed me. It is as good as other Dame Wendy Hiller films such as "Pygmalion". The DVD enhancement commentary, through the British Film Institute and a New Yorker film critic, and the location revisits are simply outstanding.

On the face of it, HOLIDAY INN and GOING MY WAY, despite both being Bing Crosby films from the early 40s, were not exacltly an obvious pairing for a DVD "twofer" package. You might think it more likely to pair the former with WHITE CHRISTMAS, say, and the latter with its actual sequel THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S. But this coupling works precisely because it's not so obvious.

Mixing pious Crosby with show-biz Crosby works because, in the last analysis, he's still the same old Bing, affable, low key and agreeable. His priest is still a mensch. His show biz vet is a regular guy looking for a way OUT of the limelight and into a sane and stable way of life. In other words, he's a mensch too.

If you were raised Catholic in the last century, you know that among the clergy, you had your staid, old-school, well, OLD-COUNTRY types, who struck fear in the hearts of children and adults in the parish. Then you had your spirited, fun-loving priests (and nuns), who weren't above playing a few innings of baseball or running a sack race.

GOING MY WAY touches, very lightly, upon the clash of those two strains among the clergy of the era. Actually, the more traditional Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald) is more irascible than truly terrifying. And young Father O'Malley is as all business behind the charm and easy going manner. He just knows that you win more flies with honey than vinegar. And he knows how to get things done. He also knows that he can loosen up the older priest with a few rounds of golf and some fresh air.

The plot amounts to little more than "Let's put on a show to save the parish church." Almost absurdly, a famous opera star (played by famous opera star Rise Stevens) shows up to help out, and high power music publishers rush to buy the young priest's original composition "Swinging On a Star" after hearing Bing and his choir of former street kids sing it as a lark. It's hokum, of course, but it's almost guaranteed to make viewers nostalgic for a more innocent era--even if it's one before their own time.

HOLIDAY INN is a reminder that self-reflexive musicals were almost an established sub-genre from the early 40s on. It's a show-biz tale which turns into your definitive movie-within-a-movie by the end of the film. The show biz format is a little bow to realism (no bursting into song while walking down the street, or scaling a mountain). It's also a tacit admission of Hollywood's self-involvement (the assumption that everyone finds show biz tales utterly fascinating) and, simultaneously, a reaffirmation of mainstream (non-showbiz) values. Distancing themselves from Hollywood and Broadway phoniness is the only way that Bing and his lady love Marjorie Reynolds can find true happiness--of course they still get to stage elaborate floor shows in their Holiday Inn, so ultimately, it's the best of both worlds.

Both movies have plenty of charm, and, as I say, reflect an innocence we seem to have longsince lost. It's no wonder that Bing Crosby films, even when they're not explicitly holiday-themed, have become standard holiday fare for many viewers.

So, we reluctantly bought this one after wavering for several months. Why or why did we wait?! I knew it would be good -- it's just that we have become spoilt by color movies and I was not too keen on a B&W one. We should never have waited.

First, Holiday Inn... It's been decades since I saw it, so my memory was very foggy. The Kidlet had never seen the movie at all and was a bit, um, well, surprised to see Fred Astaire in that sort of role -- we're used to seeing him as the hero. Royal Wedding comes to mind as a show were he's just a genuine good-guy. In Holiday Inn he's giving Bing a horrible time what with a pretty girl, and trying to steal her away. The car scene is a classic -- you'll enjoy it. All in all, the movie is a nice one, a good story, with WONDERFUL songs. We enjoyed it.

Going My Way was the one that caused me concern. Other reviewers had mentioned tears, and, well, I just wasn't in the mood for a tear-jerker movie. WOW, was I ever wrong. It's the most heart-warming, wonderful, nice and terrific show I've seen in practically forever. I'm so glad I got to see it.

So, break out a bowl of peanuts, and snuggle up while watching these two classics. You'll be glad you did.

What would Christmas be without these wonderful films. Going my Way, Holiday Inn and White Christmas have been a holiday tradition in our family for 3 generations. The movies are packed away every year with all the other Christmas decor only to be pulled out lovingly again next season with every other Christmas memory. Gather your family around and enjoy an evening of entertainment from a time when life was on much simpler terms and the quality of movie musicals was high. Quick banter, lively dancing, beautiful and humorous music all wrapped up with a big red holiday bow. Total pleasure without any guilt!

i saw this movie on IFC and had to get it.
it speaks to your heart in the most simplest way.
i don't like (CHICK_FLICKS)but this one was so good.
i won't give any thing away but let me just tell you it's good.
i hope you enjoy it.

David.

I saw part of this movie on TV, and I was so intrigued that I immediately went to the video store and rented it so I could see the rest. I don't think you'll enjoy this movie if you're not a romantic at heart, but if you are, still breathing is like a breath of fresh air (pun sort of intended :) )...it's not your typical romantic comedy. It explores the beauty of life and love. There may not be many cute romantic moments to "aww..." over, but there are moments of beauty that leave you feeling refreshed...literally, I think that's the best word to describe it. As a bonus, Joanna Going is incredibly sexy. If this is your kind of movie, I recommend The Spitfire Grill...it has some of the same air about it...with a focus on nature and beauty and spirituality.

This is a warm, sweet film. Like many others, I saw it, quite by accident, on cable. I've since bought the DVD and am not disappointed. This small, independent film by James F.Robinson is brilliant in concept and delivery. Right off the bat, there are repeated references to Verdi's "La Traviata", the ultimate romantic tragic opera. Things only get better, smarter and more clever. Brendon Fraser is always charming, with his child-like wish for perfection; the rest of the cast handles their roles with aplomb; Ann Magnusen is hard as nails, Tobe Huss as Cameron is the perfect innocent friend, and the great Celeste Holm is there as the granny, delivering the best line in the film: "(He's) redefining an imperfect world in a perfect way". She's crazy as a fox, and totally endearing. The mind-blowing element here is the performance of Joanna Going as Roz, the object of the whole thing. She is perfection...centered and precise in every glance, nuance and delivery. I was very impressed. She deserves a better career, since I haven't really heard of her since. A real talent. The choices of music are also excellent, in addition to the original music of Paul Mills. A rendering of "The Wee Small Hours of the Morning" (performed by Madeleine Peyroux) is most effecive, as well as the final title song, sung by Rita Springer. This is a loving display of (almost) craziness, lovingly presented by a fine director and a stellar cast. Cynics among you may not agree, but there are still a few of us out here that think true love is possible. Also, stay tuned...after the credits are over, there's a dilightful little "stinger". What a fine film!

Sol Bianca doesn't have much new in the way of plot (this review is probably longer than the movie) and the characters are pretty familiar, but a few little things set it apart, and above all else, Sol Bianca is good old fashioned fun. The storyline itself is almost non-existent: You've got some space pirates, they help out a kid, they blow up the bad guys. That much is definite. But one thing that I thought was actually kind of amusing about the plot is that the good guys really weren't all that bright, and even the bad guy was just a two-bit dictator on a backwater planet. Instead of using all these clever plans to outsmart a vastly superior enemy and get away with it, the five women's general strategy was to just walk into a situation and assume either their physical prowess or really impressive hardware would get them out of it (which worked pretty well for them). Fans of more intelligent action movies will probably be annoyed by this, and even I was a tad put off by some of the extreme moments of good-guy supremacy, but at least the story wasn't really unrealistic--it's just that nobody was very clever. (Actually, I sort of enjoyed the underpreparedness of the Sol Bianca's crew.)

But a functional if a bit dim-witted plot isn't what caused this one to win any awards (which it did), or what made it memorable. One of the things that stands out (and most likely the reason it was so popular in its time) is the action. It's not the fastest or most gripping action I've ever seen, but it's pretty darned good. There's a great airborne chase, plenty of gunfights (with pistols that may look small but pack enough of a wallop for a bazooka), a couple of slick space battles, and my personal all-time second-favorite anime weapon (for my favorite, see Project A-ko): a laser sniper rifle with enough range to pick people off from orbit (which is exactly what Feb does with it). When it gets going, the action is so much fun, you'll probably wish there was more of it--my only real complaint is that the whole thing was over too quickly, but you can't have everything. And speaking of all those cool guns, another thing that stands out in Sol Bianca is the technology. There are the above mentioned archaic-looking (but super-powerful) pistols and laser rifle, neat laser whips, and the Sol Bianca itself, with an onboard park, dimension diving capability, a variety of interesting weapons, and a generally unique design. There were a few additional touches that were nice, like the fact that the people of Tres were really tall.

I really loved the chase sequence and the technology, but those aren't the real reason Sol Bianca stands out in my anime collection. There were two other things that set this one out from the pack for me. A lesser feature was that the story had that air of there being more to it than we're being told. There were a few things that showed up and were never fully explained, and a couple of points (like the origin of the Sol Bianca) that you got the feeling there was more to than we were being told. I enjoy that sort of storytelling, and although there was a LOT more of it in the sequel, this movie had a bit too. But, the one thing that really set Sol Bianca apart in my mind was the characters. They more or less fit into standard molds, but they were distinct and there seemed to be just a little more to them than just stereotypes. Not that they were masterworks of subtlety or something, but they were a little more three-dimensional than I was expecting, and there was a dynamic with the group that I enjoyed. Also nice was that they seemed a bit more realistic than standard action anime characters; they may have been space pirates, but I caught a whiff of "realness" to them that I found appealing. Past that, I can't really put my finger on what it is that I like about the group, but there is something, and after I saw the sequel (which, if you like the characters, I recommend), I felt vindicated--that movie definitely confirmed that whatever it was I liked about the characters in this one wasn't an accident.

The final piece of the appeal of Sol Bianca, and probably what distinguishes it above all else, is the visuals. The character designs are attractive, memorable, and unusual; in keeping with the somewhat surprising realism of their personalities, they also looked more realistic than most anime, with almost realistically proportioned eyes. The rest of the world, though not quite as good, also has a distinct look to it, with a few nice locations and some neat mechanical design (the Sol Bianca in particular was really cool). Unfortunately, the animation isn't terribly smooth, but some of the character animation was well done, and the action sequences looked slick for the most part.

The acting in this one stood out, too. The few minor parts weren't noteworthy at all, but Batros was very well cast and voiced with a proper amount of flair by Aono Takeshi, and the five women were all distinct and solidly acted. There may not have been much in the way of drama, but there was a sense of normalness to the acting and voices of the five women that I thought was quite appealing (to be honest, this is one of my all time favorite anime casts), and it also set them apart from a lot of anime heroines. It also went quite a way toward making them believable, as I mentioned above. Note, though, that ADV's creative translation bears part of the responsibility for some of the overly sentimental or awkward dialogue (not to mention a lot of profanity, though not really out of character). The music wasn't particularly notable, but there was a decent action theme that showed up a couple of times, and I thought the end theme was quite pretty.

In all, it may not be higher cinema, and it's not even the greatest action flick you'll ever see, but Sol Bianca isn't bad, either; it has plenty of action, cool technology, very unusual character designs, and even characters that feel a little deeper than the archetypes they're based on. And, if nothing else, Sol Bianca is fun.

The design of the ship, the system in the ship, and the angel's appearance caught my imagination since the first time I watched this Sol Bianca. As the last serie of the Sol Bianca The Legacy, the ending story is well plotted and let's say, it makes your heart out.

Not to mention the energetic (I mean it!), ENERGETIC Theme song called 'To Be Free', sung by Stella Furst, kind of a mix of Jazz and classic rock music. I just wish to find it's CD Soundtrack.

Don't get me wrong. I love Jackson Browne. I have many fond memories of listening to his classic albums over and over again--we would have Jackson Browne nights when I was in college. And yes, learning what we learn from the interviews about the way he makes his music, about his early beginnings as a musician, his political activism, etc. (by the way, as a parent I would love to hear his thoughts on parenthood), all is fascinating and is well worth watching. But I would have made one plea to the editors: don't sacrifice the music! I am one who finds it sacriligious to cut off a song early, or to enter a song late. A song is an organic whole: if not heard in its entirety one has not heard the song. But time and time again, this DVD cuts the songs off before their conclusion. In fact, there are only perhaps three songs (and I mean "perhaps" because of some very quick editing) that we hear in full. I expect this sort of thing from VH1 or MTV (for consumers who, at least many of them, don't hold music in such high regard over celebrity), but I don't expect this of a DVD. The model of excellence in concert and interview video, as the model for so much in film making, is Martin Scorsese's work with The Last Waltz (The Band). The interviews in that film are fascinating and informative, but separated from the music. The format worked well on film, but even more on DVD. One can listen to the interviews one wants, but also hear the music in full.

Here's a message for Jackson Browne (if ever he would listen to this). Jackson, there are a lot of middle aged, near to exhaustion, folks like me who would be revitalized by your music. Yes we would love to hear whatever you want to say. But we would more than love a concert from you, with all the unexpected moments, the spontaneous smiles (when you did it just right! or a sideman does a nice lick!), and just the great songs that you have written so consistently over the many years. Give us another DVD please! Your fans, believe me, will want to keep ahold of this DVD, but we would love that concert!

After reading the reviews posted here, I wasn't sure I wanted to buy this DVD, as it wasn't strictly a concert. However, having just seen him perform at a concert, I wanted to have a visual reminder of his performance even though this DVD is not a full concert (and is nine years old, to boot). Yes, it's true that concert footage is interrupted with commentary by fellow musicians and by Jackson himself; however, perhaps because I was expecting the interruptions, it didn't irritate me. I found the comments quite interesting and a revealing look into the man himself. The sound was very good; however, at times, it seemed like the recording of the music was louder than the vocals. On his albums and CDs, you can almost always hear his lyrics clearly. On this DVD, the vocals seemed a bit low. Overall, the picture quality was excellent, but at some points, the picture stopped for a fraction of a second or seemed to skip. However, that may be because I watched from my computer DVD. Perhaps a "real" DVD player will have better playback. I highly recommend this DVD.

Few members of the human race can effect others hearts the way JB does.
Simply put, he is sugar to this sometimes sour world.

I have to admit I did not have high expectations when I first saw this movie. So imagine my surprise when I found myself laughing out loud. A definite must see. You'll never look at a Little Debbie cookie the same way again.

Going Greek had no right to be this good...but it was hysterical. Outside of Susan Ward & Sherman from American Pie, the next biggest actor in this movie was Simon Rex...which shows you it was a low budget movie. But never did you feel like you were watching anything low budget. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that this movie was only a notch lower than Old School or the American Pie movies. Top notch gross out humor.

Don't let the fact that Going Greek lacks a theatrical release fool you. It is awesomely funny from beginning to end, and especially great for anyone who's ever been to college. Before I continue my review however, I should note that I have a potential bias toward the film. I am in the film as a volunteer "extra" (one of the frat brothers). But I say potential bias, because I was a huge fan of the movie before most of the shooting ever took place. Before doing any work on the film, myself and a group of others were reading Going Greek and we couldn't help laughing convulsively as a huddled mass around the one script we obtained. The movie is truly hysterically funny, so I hope you understand that I write this review as a true fan of the work. Honestly, I feel that the fact it did not get wide theatrical distribution, truly bespeaks the straight forward aggressiveness of its antics and humor. It does not hold back its humor in any self-depricating attempt to "appeal" to the masses. This movie is straight up for those who have wanted a good college film with great laughs. Going Greek's first "cut" and its screenings had great responses and I know that if you ever enjoyed watching Animal House, Revenge of the Nerds, and American Pie, you will truly enjoy this film and put your copy of Going Greek right next to them on your shelf. I can't wait to get my copy and finally be able to share its genius with my friends and especially my old college buddies. Enjoy!

Liked the movie Tombstone better...Kurt Russel plays
Wyatt Earp..but still it's not quite right in some parts.
For example one scene where he confronts a group of bad
men on the street...he pulls his gun and points it at the
head of the leader and makes a threat to blow his head off
if they don't all back off!
..hogwash!!! Bat Masterson said Wyatt
never pulled his gun unless there was no other course of
action he could take..in this situation Wyatt would (and
often did) grab the bad guy's right hand with his left
hand (preventing him from drawing his gun) and then with
his other hand draw his pistol and use the barrel like a
night stick hitting the guy across the forehead.
Next he would grab the stunned man by the ear and drag
him off to jail. Anyway Hollywood likes to make things
look dramatic..however I would think it would take a lot of
courage to quickly disarm a man the way Wyatt often did.
I did however like the beginning of the movie where he
dresses down the bad guy in the saloon and takes his gun
away and hauls him off to jail.

This film has received mixed reviews, mostly focused upon differing opinions on Costner's portrayal of Wyatt Earp. Some say that Costner is too stoic and unemotional, while others comments that, well, that's the way Earp really was. Both miss the point.

The crux of Costner's performance is that he anchors the film. As a producer, he helped give this motion picture artistic direction, and as an actor, he is the keystone of the production. Granted, Dennis Quaid is tremendous as Doc Holliday. Still, Costner's stage presense in the film give it a great deal of its depth. This is one of Costner's best performances, due largely to his success in portraying Wyatt Earp as a man who was motivated and governed by his own internal code, rather than the hardships that continually confronted him.

(Beware: Plot Spoilers ahead!) We follow Wyatt Earp from his boyhood days learning life's lessons from his lawyer father, here protrayed by Gene Hackman. We see Earp enduring the death of his first wife Verilla from Typhoid (watch for the mom from "Little House on the Prairie" portraying Verilla's mother). Earp falls into despair, attempting to drown his sorrows in alcohol. He descends into a criminal existence, only to be incarcerated as a horse thief. He is rescued by his father and journeys west, where he, almost by accident, is drawn into the life of a lawman in Dodge City.

What is most compeling about Costner's portrayal of Wyatt Earp is how his character evolves through his confrontations with outlaws. He begins the film as an idealistic, adventurous young man who is at heart a romantic. The tragedy of his first wife's death, coupled with his continual confrontations with ruthless outlaws, causes a profound shift from youthful exuberance to cold, tough survivalism. Earp depends on the enforcement of the law, because in the old west that's all there was to depend upon. Costner successfully portrays Earp's abandonment of his youthful ideals as his reputation as a lawman grows.

It is not until Earp finds love again that his inner self appears to be reawakened; this is portrayed in a believeable, if not overly emotional fashion.

As aforementioned, it is Costner's stage presense that gives this film its anchor. He presents Earp as a man whose sense of identity was stronger than the wickedness and lawlessness of his countrymen, and it was this quality that gave Earp what he needed to survive and triumph over the criminals that hounded him continually. To the film's credit, this facet of Earp's character is not presently overtly, but rather very successfully inferred by Costner's intense portrayal of one of the Old West's most controversial and misunderstood figures.

I strongly recommend this film, particularly to Costner fans. Just about anyone with an interest in the Old West might find merit in this film, so give it a shot (no pun intended). You'll be glad you did.

Note: Watch for Tea Leoni's "cameo" as a prostitute attempting to seduce Wyatt during his formative years in the west. Remember her from "The Family Man" with Nick Cage? She's almost unrecognizeable here.

A wonderful music score and played the way a western should be played, this movie keeps your interest and is enjoyable (even for three hours). This is not a movie that has a few teenagers (Young Guns, etc.) and is not made if you are looking for that genre'. This is a western made for adults who like movies that are somewhat realistic in how things might have been during that time. Buy this movie!

Sonny Burns (Jeremy Davies) and Gunnar Casselman (Ben Affleck) are two young men who strike up an acquaintance on their way home from the war in Korea. As students at the same high school, Sonny, the neurotic introvert, and Gunnar, the Golden Boy athlete, moved in entirely different circles. Now, following the life-changing experience of the war, this odd couple is able to provide much needed support for each other as they resist sliding back into the same old routine. Unlike Gunnar's hard-drinking, partying high school buddies, Sonny takes Gunnar's newly-found, "inner-directed" (as he calls it), philosophical side seriously. Gunnar provides vital support and advice as Sonny tries to overcome the crippling neuroses that make it so difficult for him to relate to the opposite sex and break away from his controlling parents. The entire cast is excellent, but Davies really excels as the imploding, desperate Sonny.

The lowdown:

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 colours.

Jeremy Davies is perfect for these kinds of rolls, where he plays a shy, secretive, insecure young man trapped in a boy's body, who's trying to escape his parent's domination... having played two such intriguing rolls in one year, in Going All the Way and in John Patrick Kelley's equally enchanting and moving (but ultimately a little too broody) The Locusts. And although at war with his parents, he also wants to try and make up for all the lonely years he spent in high school masturbating over fevered fantasies beyond the reach of fulfillment. I mean, sure he's got Buddy (just the name makes me cringe) but she's much too available and overall not the sort of woman out of his skin mags who'll sweep him off his feet. Sonny Burns' life is enough to drive anyone to the rubber room, and you truly share his pain. At times, it may have seemed as though he has finally reached that flight of stairs, merely to once again find himself at the very bottom of where he started, of his ultimate goal... to happiness. Jeremy's brooding, partially-mumbled performance perfectly captures his underlying disarray, insecurities, and anger. The thing that's so unique about him is that, while he'll make you sympathise for his suffering at times, he can be so funny at others, that he'll also make you laugh like there's no tomorrow; not many actors have the capability to do that.

This may not be the film that claimed Ben Affleck to fame (Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy was) but it sure was enough of one to really get him noticed (after that, it was no more playing the vileness bully for this guy, I'll tell ya that right now). The man's very presence commands the screen. You watch him, and he's just so cool and casual, that you feel as though he's not even acting at all; he's an expert. When you observe his character, Gunner Casselman, you basically have to look through his physical features, because that rebellious, tough-guy looking image he's given doesn't really say a lot about him since his visit to Japan. We see him depart from his rowdy old high school buddies in a bar to hang around with little old Sonny (even Sonny himself was surprised, as we were, seconds prior to them leaving the scene, driven to a surreal trip inside his head and learned that he thought he was being made fun of), who he'll drag along to art galleries and also take pictures with since Sonny shared his love of picture taking with him. When I look at Gunner, what I see is a hunk with a heart of gold and a fresh outlook on life, who's really begun to discover himself and whose goal is to go to New York because that's not only where he thinks a future career awaits him but it's also a place where he won't have to deal with his naggy mother and her discrimination against his Jewish girlfriend (and Jews in general). I also perceive that he's quite impressed by Sonny, thinking that, while he scored all those touchdowns and lured the girls with his bod and charm back in his high school years, he was an intellectual, when really he spent those very years masturbating if not watching him with awe.

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.

Going All the Way is based upon Dan Wakefield's enormously popular novel (one of my favourites, as a matter of fact). Mark Pellington read it at the early age of thirteen after he discovered it sitting in his father's shelf, and immediately fell in love with it. Sixteen years later, he showed his love with the making of the film, which I thank him for, because it's one of a kind. It's a film with real depths to it, that is of a true depiction of the male mind.

This film about the friendship of two very different men was extroadinary. My hat's off to the director, Mark Pellington, he will most certainly be one of the top ten directors in Hollywood in the very near future. In fact, I think he's there already. It's a must see film.