Don't Make Me Go

Frankly speaking, I only decided to give it a chance because Mia Isaac was in it. I have recently seen her perform in 'Not Okay' and I was thoroughly impressed, for a novice, she did incredibly well and rightfully snatched all the headlines.

Thereupon all I wanted to do is to find out whether her outstanding act in 'Not Okay' was just a fluke or was it the commencement of a promising career. And after witnessing her perform in two films one after the other; I can safely say, that she is indeed a special talent. One, who would surely flourish if given proper guidance and finer scripts and directors to work with.

Coming back to the film, it's like any other road trip movie you have previously encountered. It is fraught with fun, light-hearted moments, a great lead pair dynamic, and above all, a story that is neither too fancy nor too deep but it would reverberate with a lot of people out there. It will make them introspect, and will encourage them to self-evaluate!

I have my complaints though, regarding how this story concludes itself. Man! That ending surprised me, I did not see it coming, and I am having difficulties fathoming this. Yes, it's a bit unconventional, and has a sentimental value to it, that I understand and appreciate, yet, to me, it all felt too abrupt, too mundane for my taste.

The hook was Cho, the anchor was the immediate full frontal male nudity in the cold open. And it only got better from there.

It would be hard to pinpoint a scene in this drama that doesn't confirm that the two leads truly feel like Father and Daughter. And because of that, plus the rest of the script, the last act is truly emotional.

John Cho plays Mia Isaac's single father and unbeknownst to her, he's dying of a tumor. Yes, it *is* a tumah. This dad has the entire weight of the world on his shoulders from both that secret, and a TON of other stuff. (You will see it in Cho's fantastic acting.) So, he feels it's finally time for a road trip so she can meet her mom who left her very young.

This movie feels very real, all actors give their best, the movie looks great and it certainly gets progressively better through to the end. It's also a tad funny, but not unrealistically funny - every day humor we all experience.

I wouldn't call it perfect as most chaotic misadventures the daughter gets the duo into is almost resolved as fast as its introduced and it could be a melodrama at times. But what really saved the movie was that climax. There were signs leading up to it and yet, I still didn't see it coming.

Highly recommended. I would say even more so for people with children, single parents or not.

***

Final Thoughts: Not afraid to admit, that closing REALLY got to me emotionally. And I don't even have kids.

As "Don't Make Me Go" (2022 release; 109 min.) opens, we are in "California" and are introduced to Max Park, a single dad, and Wally, his 16 yo daughter. Max gets bad news: he is diagnosed with a fatal bone tumor. When his 20 year college reunion is coming up in New Orleans, where Wally's long absent mother will be, Max decides to take Wally on a good ol' fashioned road trip. Wally, who doesn't know about the tumor, reluctantly agrees...

Couple of comments: this is the latest film from actress-turned-director Hannah Marks ("Mark, Mary + Some Other People"), who is still not even 30 yo. Here she brings a road movie of a father struggling to connect with his 16 yo daughter, and in a race against time to right the relationship before it's too late. In and of itself, this could make for an interesting relationship drama, but alas, the script turns out to be quite weak and, worse, riddled with cliches. As a result, I failed to connect emotionally with either of the two lead characters. John Cho (as Max) and Mia Isaac (as Wally) do the best they can but it's simply not enough. Please note that the vast majority of the movie was filmed in New Zealand (Auckland, Christchurch), and indeed the exteriors are quite easy on the eye. But alas, it can't save the movie.

"Don't Make Me Go" premiered on Amazon Prime this past Friday. I had read some good things about this film, and hence was looking forward to this. Let's just say that I was quite disappointed (even though i did stick it out to the end). Of course don't take my words for it, so if you are in the mood for a rad movie featuring a father-daughter relationship 'drama', I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

The story itself was amazing, the relation between father and daughter, the things he tried to do for her, the way she de with things in her life, but in my opinion there was no need for the nude scene in the beginning of the movie. It could be a good family movie.

First time I've ever cried watching a movie, and I don't even have children but I could still relate. Me and my girl cried like waterfalls. I really recommend this one and the acting is excellent.