Obsessions torrides

==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

i enjoyed this on a personal level. it is the story of sonny, a introverted and nervous photographer, and gunner, a inquisitive jock type. Both seem to want what the other has, but i wouldn't call it symbiotic because they genuinely enjoy each other's company. It is set in a sort of catcher in the rye(which i never liked because it didn't have a real purpose) sort of tone, of alienation and trying to find yourself when youre a middle class white bread kid in the constricted 50's. The only thing i found to dislike was the MTV style directing, which was overused (but still managed to capture a tone for the most part). I would suggest this.

From what I thought was a pretty average film came the most shocking scene I've ever seen in a movie (pardon the pun).

Gunner takes out the hot chick-E-babe and Sonny gets her even hotter friend. Sonny gets all liquored up and is sooooo p***** he can't even get it up and ruins the "chance of a life time".

Well I'm told I'm not allowed to tell the rest but even if you watch the movie for this one scene, it's worth the wait. I wasn't enjoying the movie too much until this changed the tone of the movie. VERY thought provoking.

Apart from that the movie is basically: High School sports jock (Gunner) fights with nympho mum over Jewish girlfriend and loser High School photographer (Sonny) meets Gunner on train back from "war" to shock church-going parents, lose high school sweet heart and chase Gunner to New York.

Considering Rachel Weitz was in it I thought it would be better.

"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.

I may be in the minority here, and in fact I probably am, but I LOVED this movie. The play is amazing, and the adaptation is so true to the original that it really makes the experience enjoyable. I'd like to clear one thing up that I read earlier: it's not a "suicide" scene. It's a "cutting" scene. The two are very different, and shouldn't be confused.

At any rate, the plight of Sonny Burns, the protagonist of this film, is so easy to identify with, and the way he sees Gunner is so typical and real that this film really is refreshing and understandable. The oppressive blanket of the 1950's plays another role in this film, really as one of the more important characters. Sonny doesn't know how to deal with a lot of different things, and he isn't being told/taught how to do so by his parents or his society.

It's a sad movie, but filled with hope at the same time. It's worth seeing, and for me, is worth buying on DVD whenever it freakin' comes out. I give it a 10 and stand by that rating based on its emotional merit and strength.