Getting Go, the Go Doc Project

Just saw it and better than I expected. Despite it's super limited budget, almost every aspect well done, the acting, story, editing, and photography.

Interesting to see Tanner Cohen again on screen after his last film was Were the World Mine (2008), he made reputation there, as the film too, one of the top greatest gay movies according to AfterElton. This some kind of good breakthrough. And the acting, no doubt, he's good.

No wonder, the director, Cory Krueckeberg, chose him as the lead. He was the writer of Were the World Mine (2008) and this is a great debut for him as a director.

The most interesting about this film is the story. It made like semi self-documentary, made by the 'Doc' (Tanner Cohen), who happened to be amateur fake director in a tricky way to get close to his favorite go-go dancer, 'Go' (Matthew Camp). He was very obsessed to 'Go' as he obsessed with online cam and blog. A little bit exhibitionist I say. He contacted 'Go' said that he's a director and want to make him and go-go dancing issue as the topic. Luckily, it was approved.

Then, story between the 'Doc' and the 'Go' begin. The shooting begin as their love of each other also begin to grow. Emotional build and love made, but the truth always altered the story.

Another great aspect of the film is the emotion, intimacy, and the bond between the two main actors really strong. We can felt this aspect almost at the entire film when filming the "amateur fake" documentary. At the point, I almost believe that this film was a "real" documentary starring by two "real" couple.

Some might said it's sad ending, some might said not. For me, it's fair ending and I liked it, because made less "Hollywood ending."

My initial thoughts of this were not great. The iPhone arms-length POV style of juddery photography made me think it was going to be an amateur effort. Well it is, but it isn't... The gorgeously charismatic Tanner Cohen is the younger than his years, inexperienced - on all levels - ("Doc") who falls for an erotic dancer online whom he calls "Go" (Matthew Camp) and comes up with a ruse to get to meet him and explore how he lives his life. Surprisingly, "Go" accepts the proposals and we end up with a love story told in a mix of cinematographic styles with one of the most erotically charged sex scenes I think I've ever seen from US gay cinema. Not raw sex with noise and sweat; but based on intimacy and a genuine affection for each other. Occasionally the scenes may linger a little too long; the pace of the editing could certainly have been tighter - but then maybe it would have lost some of it's authenticity and the characterisations some of their depth. Sometimes real life meanders a bit - we all have plenty of pointless times/conversations in our lives - adds to the richness. I hated the ending; but that's because all I wanted for the pair simply wasn't what they wanted for each other. In a world of largely frothy, contrived plastic drama, this is a stand out piece of creative, observational cinema with two really good, fun, engaging performances.

I really didn't expect this to be very good. I watched it because the guys looked hot. And one of them was, and it has a lot of very sexy, erotic scenes, but it's also a pretty good story underneath. It's nothing incredibly original, but the two leads have an undeniable chemistry and the writing and dialogue is mostly on point. it's a pretty good LGBT film dealing with issues, and in that respect it reminds me of a more aesthetically energetic Weekend, even if it doesn't hit that film's deeper themes. Overall, for those with low expectations, this will be very surprising in quality. As a film, it really works. I definitely recommend it.

There are too many sequences of this film that drag on past the narrative point of including them. In particular the final near silent montage of kissing delays the climax far too much. The pace of the story is killed as a result. Further, several of the montages of Go border on the hypocritical given the rest of the film's commitment to discuss the rampant objectification of people in the gay community. The film is 20 minutes too long as a result. Likewise, there is a amateurish quality to the performances that prevent a more polished film. Camp and Cohen have good chemistry but they are not great actors. Camp, especially, doesn't seem to understand what subtext is. The docudrama construction feels like a vain attempt too hide this. The film is largely experimental in its filming (They shot at Camp's actual apartment for example) and this can be rather off putting at times.

With that being said the film is quite good. The story is a painful, and a painfully accurate exploration of several major tensions present within the gay community. The notions of too much sex, the cost-benefits assimilation, how to be gay, the various "tribes" of gay men and fickle nature of the male gaze all get a hearing in the film. I related to much of it but I can't say I found it much more than hey this problem exist. A lot of it is left unresolved. That is probably a realistic viewpoint but it adds to the indie vibe of the film.

The film is quite forward in its depiction of homoeroticism. I found the sex scenes very naturalistic. I am not sure if I have seen gay sex depicted as realistic as I have seen here. The film does provide a nice counterpoint to the heteronormative depictions of the male form one usually finds.

I am glad I own this but it is a challenging film to watch.

A gorgeous, early-20s gay virgin in Manhattan (if you believe there ever could be such a person), just about to graduate from Columbia and then west to Iowa for grad school, fakes a documentary film project in an attempt to meet a gorgeous gay go-go dancer he's become obsessed with online. To his surprise the dancer goes along with the idea. The fake documentary leads pretty quickly to some very real sex and a lovely, tender, sort-of relationship.

Actor and singer Tanner Cohen, the star of Were the World Mine (made by the same guys who made this one, but MUCH different), plays Doc, the almost-Columbia-grad virgin. Matthew Camp, a real live go-go dancer, plays Go, who is actually himself. The movie was shot in Camp's own apartment, gym, club, supermarket, etc, and follows his regular daily and nightly routine. The only fiction is the business with Doc.

From beginning to end, nothing about this movie is conventional or predictable. Unlike 99.9% of gay men who see this, I thought Doc was lots sexier than Go, but the nerdy type with a totally natural body appeals to me lots more than the buff, shaved, go-go boy type. But Go is very smart and has an angelic face, and inside he's ten times sweeter and more appealing than Doc is - one of the sweetest and most appealing characters ever to appear in a gay movie. Matthew Camp is thoroughly delightful. Definitely, definitely worth seeing.