Movie Review : Lincoln Center LBGT FilmFest: "Getting Go: the Go Doc Project"

     A lovely couple, Derreck and Franco, joined Lewis and I to watch this independent film.  As you can see in the picture above, it premiered at Outfest in CA, and now is appearing at FilmFest at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theatre.  The added bonus of seeing the production at a venue like this is that you get to meet the FilmFest organizers before the film showing (and they explain how they noticed the film and why they chose to add it to their line-up) and you get a Q/A session (although some would've preferred a JO session, lol) with the producer, writer and selected actors afterwards.
     The movie was very well-created.  The lighting, camera angles, scenes for filming in NYC, the delivery of dialogue (and the gratuitous shirtless go go boy dancing/grooming and lovemaking scenes) were all smarty and sexily done.  The plot concerns a nerdy self-proclaimed introvert, who lives vicariously through Facebook and his video blog, and who is planning to abandon NYC (where he has failed to make any real human connection) upon graduation.  However, he has been masturbating to images of a go go boy, who works in the city (filmed at Splash gay bar but not named as such) and in a drunken state, emails the dancer with a proposal.  His fabricated story (to get close to the dancer--who is one in real life) is that he's finishing up a college thesis and needs to interview a go go boy.  The boy, named Go, replies affirmatively to the college kid, named Doc (hence the odd name of the film).
    The plot then begins a meeting, where Doc gets "cold feet" and tries to run away, but Go pursues him outside the club, in order to actually accept the offer.  Doc interviews and films Go during several days, and the audience learns that Go actually has a brain.  He knows more about Life, human expectations, looking beneath the veneer of a person, how not to take yourself too seriously, and even about the objectives of Andy Warhol than the college-educated Doc.  Doc is "crushing" on Go, who clearly is the better communicator and who flirts with Doc--despite Doc's obliviousness.  You learn about Doc's austere living style and diet, his fitness routine, beauty regime, work environment, dance moves, outlook on life, when he lost his virginity and his insecurities.  Nothing is revealed about Doc, except that he is a virgin.  But not for long.  A budding rapport of sweet sincere feelings emerge between the unlikely duo--which is considered huge steps for each of them (as they depart life-long habitual routines).  You see great kissing scenes, shot all over Manhattan and Brooklyn, in idyllic settings.  Their lovemaking is a non-judgemental and passionate connection.  As a viewer, you might think, "Wow, who would've guessed that he'd get his man?"
     I would summarize the final third of the movie as "Lost Opportunity".  During the whole build-up, Doc is envisioning himself with Go, and taking care of him.  Go is admitting that he falls for guys who aren't full of themselves, and he likes Doc's conservative innocence.  If this were real life, and Fate had pushed Go into Doc's path several times, and Go had actually taken Doc's offer, and they had made love (amazing sensations and connection for both of them), Doc might've been so ecstatic that he might've "made a go" for Go.  But that doesn't happen in this film.
     Predictably--after a young life of "sleeping around", Go is caught having sex with another man, and Doc is devastated.  Just what he needed to run away from the possible relationship.  He decides, in his own head, that everything has been a waste of time, he deletes all the pictures of Go, and he vows to stay off the internet and only meet people in person (he goes back online before the film's conclusion).  During Doc's retreat, Go is trying repeatedly to apologize and "right his wrong".  He burns their "film contract" (to destroy any monetary claim) and admits that he wants things to go further on a personal level.  He also announces that he knew from the beginning that Doc's filming was a farce--only used so Doc could get closer to him... but he had been happy to oblige.  The sad part about the film, is that Doc breaks apart from Go, judges him and summarily thanks him before leaving for Iowa (back to his hometown).  Despite Go asking for his chance to speak, the film never allows it.
     The filmmakers wanted to push their ending, that Doc has learned his lesson and has developed as a person.  However, I don't agree.  The two characters never get to give their relationship a chance.  Doc is allowed to have his insecurities (and panic attack) but Go isn't (with his fall-back into casual sex).  Go was the more upfront and honest character, with perhaps the best screen presence, maturity and open/revealing dialogue.  Doc comments, "I wanted drama for the film, not my life".  So, the characters part ways before reconciling or giving things a second try.  Doc feels content knowing that he "scored" with his online fantasy/crush (perhaps a notch on Doc's bedpost), but Go explains/feels that just as he was about to have a serious deeper connection, he was "treated as an object" and then abandoned (perhaps the story of many stripper/dancers' lives).  And that's how the film closes.
     Not surprisingly, during the Q/A session, the writer and producer admitted that this film "got them out of their apartments and into NYC a lot more".  You have to wonder if they created Doc's character from their own ("seeing the world from their PC or camera") lifestyle... and if that didn't taint their closure of the movie overly-favorably for Doc's character.  Personally, this is an occasion where it would've been nice to see the two lovers both overcome an obstacle and give some creation to a possible rapport/relationship.  Or perhaps, it shows the audience "what not to do".