Review: Go Now

DVD: Go Now (1995)

Builder and amateur footballer Nick (Robert Carlyle) meets and falls for Hotel worker Karen (Juliet Aubrey), will Nick’s unexplained and sudden Illness ruin their love?

Written by Jimmy McGovern and MS sufferer Paul Henry Powell, Go Now was originally broadcast as part of a ‘Love Bites’ TV series on the BBC 20 years ago. I dread possible ‘weepy’ made for ‘women’ fare such as this. However, despite the possible depressing storyline, this film is almost like a speeded up ‘fly on the wall’ docu-drama of 2 people who meet, fall in love, then one of them develops a terrible illness and shows how they cope, how their families and mates cope, and it also has a Robert Carlyle arse-pumping sex scene. Playing Carlyle’s best mate is James Nesbitt, who thankfully comes out on just the right side of bloody annoying, and some of his sexually orientated one-liners are crackers (sorry).

I think the main thing I liked about this film is it’s not a load of sentimental tosh. Carlyle rages against his illness and his girlfriend, he pees himself, he languishes in self-pity while Juliet Aubrey gives a stoic and true performance as a woman who loves her fella and won’t give up on him. It’s not an easy watch either. It did remind me of a mate who also has MS and how she is a bolshie gobshite and that’s how she’s survived. So, did I cry? Yes. Near the end, something happens that… did make me reach for my tissues. It is genuinely very moving, not in a sad way, but rather a ‘fist punch yeah’ way.

One last thing, and I hope I’m not spoiling this for anyone, it’s NOT a depressing film, but rather the whole piece exudes hope, hope through love. What else matters?  This is a film about love not conquering all, but making life worth it no matter how dark or shit it might be.

Simply Media is collaborating with The MS Society UK and will be donating £1 per DVD sold to the charity.

Review by Tina (co-host of 60 Minutes With) from a disc kindly supplied by Simply Media.