Go Go Tales

Synopsis: Known more for his brutal visions of criminality, like THE BAD LIEUTENANT and KING OF NEW YORK, notoriously feisty director Abel Ferrara changes his tune with the unexpectedly comic and... Known more for his brutal visions of criminality, like THE BAD LIEUTENANT and KING OF NEW YORK, notoriously feisty director Abel Ferrara changes his tune with the unexpectedly comic and lighthearted GO GO TALES. This being an Abel Ferrara film, however, the setting is a cabaret club in downtown Manhattan, where the alcohol flows freely and the dancers are topless. Willem Dafoe plays Ray Ruby, a man who is on the verge of losing his one true passion in life. Not only is his crabby landlady (a hilarious Sylvia Miles) about to sell the space to Bed, Bath and Beyond, but his own brother, Johnie (Matthew Modine), has pulled the plug on his financing. But when Ray's pathetic last chance to keep the place alive--by purchasing a ridiculously large number of lottery tickets--appears to pay off, he discovers a new problem. He and his right hand man, the Baron (Bob Hoskins), can't find the winning ticket. Ferrara's loose-cannon approach to filmmaking and life is a perfect match for this material, resulting in a freewheeling night-in-the-life movie that threatens to win over the most timid of viewers. For as graphic and raucous as the film gets, there remains an innocent, harmless air to the proceedings--even when controversial starlet Asia Argento's character takes the stage with her dog to unleash one of the most staggeringly inept stripteases the screen has ever seen. But stick around for the film's twist, for only then do all of the seemingly incongruous pieces fall into place and confirm the film's tender heart. [More]

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Matthew Modine, Bob Hoskins, Asia Argento

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Matthew Modine, Bob Hoskins, Asia Argento, Roy Dotrice, Riccardo Scamarcio, Stefania Rocca, Bianca Balti, Lou Doillon, Sylvia Miles, Burt Young, Joe Cortese, Anita Pallenberg

Director: Abel Ferrara

Director: Abel Ferrara
Screenwriter: Abel Ferrara
Producer: Massimo Gatti
Composer: Francis Kuipers

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