It’s fitting that Ray Liotta, playing understanding Dad to Johnny Depp’s drug dealing mogul, gives the defining (and best) perf in what proved to be Ted Demme’s last feature. (A drug related death at only 38.) Liotta having made his name in Uncle Jonathan Demme’s SOMETHING WILD/’86 and whose signature role was in Martin Scorsese’s GOODFELLAS/’90. You expect Demme influence, but instead get lots of Scorsese; specifically GOODFELLAS which is nearly a template for this highly personalized story of how Depp’s character (the real life George Jung) became a key figure in upping the ante in Stateside drug consumption from weed to blow. And it’s a great subject, one that this Demme isn’t quite up to, try as he might. As the film would have it, Jung is more or less accidentally hooked into trafficking cocaine as a competent fellow who Columbian kingpin Pablo Escobar trusts to deliver across the border. But in Demme’s hands the trip thru ‘70s fashion in clothes, grooming and preferred substance abuse skates on the surface. Entertaining, and with lots of surprising turns from Paul Reubens (excellent!) and Penelope Cruz among many others. But the sentimental turns and case pleading, all from the Jung/Depp’s POV, desperately needs counterweight from another (probably legally opposing) force while Demme only piles on more swag. It makes a nice contrast to the barren walls of Jung's many prison layaways, but is missing any nuance.
SCREWY THOUGHT OF THE DAY: The real Jung, as seen in a still at the end of the pic, certainly no looker . . . unlike Depp! So the way Depp enjoys all the outre ‘70s clothes (those pointy collars!), long hair styles and cosmetic trappings, plays very differently on him than it must have on the real guy. The difference between a natural peacock and a squab who can only dress like one.
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