Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / April 12, 2001, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
8 Thursday, April 12, 2001 'Blow' Focuses on Character, Not Drugs By Mkhael Woods Staff Writer Drugs and Hollywood were made for each other. Each have their own way of taking people to incredible highs and staggering lows. The mutual affec tion developed over the years has recently taken a curious turn, though. rsfmowe} iei'/en/ 'Slow' ★ ★★★ In the last six months, both “Requiem for a Dream” and “Traffic” have delved into American drug cul ture, making another movie with similar aspirations seem like an overdose. But despite arriving last, Ted Demme’s “Blow” carves its own niche in the genre and distributes a unique product that even the most veteran thug-flick fiend should enjoy. What separates “Blow” from similar films is its singularity of focus. Unlike “Traffic,” this is not a movie about drugs and the world built around them. This movie is about a man and his goals. Clothing • Hand Blown Glass • Cigarettes Jewelry • And Mbch More W 405 W. Franklin St • Chapel Hill (near McDonald s) • 967-7540 CHECK OUT A FEW OF THIS WEEK’S EVENING SPECIALS AT RICK’S • SkriN-p, Spin&ck AnJ CrAkAt Crp*S * P&tvScArCxJ Sis Bxss u/iti A Hor%y T<riy*ki GLz • Fi.|d u>itk Blu CUS, Dvi|d Pe\tvS, Rh>isit>S Ricks’ BUckbrry Vi * FilUf And Frid Oystrs /> & Dr in sßi T Plaza xT nr: Sot-'U Square Malli • Durham NC 111 f—** Diner *lO 09Q" • vion-Sci'd 30.9 • Sun 7 3 & Catering Cos. - WWW ricksdineronlme com ; pj(N i yyt yliTtV-n wvmv! ymsrrrre j 128-C East Franklin Street Jp [ \/|0 i fll (across from The Varsity) jljilc I T ff r TIO niliUUfi Mon.-Sat. ff-9 se Master Qpy j"®** ® ru /Tnuiirl n luf mn irtiw l, i uwy i TlTw • * George Jung (Johnny Depp) wants to have a family, do good work and be rich. The work he chooses just happens to involve being in possession of a quarter ton of marijuana, flipping 110 pounds of Columbian cocaine in 36 hours and banking with Manuel Noriega. On paper, these events seem unbe lievable, especially for a nice young boy from New England. But Depp does a remarkable job of keeping this vehicle on the right track. “It’s not the taking off part you got to worry about,” remarked George’s friend Dooley. “It’s the landing that’s tricky.” Getting high is the least of George’s problems. After enduring poverty as a child, George makes good on his vow to never be poor. His friend Tuna (Ethan Suplee) in tow, George relocates to California where he discovers beach life and bud. Since getting an actual job is out of the question, Tuna suggests selling weed instead of just smoking it With a little help from his stewardess girlfriend Barbara (Franka Potente) and her gay hairdresser Derek (Paul DIVERSIONS Reubens), “Boston George” quickly takes off, developing a profitable cross country franchise. There’s one small problem, though. “It isn’t enough,” George said as his friends admired their money. Depp’s acting brings a richness to George’s base impulses. Each time that ambition propels him higher, Depp refuses to cede control of the film like A1 Pacino did in “Scarface.” George builds his empire without violence and threats. He is methodical, focused and balanced almost to a fault. The first time he goes to jail there is no reflection or insight. But thanks to his Colombian cellmate Diego (Jordi Molla), George leaves behind his “bach elor’s of marijuana” and picks up a “doctorate in cocaine.” Upon release, George hits it off with Pablo Escobar. Soon he, along with his new wife, Mirtha (Penelope Cruz), is handling roughly 85 percent of America’s coke. There are some intriguing glimpses into the drug life, but all are funneled through George’s cold eyes. The supporting cast is solid but lacks a player with Depp’s range and skills. Ray Liotta, who plays George’s father, turns in a memorable performance. Ultimately, “Blow” is effective because it doesn’t dilute the product with preachiness. The movie’s only real victim is George, who is also a villain. “Blow,” which is based on a true story, chronicles his life and times, never apol ogizing for his narco-millionaire rise or eulogizing his calamitous fall. The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu. Crook’s $ FineSouthernfining Bar & Dining ream opes every night at 5:30 pm Ii 1 1 is >• msmsSm f Sunday Brunch Ifc3o ara-2 pm ■lB West Franklin Street Chapel Rill, NS 818-928-7843 'Spider' Reprises 'Kiss the Girls' j By Allison Rost Staff Writer Just like the romantic comedy, the detective suspense genre follows for mulaic plot twists, including inexplica ble jumps in logic, cool chase scenes and double-crosses up the wazoo. “Along Came a Spider,” based on the novel by James Patterson, pre dictably stays true to these require ments, yet man ages to entertain nonetheless. , — —^mov/ey rey/ew “Along Came a Spider" ★★★ Morgan Freeman assumes a role, from the Patterson-penned novel “Kiss the Girls,” as Dr. Alex Cross of the Washington, D.C., Police Department. This time he begins the movie mourn ing the death of his partner by con structing model boats and generally avoiding anything to do with his work. When the daughter of a senator is kidnapped from a swanky D.C.-area private school, Cross is contacted by the kidnapper, who has read Cross’ books on profiling criminals. He teams up with Secret Service agent Jezzie Flannigan, played by Monica Potter, who wants to make up for her lapse in attempting to protect the school from such incidents. What ensues is largely predictable, but some twists along the way do their part to create something other than the typical thriller. Freeman is, of course, fabulous in his role, and while it doesn’t require much, he still outshines everyone else with his quiet intensity. 1,11 111 I '■ —II ■■'■ ——— Ir ' Jmk Morgan Freeman and Monica Potter star in "Along Came a Spider," a redundant recap of Freeman's role in "Kiss the Girls/ Potter is the one who needs to rise to the challenge. Since her role figures to be much more vital to the outcome, she needs to show at least a little emotion. Her performance needed an infusion 0f... something. She just stares blankly at the screen no matter the situation. Of course, the thriller aspect provides some great moments. A ransom deliv ery scene is worth the price of admission alone for the wild goose chase through downtown D.C. Cross runs through the streets from the Watergate Hotel to Union Station, eventually ending up on a Metro train. While these sorts of scenes are fun to watch, they buy into the cliche. This may be attributable more to Patterson’s novel a jp* jp % ”V * * $ * TAQUERIA X P 1 Carrboro w HI 1 Monday-Saturday IJP, I I H llam-lOpm Closed Sunday 933.8226 (Eljp ®ailij ular BM g than to anything else, but the patterns are just too discemable. Couldn’t they have given Cross an affliction other than self doubt over a dead partner to overcome? Also regrettable are the missed opportunities. Cross develops an inter esting relationship with the senator’s wife, played by Penelope Ann Miller, but any development along that front is sacrificed to the movie gods. It may be a while before a thriller is made that defies these conventions. The predictability might be difficult to bear, but “Along Came a Spider” will suffice in the interim. The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 12, 2001, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75