Even if you can get by the fake blood and `seasick green' cinematography (which makes most of the Latinos look orange), it's pretty hard to like this formula gangster flick. The movie starts decently enough, but after that it gets stupid, moving Leguizamo away from the `mean streets' into an upscale loft in Soho. The story could have been really interesting had it dealt more with Leguizamo's drug dealer competitors instead of the `movin' on up' plot device.
John Leguizamo is very good, as Victor, the drug dealer; but, besides Leguizamo, there are no other particularly good performances. Even the usually reliable Sonia Braga comes across as a nasty caricature. Leguizamo plays Victor a Puerto Rican drug dealer who tries to get out by investing large sums of drug money with Jack, an investment banker (Played by an incredibly wimpy Peter Sarsgaard).
WARNING: SPOILERS o Early in the film, Victor says he checked out Jack's background. Yet, when he discovers he's been played, none of the things anyone would normally check out turn out to be legit. o Victor has lost 1.5 mil of Columbian drug money, but when he runs back to Puerto Rico, he doesn't bother to change his name. o Why didn't the Columbians check out Jack before giving Victor the million five? o Why didn't the Columbian assassin kill Victor mo when he failed to follow orders to kill Jimmy? o THE MOVIE'S BEST SCENE: The shrill, obnoxious Denise Richards, falling back onto the bed, a large hole between her eyes. Too bad Victor couldn't have capped her earlier.
This `neutered dog' isn't even a Chihuahua! Arf!
John Leguizamo is very good, as Victor, the drug dealer; but, besides Leguizamo, there are no other particularly good performances. Even the usually reliable Sonia Braga comes across as a nasty caricature. Leguizamo plays Victor a Puerto Rican drug dealer who tries to get out by investing large sums of drug money with Jack, an investment banker (Played by an incredibly wimpy Peter Sarsgaard).
WARNING: SPOILERS o Early in the film, Victor says he checked out Jack's background. Yet, when he discovers he's been played, none of the things anyone would normally check out turn out to be legit. o Victor has lost 1.5 mil of Columbian drug money, but when he runs back to Puerto Rico, he doesn't bother to change his name. o Why didn't the Columbians check out Jack before giving Victor the million five? o Why didn't the Columbian assassin kill Victor mo when he failed to follow orders to kill Jimmy? o THE MOVIE'S BEST SCENE: The shrill, obnoxious Denise Richards, falling back onto the bed, a large hole between her eyes. Too bad Victor couldn't have capped her earlier.
This `neutered dog' isn't even a Chihuahua! Arf!