Cop Land

What About It?

(for a full summary of the film, scroll down to "What Happens?")

Cop Land is a huge movie, packed with character and information. With such a stellar cast, it's hard to imagine everyone getting their full story told, but it tries. This is made easier by the fact that these character's have a lot in common, they're all cops, and they're all affected by a shared history. Everyone in Garrison is reaping the benefit of Ray's deal with the mob, and they all carry the guilt of the scandals Ray has had to quiet, with Tunney in the past and in this movie with Murray, as well as the day to day corruption, allowing drug traffic as part of the arrangement. This creates a haven for cops with the intent being that all the consequences are left in NY with the precinct. Of course, it doesn't always work out that way and the strain is visible on the key players.

Stallone's Freddy, stands out, in that he alone is not part of the group, although he is tightly linked to them. He's not a cop but he is law enforcement. He admires cops and wants to be one himself. Initially Freddy in content to keep his eyes and mouth shut, feeling grateful perhaps to be Sheriff, which, along with his association with Ray's group, allows him to feel almost like a cop. That isn't to say he's happy. Freddy is badly broken, and has long ago given up on any goals he might have had. He serves as almost comic relief for the cops in Garrison, being nothing more than a toothless guard dog. His job is to give out speeding tickets to those who aren't cops, and investigate stray trash bags. He's impossibly meek about his role, allowing himself to be pushed around and demeaned with a smile. He's very aware of how he's regarded. Yet, Freddy is not naturally that meek, he's simply too beaten to react anymore. Some of this he dilutes with his drinking. We get the feeling that Freddy was handpicked for his role, as he doesn't appear to be any threat whatsoever to the nature of Ray's plans in Garrison.

It's interesting to see Stallone surrounded by so many fine actors, as a weak performance would stand out in this film like a sore thumb. Other than Rocky, Stallone has never seemed as if he was out to court critical acclaim with his acting rage. But, here, I can't imagine someone pulling the role off better. He puts on the role of Freddy completely. We never get Freddy as an imposing figure, like Stallone often plays. Freddy is not a fighter. If he ever was, he's forgotten how a long time ago. Freddy just soaks up abuse like a sponge. Of course, his despair is deeper than not being a cop. He's constantly slighted by the woman he's in love with, and continues to meekly put himself out there in front of her. 

Annabella Sciorra's Liz is another different twist on a character. Although, Freddy has been pining for her since he saved her life (and maybe before) She feels almost no consideration for him, other than a mild obligation to humor him. She casually mentions that she called him about her trash bag problem because she didn't want to bother her husband Joey (the real cop) with it. He doesn't mutter a word of protest, even helps her abuse him saying, quite genuinely, "I'll take care of it. it's Ok. He's got the city to worry about, right?" She doesn't even bother to say yes or no to smooth over the ugly moment, just leaves him to go through her trash and investigate. When he tells her what she already knows, that it's Rose's trash, he offers to talk to Joey. She again scorns him, saying "Why, you didn't marry him." rubbing salt again in Freddy's wounds. He contents himself with a ritual of listening to sad Bruce Springsteen songs while thinking about her. She even ruins this ritual by telling him that he could get his records on CD now, only for Freddy to remind her that it wouldn't make much difference to him (due to his deafness.) She quickly brushes off a potentially intimate moment, suggesting that Joey or no, she's not interested in him. Freddy confides in her once he decides to go after Ray, essentially scolding him and revealing the root of her character by defending Joey's participation as him "only wanting a place for them to live." and then cruelly suggesting Freddy is trying to imitate Joey.  Sciorra plays the character perfectly, superficially pleasant, but terminally shallow and thoughtless, making Freddy's pining all the more tragic.

Harvey Keitel's Ray is a perfect part for him. Ray is the planner and architect of Garrison. He doesn't need to say or do much as he has many people willing to do his bidding. He functions as a mob boss of cops, although he has people he answers to himself. He's content with his role in things, and determined to defend the status quo at all costs. He recognizes limits but is very skilled at working within them. He can get an investigation suspended but wouldn't attack the Internal Affairs office. He has a balancing act to maintain, as his livelihood and lifestyle depends on illegal activity, but he still has some responsibility to uphold the law. He is very proud of being a cop, and feels very entitled by that, as we see when he tells Deputy Cindy Betts, "See, officer, in Garrison, when the car you're gonna tag has a PDA sticker, I'd advise you to think to yourself, Hey, that's one of the good guys, I think I'll go catch me a bad guy. " Keitel tells us more with a look than a sentence many times, his silent fuming at disrespect, from Joey Randone and from Figgis, tells us what he's capable of, and has us immediately concerned for their safety. Ray has no trouble with murder, even that of other cops, and his own nephew, should it endanger his plans. Ray is very clever and competent, never doing more than he needs to to achieve his goals. When he wants to get of Joey, he realizes that all he needs to do is be a bit late to rescue him. He's an eager opportunist, although if the situation hadn't presented itself, he certainly would've made sure another one did.

Robert DeNiro's Moe is also great for the screen time he has. He's essentially an agent of change, and Freddy's wake up call. Freddy not quite being a cop, actually works in Moe's favor as Freddy doesn't have the instinctual enmity for IA that the cops do. He's able to establish a bond, saying we're both law enforcement. Moe in his own way is as ruthless as Ray at working within channels, very easily insulting and scorning Freddy himself when he offers to help after he has the case closed on him, in the hopes that Freddy will get mad and turn things over so he can reopen a case. Moe's smugness wen visiting Garrison is amusing, Ray and him both knowing that it isn't just a random visit. We get a hint of a history between the two of them years ago, and it's clear that Moe would like nothing better than to bring Ray down. Moe is a by the book cop however and Ray is certainly aware that there's little he can do, if nobody talks. Moe and Ray are essentially the good and bad tugging at Freddy, and neither man is very reassuring.

Ray Liotta's Figgis is the closest thing Freddy has to a friend. He's as tarnished as any of the other cops, a coke head, who thinks nothing of major insurance fraud if it lets him start over. Of alll of the Garrison cops however, Figgis is bitter, as he reveres his ex partner Tunney, a casualty of Ray's machinations, and carries some guilt over what happened himself. Figgis however accepts some of the guilt and has trouble keeping quiet about it, knowing it was a terrible thing, even if it means beating himself up, he can't forget it. Yet, for all his bitterness, Ray has some genuine compassion for Freddy, perhaps relating to his plight as he himself ended up being far less than had probably hoped. Of everyone involved, he's the only person other than Liz to notice Freddy's tragedy. WHen he tells Freddy, "Then you have to watch as this girl you saved, this beauty queen, marries this cocksucker. And you with your ear, you can't even get a desk on the force. You're fucked. Be jealous, Freddy. Let it out. I would." we get Figgis' regard for him. Later Figgis concern causes him to fight his own self interest, and save Freddy's life, helping him finish bringing Ray down, even though it means killing his fellow cops. Their friendship is an interesting one, having their beaten states as their common denominator. Freddy realizes Figgis torched his own house, yet never seems to entertain the idea of bringing in Ray, knowing Ray enough to know, that his girlfriend's death was not intentional. This also illustrates that Freddy is not hung up on the letter of the law. Like Ray, he has his own grey area.  Yet unlike Ray, murder and mob collusion clearly crosses that line.

 The rest of the cast is also terrific. Robert Patrick playing Jackie as an eager psychopath. Arthur Nascarella's Frankie, is the more reasonable enforcer. The two of them serve well as Ray's henchmen, mirroring a mob type association. Michael Rapaport is great as Murray Babitch, the clueless and not too bright victim, in way over his head. There isn't a weak performance in the film, and there's so much going on, that again, it's amazing that Freddy is able to remain the undeniable center of everything. The fact that he appears less capable than anyone else only makes his character work better. Freddy is easily underestimated. He's assumed to be dumb and uncaring. When Moe tells him that nobody's watching the cops in Garrison, Freddy insists. "I am." and we don't believe him, but we're wrong. Freddy is watching everything as we realize when he asks Ray if he got the materials from Berta at the bomb squad. Even drunk, playing pinball, while they attempted a discreet exchange, Freddy saw what was happening. He just hadn't chosen to act, choosing willful blindness and ignorance.

Freddy spells out his own dilemma to Ray, saying "You know, if i saw Liz, drowning in the water, if I saw that today, I wouldn't go in. I'd stand there, and I'd think about it. And, that's the best thing I ever did with my life." This reveals much about Freddy, namely that despite his failure to get anywhere with Liz, to be a cop, or the resulting deafness, he still counts that action as a success. Freedy still believes in goodness. he just feels powerless to contribute to it anymore. He recognizes that Ray is bigger than him and wouldn't know where to begin. When he finds a direct action, retrievig Murray and bringing him in to IA, he sees his chance to do something right again, and won't be stopped. Figgis proves correct that "being right is not a bulletproof vest." and fortunately Freddy's newly awakened belief and determination are rewarded, by Figgis returning to help him, telling us that Ray's spread of corruption is not complete.

We also see however, that the lingering belief in goodness is not necessarily kind to it's bearers, as the most corrupt seem to bear their guilt without qualm, while Figgis and Freddy are tortured wrecks. Freddy's good and law abiding deputies are a disappointment as well, neither of them willing to risk anything to help Freddy, as it appears obviously dangerous. Moe's detachment is similar, in that he's likely willing to have Freddy get himself in serious trouble, in order to reopen the case, although likely too late to help Freddy.  However, the result of the tortured psyche's of Figgis and Freddy, is that they are both willing to sacrifice everything when it dawns on then that the situation is intolerable; Figgis for the sake of friendship and guilt, Freddy, for the chance to do something good with his life again.

In Cop Land, James Mangold gives us a dense film which plays like a small one. Garrison is the perfect setting for the story and the cops playing the gangsters, and the importance of "being a cop" in this world, shows that there is a big difference between the law and justice.  Freddy will never be a cop, but he can help justice along here and does, simply by finally deciding to take action, rather than just thinking about it. He provides himself another chance to accomplish something good with his life and prove he's capable of more than anyone thought of him

.

What Happens?

Moe Tilden (Robert DeNiro) narrates as we zoom overhead from NY to NJ cityscape. "Back in the 70's, every cop wanted out of the city. But, the only cops allowed to live outside NY were transit cops, because the transit authority was also run by Jersey and Connecticut. So, these guys I knew at the 3-7, they started pulling overtime at subway stations and got the city to declare them auxiliary transit cops. They bought some land in Jersey, got cheap loans from people they knew. They made themselves a place where the shit couldn't touch them. That's what they thought anyway. (pause) Every precinct has it's cop bar, all blue, no civilians. For the 3-7, it was the Four Aces, just across the river. "

Narc

What About it?
(for a full summary of the film, scroll down to "What Happens?")

"Narc" is a film about people attempting to cope with their own damaged lives in a dark world that doesn't make special allowances. Everyone in the movie has secrets and motives that they themselves are not fully aware of. Bad things happen to good people here and being a good cop doesn't make you a good husband or father. Both Tellis and Oaks are far more dedicated to the idea of their jobs than to anything else in the world, although they've each arrived at that point very differently. Both characters see themselves as "good guys." and have good intentions to spare. The trait that they share most, however, is that each man believes that his own judgment is enough to define his universe.

Jason Patric and Ray Liotta both give us textured and nuanced characters full of contradiction and complexity. Each performance augments the other like two sides of a coin or maybe two of the same coin, only weathered differently. Jason Patric's Nick Tellis is the lead and it's his concerns we're faced with.We don't know where Tellis comes from, but he has an unshakable dedication to doing the right thing according to his own values. He needs to be a cop but not so much that he'll "play ball" He refuses to address the police committee "head hung low, hat in hand." or even to entertain the thought that his actions were too aggressive or that the woman shot, could have been spared. While we know he has spoken with the woman he also believes that he did exactly what needed to be done. He made a choice to save a little girl and stop Dowd, everything else, while regrettable perhaps, is beside the point for him. The split second when he switches from being happy at saving the girl, to realizing someone else was hurt is agonizing and shows how close a hero is to a failure. Yet he still defends his actions proudly, refusing to pretend he doesn't have an impossible job that he does very well. He doesn't see himself as answerable to anyone but himself, not the police department, or his wife. Yet, he also acts as if he serves a calling. Audrey speaks to this compulsion when she says "What, you think catching 'em is going to make you less like them?" He certainly has the dedication of a man hoping to save himself. He doesn't say a word when she leaves, as if it's just a price he'd already accepted. Despite keeping his own counsel, he does have a regard for the rules and is very moral, not able to entertain killing a drug dealer for a murder he didn't commit, or even to frame him for it. He does believe in justice, truth and protecting the innocent, although he's flexible on the procedures needed to obtain these things.

Liotta's Henry Oak is a good partner for him. Oak is a very competent and efficient cop. His calling is similar to Tellis', except that his anger is more active, and he enjoys dealing out pain in the interests of justice. He openly despises the regulations which protect those who harm the innocents of the world from being harmed themselves. He's not the textbook movie out of control cop though. He knows the system and knows how to make solid arrests. ALthough he defies the rules enough to get IA looking at him constantly, he knows enough to make them work hard to get him. He knows when he can beat a guy with a billiard ball in the police station and when he can't, although he is likely okay with getting caught eventually, as he would still see himself being right. Oak is uncompromising, intimidating and relentless. Like  Tellis, he is his own authority, but he has far less use for tact or mercy. We also learn more about Oak's past, seeing the way he speaks of his wife, his character's brutality is more understandable. He lost everything that was good in the world to him and on some level he ended up trying to get payback for that, although nothing would ever make it right. It's easy to believe that Oak was capable of killing his partner. Without knowing the detail of his relationship with Calvess, it's entirely possible that he could have killed him given the right reason. Tellis even seems Ok with it, when he assumes that Oaks discovered Calvess was selling out other cops and killed him for that. The truth however reveals that Oaks was far more vulnerable than anyone realized and only trying to salvage an unacceptable situation for people he cared about. His revealed relationship with Kathryn reveals more of the same. His hidden compassion was what encouraged him to bend rules. While Tellis has little choice but to shoot him, the solving of the mystery becomes much more tragic, when we understand Oaks' motivation. Ray Liotta brings an amazing presence to the role, giving Oaks an imposing physicality I haven't seen from him before or since. Liotta's always capable of intensity, but here he seems as if he could kill someone by looking at them wrong, but then in another moment be remarkably sincere about missing his wife, without diminishing his threat level at all. Although we see primarily Tellis viewpoint, for every moment Liotta is present there are two lead roles. It's fortunate that they complement each other so well, overlapping in some respects, yet opposed in others, yet their interaction always informs us about both of them.

The supporting cast is all solid as well, Busta Rhymes is convincing as Darnell, a surprisingly reasonable drug dealer with a stubborn streak. John Ortiz is great as Octavia, the pantsless junkie with a penis problem. Kirsta Bridges really makes her small part count, with a few appearances selling her impossible situation and the loss of Tellis' home life. Everyone makes it work. Joe Carnahan's direction gives us a world that would produce these characters, full of blood, dirt, venereal disease, abuse and betrayal, it's a wonder that anyone in Narc, would be compelled to even try to do the right or decent thing.

The opening foot chase alone is a marvel of tension and feels more dangerous than most car chases I've seen. The desperation comes through in every second and doesn't let up when Tellis catches Dowd. Moments after it starts we see a man dying miserably and senselessly in the street and Tellis having to choose instantaneously between stopping for a man who's already likely dead, or trying to prevent the next victim.
His next choice is whether or not to shoot at a crazed junkie with a little girl in his arms, only to have that small victory yanked away. In a sense the whole film is an extension of that tension, as Tellis doesn't get the ending to the chase that he wanted but feels the effects every moment afterwards. From the chase, we skip eight months of stasis and end up in a board room, which is as close an opposite to a frantic chase as I could think of. Tellis and Oaks both live for the chase, and crave opportunities for decisive action, yet the investigation is largely walkign around and talkign to people, finding leads from a crackhead who can't put pants on, much less run, and a corpse who's been in the bathtub for weeks. Something needs to happen, but little can match the adrenaline of the opening scene. In a very real sense Tellis is still screaming for help on the playground, and Oaks is still missing a moment with his wife, but all they can do is try to make something happen.

Tellis (and everyone else) lives in a mess, which certainly started long before, but the chase works as a compelling entry point. It's a great strategy as the story is very much about dealing with life as a series of aftermaths. The Calvess case fits right in with that idea, the case itself is aftermath, the trail is cold and it's largely a loose end that needs to be tied up for it's possible political significance. Only when Oaks is introduced does the case seem to have any real life in it, and while Oaks certainly cares, it's a loose end to him as well, only for different reasons.

The attention to detail and characterization present a full world with possibilities everywhere. You could remove either Liotta or Patric and still have more than enough character to make a decent movie. It would be a very different movie of course, as the strength of the film is watching them interact, but both characters investigate on their own, their own ways, as if forgetting sometimes that they're partnered. I have no doubt that their own films would be compelling, if lacking some of the amazing depth given to them in Narc.

This is a dark movie to be sure, not offering any hope outright, except in the process, the idea that despite the likelihood that it will all end badly, there are people out there who try to defend the helpless. Whether they're effective or not is another story. Sometimes they are, although even when they succeed, there are others who can't be helped. All in all, you have a compelling picture of two human disaster stories that have been kicked around enough to be able to deal with most anything, except the possibility that they won't achieve their purpose in the world. There is hope in the effort, there's also tragedy and futility, and at the end we find truth which only presents more dilemmas and possibilities. What should Tellis do with the tape recorder when the truth doesn't appear as if it would be much help to anyone? Narc is full of these questions. We can't discount Tellis question "What if it was me?" But we also can't discount Audrey's frustration watching Nick get swept up into old problems again. We can say that Oaks went too far trying to frame the drug dealers, but his action is colored differently when we learn they're not just coincidental patsies, but people he blames for destroying his close friend. It's still a gross abuse of power but it isn't a blind one. There are many kinds of rights and wrongs present and degrees between each, but they don't often match up in neat pairs.

We're not given characters that anyone would want to emulate. However pure their motives, Tellis and Oaks are both consumed by their issues. Police work gives them an outlet for distraction, but not any resolution. Neither of these men have room for anything but the job in their lives. They may accomplish something good now and then, but what they see and deal with daily alienates them from the rest of the world, leaving them very good at what they do, but not much good at anything else, as Tellis points out when Audrey suggests he try another job. And so we end up with a place where good isn't always rewarded, bad isn't always punished and some men are compelled to work tirelessly to give themselves meaning and purpose for as long as they can manage. I don't think that's so farfetched and while it may be very dark, there's certainly some goodness in these characters and this film, otherwise it wouldn't be so tragic.

What Happens?



Nick Tellis (Jason Patric) is an undercover cop remembering his last assignment which ended in a strenuous foot chase after a drug dealer named Dowd. Dowd is fast and ruthless, shooting up a bystander with a lethal dose of drugs, although Tellis runs past the victim in order to catch him, although he next grabs a little girl from a playground and threatens to shoot her up too. Tellis however, shoots the dealer anyway, firing several shots. He kills the dealer and the girl is unharmed, but one of his bullets ricochets and hits a pregnant woman who is bleeding badly. Tellis screams for help as children scream in the background, and the woman sobs in pain.

Goodfellas

 What About it?
(for a full summary of the film, scroll down to "What Happens?")

Goodfellas is basically a story about a "nobody" trying to be a "somebody." as Henry says, describing his younger days. In a very real way, Henry is attracted to the status and the air of celebrity that the gangsters he knew carried with them. Coming from a humble background, with everyone he knew in the same boat, being a somebody, was as unlikely to him as being President. It's a story about getting there and what you'll do to stay there. Henry has a problem accepting where he come from and who he is. He views his father with contempt, and it's telling that once he's an adult, he makes no mention of hisfamily at all. His father is just a "schnook." in Henry's estimation. Once he becomes fascinated with the power and glamour of being a gangster, the thought of living a life like his father is not even imaginable to him. To Henry, living right across the street from the cab stand where they hang out is too much enticement to resist. He sees their comings and goings for years in the most glamorous light, only the public face rather than the  complete picture, which is likely all he would see as an outsider anyway, as appearances are important to them all. The normal experience of a first job becomes his entry into the organization, and the taste of respect and celebrity has him hooked. It's no wonder that high school ceases to be a priority, when he's working with men who drop hundred dollar bills like they were nothing, and even as a kid he's making more money than most adults in his neighborhood.

He's eager to get more involved, looking up to Jimmy, who adds a style to the business. Even the gangsters celebrate Jimmy and Henry is thrilled to be working for him. From very early, Henry's morals are not fixed. We see that he quickly abandons concern for a man who runs down the street after getting shot, reasoning that Pauly wouldn't want the man dying in his place of business. He replaces conventional right and wrong with the rules of the organization. His first arrest is treated as a cause for celebration with Pauly and Jimmy actively cheering the arrest as a rite of passage. By this time, it should be clear that the organization is not untouchable, but in Henry's mind the power is more than a good enough trade off. Henry is presented as the most stable of his group. He's not as wild or ruthless as Jimmy, and not nearly as psychotic as Tommy. Henry is the "everyman" of the mafia here. although that position is certainly relative. The fact that he's telling the story, might lead us to believe that he's presenting himself as favorably as possible. But it's not unlikely that he would look somewhat normal anyway compared to his friends. who both present their own cautionary tales.

Scorsese is at his best here, successfully making Henry's world an insular one. While he drives the same streets as anyone, he and his family see nothing but their own community. As Karen points out, this makes their lives seem "normal." Rather than feeling like the outside world is foreign, they view it as unimportant, existing only to serve their needs. Even prison bends to accomodate them. Their group is the elite in their estimation, affording a life of ridiculous privelege. Karen is soon as comfortable there as Henry is, an easier adjustment as she doesn't get involved with Henry's activities, only has to act as if they're normal. Like Henry, she doesn't mind at all that "everbody wants to be nice to them." She's attracted to the dangerous lifestyle and as she says, she's "turned on" when Henry pistol whips a guy who assaulted her and tells her to hide the gun.

Goodfellas is also largely about the friendship between Henry, Jimmy and Tommy. Their association is like a group within the already closed group. Jimmy starts off as a mentor figure, but soon becomes a "peer" although more experienced, and with more clout than Henry and Tommy. Jimmy doesn't hesitate to have every member of his crew killed rather than pay them, but with Tommy and Henry, there's hesitation. They genuinely enjoy each other's company and have a lot of shared history. Henry and Jimmy might get angry with Tommy, for killing Billy Batts or a defenseless bartender, but they accept these things as part of him, choosing to help him kick the man while he's down and later to bury the body.  Jimmy is certainly capable of having either of them killed as we see when he suspects Henry might talk, but even then he's hesitant and would rather not do it himself.

Tommy is an interesting contrast to Henry. Henry considers everything while Tommy just does whatever he feels like at the moment. He feels some entitlement assuming that he's going to be "made" someday. an honor which Jimmy and Henry can never even hope for. Of the three of them, Tommy is the most cold blooded, able to kill somebody without thinking twice about it. His sense of self importance is monstrous, not allowing even the smallest slight, as we see when Spider, the mild mannered bartender, works up the courage to say "go fuck yourself" after getting shot in the foot and having his injury mocked.  Killing Spider however, is not a major offense and even "allowed" withing their rules. Tommy however isn't stopped even by their most sacred rules, and his pride is more important than the restriction on killing a Made man. The insult he feels when reminded that he used to shine shoes, especially coming from someone in a higher position than his own, is not something he can walk away from, whatever the consequence. The fact that Jimmy and Henry help him with this is, when it's an offense certain to get them killed, is another reminder that the three really do have quite a bond.

Of course the habit of breaking the rules, is one which only grows. Once you've helped kill a Made man, the idea of dealing drugs although it's forbidden, is not so intimidating. Henry sets up his own organization within the organization, using his "everyman" status to get away with it. It's interesting that Pauly warns him about getting involved with drugs and cautions him about Jimmy and Tommy's unpredictability being a source of trouble, when Henry is the architect of the whole drug operation. This is also another instance demonstrating the three's true loyalties. Henry doesn't worry about Jimmy or Tommy messing up his plan and brings them in right away. Their "society of three" is broken up however, when Tommy is whacked. The only 100% Italian of them all, Tommy was their key to fully arriving in the organization, if only by proxy. This is a stark reminder that they don't "belong" as much as they would like to, and could be eliminated far more easily than Tommy was. The true incentive against betrayal, loyalty, is removed and even Jimmy and Henry's relationship is weakened by this.  Despite their previous rule breaking, both Jimmy and Henry felt for the most part, loyal to Pauly, but this weakens that bond as well. "There's nothing we could do." Henry repeats what Jimmy was told about Tommy getting killed, which clearly both he and Jimmy resent.

Goodfellas is a masterpiece of film. Scorsese uses every element available to it's best effect, including the soundtrack as a vital piece of the story. No detail is spared, and the glamorous world that Henry starts in, devolves convincingly into a world where Henry is sweating, run down and paranoid (although justifiably) knowing that he's wanted dead, but having no idea where it will come from. We get that certain death is the only way he would ever leave. Once the decision is made, Henry shows no regret about betraying either Jimmy or Pauly. He points them out in court without hesitation. His only regret is that he no longer feels like royalty.  Henry's amoral nature hasn't changed at all, he's made the only choice he can make to stay alive. The casting is perfect, Ray Liotta is perfect as the most grounded of the three friends and the lynchpin of the story. He's the one after "the American Dream" and lacks the malice that his friends have. Joe Pesci is a force of nature here, Tommy's outbursts come across so convincingly that it's hard to decide between being entertained and horrified. DeNiro is of course, the perfect choice for Jimmy, the weathered veteran, who knows more than the others, but doesn't always feel compelled to share. He shows more menace smoking a cigar and thinking than Tommy could with all his outbursts.  Lorraine Bracco is also great, her Karen, showing us the same story Henry sees but from a different perspective. Her involvement suggests that anyone could get caught up in this lifestyle.

We also see that times change, and at the end there's no cab stand where the gangsters can hang out untouchably. That time period is over and Pauly and Jimmy, the representaives of Henry's ideal lifestyle are both in prison. Even if Henry could eliminate the threat to his lifestyle, he couldn't have that lifestyle back, only perhaps what he could manage selling drugs. In his rush to be a "somebody" he didn't realize that he only became a "nobody" in a different circle. Despite the respect given to him by people outside the organization, he was far from irreplaceable, Tommy's death proving tha the wasn't "special" and there were heights he couldn't even aspire to.  While the money made him comfortable, it became little more than a game, whatever was made being spent right away, until all that was left was a bag of cocaine, which Karen had flushed down the toilet. In the end, he ends up more restricted than his father ever was, having to live by the rules of the witness relocation program. Unlike his father, Henry has to live with what he thought he was, and the memory of living in privelege, while knowing he'll never have it again. He could also remember the fact that he was about to be killed, but his voice doesn't focus on that, the lifestyle being remembered nostalgically, in which case the negatives no longer matter, any more than they would in a dream.

What Happens?

Goodfellas starts off with the announcement that it's based on a true story, and from there takes us to "New York, 1970" and the inside of a car driven by Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) who has two passengers, Jimmy Conway (Robert DeNiro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) Henry hears a banging noise and wonders if he has a flat tire. It becomes obvious the banging is coming from the trunk and the three pull over to take a look. Jimmy and Tommy hold weapons while Henry opens the trunk and they find their beaten and bloodied passenger is clearly not dead. Tommy stabs the man repeatedly followed by Jimmy shooting the man a few times.

Blow

Blow is a movie based on the true story of George Jung, the major American figure in making Cocaine popular in the United States in the 1970's. How faithful it is to the truth, I don't know. Like many stories it's a very simple one, a kid so determined to avoid becoming his father, that he ends up becoming worse.

We start with childhood, George witnesses his mother and father constantly fighting over money. His mother often leaves and returns not happy with the meager living that Fred (Ray Liotta) provides. Although Fred tells his son that money doesn't really mean anything, George only sees how miserable his parents have been for not having it. More than anything else in the world, George doesn't want to be poor.

George and his lifelong friend Tuna (Ethan Suplee) move to California as adults and quickly discover that they can make plenty of money and avoid working real jobs by selling Marijuana. George's girlfriend Barbara (Franka Potente) knows a pot dealer, Derek Foreal (Paul Reubens) and introduces George to him. George, having a good business sense quickly starts making money. When his friend Kevin Dulli (Max Perlich) mentions an enormous demand in the New England college scene, George sees an opportunity and becomes partners with Derek. He arranges for Barbara to use her stewardess job to get the drugs to Kevin in New England. Then, unhappy with what he's paying for the pot, he decides to find a direct source in Mexico. He eventually makes a connection but gets caught trying to bring 660 lbs. of marijuana into the states. George is already more concerned with making money than avoiding legal problems, and shows no respect at all to the court, quoting bob Dylan lyrics as a defense. He gets sentenced to jail time, but skips out on bail and on discovering that Barbara doesn't plan to be alive for two years due to cancer. George spends his time to taking care of her and loses touch with the gang.

George goes to see his parents in Massachusetts and while he talks with his father, who says he isn't mad, but doesn't understand George's choices. George brags. 'i'm really great at what I do." and his father responds "You would've been great at anything." His mother calls the cops who quickly arrive and arrest him. Fred is angry with her for turning in their son, but she is more worried about how people think of her. This time George ends up serving his prison time. He makes connections during his two year sentence, most notably Diego Delgado (Jordi Molla), who knows people growing cocaine in Colombia. As soon as he's paroled, George, meets Diego in Colombia and they start doing business with Cesar Rosa. They build the business substantially, soon adding their own private flights to move larger quantities. Diego gets arrested in Colombia, leaving George on his own to sell 50 kilos in 36 hours and deliver payment. Turning to Derek, his old partner, for help he succeeds, and as a reward, gets taken to Colombia.On arrival, he finds Diego waiting, having been sprung from jail due to "influence." George is taken to meet Pablo Escobar, who takes a liking to him and agrees to go into business with George and Diego. They become a huge success virtually owning the entire West Coast cocaine market.

George ends up marrying a Colombian woman named Mirtha (Penelope Cruz) They buy a nice house and Mirtha gets pregnant and meets George's parents.Diego however, resents that George hasn't revealed his West Coast connection (Derek) Diego uses Derek to set up his own operation, cutting George out. He confronts Diego about it, who confirms the betrayal, has him beaten and sent home. George decides to leave the business. His resolve is strengthened by his daughter Kristina's birth which radically affects his outlook and an overdose which hits him in the delivery room. He stays clean for years but gets arrested at a birthday party Mirtha throws for him, inviting many of his former drug associates. He signs a confession to get his wife and daughter released and post bail, deciding to skip bail again. He discovers that the Panamanian government has taken the millions he keeps in the Panamanian banks, causing a family scene over money similar to the ones he witnessed as a child. Mirtha causes a scene while he's driving which leads to his capture. She then visits him in prison and informs him that she's divorcing him and taking Kristina.

 He gets out after three years and tries to rebuild his relationship with his daughter, who is angry with him for leaving. He takes up the practice of walking with her to and from school. He talks with Mirtha about seeing more of Kristina, but she won't consider anything unless he starts paying child support, although she does start to relent. He decides to do another job to make enough money to bring Kristina to California with him (the place she would most like to go in the world) He's surprised to find his old friend Dulli in the crew. After they pull off the job, he announces it's his last time, only to discover that the job was a set up involving the FBI, DEA, with his old friends Dulli and Derek cooperating.He gets sentenced to 60 years in prison and leaves his daughter waiting for him to pick her up for their trip. He hears his father is dying and although he can't see him, he makes a tape recording telling his Dad that he finally understands what he meant by "money isn't real."

George, now an old man,  imagines that his daughter, now an adult has come to visit him an prison. He starts to have a conversation with her when a guard calls and realizes that she isn't really there.


*

Blow is an interesting movie, in that we watch Jung's bad decisions happen as the character narrates events as sympathetically as possible. While it deals with George's rise and fall through the drug trade, it's a very different movie than say Scarface or Goodfellas. George doesn't see himself as a gangster but as a businessman, betrayed and threatened with force, he doesn't retaliate but bows out. We see only the most basic facts, such as his mother and father bickering over money, but not anything so dramatic that would explain his drive. We see bickering but we don't see poverty. Even when his father is broke, they don't appear to go without anything. George worships his father, pities him and only understands his message that money isn't everything when he land himself in a situation, prison, where money really doesn't mean anything. Ted Demme plays everything very understated, as if intentionally making this world more mundane than any druglord movie before it.

Johnny Depp gives a great performance here, playing George perfectly suited to the narration as a man who only shows the surface. He tells us about his losses and his accomplishments but he typically shows the same face throughout, not being too moved by either end of the spectrum. The major actions happen off screen, whether selling 50 kilograms of cocaine in 36 hours or taking care of his terminally ill girlfriend. There's a depth to the character that's implied but never shown, as if the whole film is his carefully constructed public face. Ray Liotta is perhaps the most complex character here as his father Fred, overlooking the lifestyle that he's aware of and doesn't approve of because he loves his son and realizes he makes his own decisions anyway. He seems to know he can't reach George, but never stops trying. The bond between the two is undeniably strong. Penelope Cruz gives a great portrayal of Mirtha, the woman he marries out of excitement, only to turn into a mirror of his mother. She puts him (or he does) in the same seat that his father was in, despising him when he can't deliver the life he promised. Of all the characters, Mirtha is the only one who shows the most development, trading in a life of excess and excitement for the life of a responsible single mother. We understand why she limits George's time with his daughter, and his behavior confirms her reasons.

While he never directly avoids taking personal responsibility for his crimes, his matter of fact presentation of them, treats being the largest American cocaine dealer in the country as an alternative career. rather than a criminal enterprise. By George's reasoning, he only seized a logical opportunity. While he understands that prison time is a job hazard, he also sees fleeing while on bail a reasonable solution.  We end up with a self portrait of a man who believes life doesn't have to treat you fairly, starting with his early money concerns, knowing that his father is a hard worker who simply can't seem to make money, continuing to the loss of his girlfriend Barbara, whom he loses to cancer, his betrayal by his trusted partners Diego and Derrick, to the loss of his daughter's affection.

George has no desire to be a gangster, he really wants to be a businessman. The one instance where he attempts to be intimidating is almost laughable, putting an empty gun to Diego's head, which doesn't faze Diego in the slightest. The drugs sold in the movie are treated as almost incidental, and if not for the fact that they earn him his prison time, they may as well be plumbing supplies. "Blow" is not an in depth look at the cost of the drug problem, just a cursory look at the life of one of the key players. If it hadn't been him, it could have been someone else. George just happened to have the drive to make it happen when he ran into the right people. The message seems to be that this is something that could almost happen to anyone who had the motivation. He didn't have to kill anyone, or pass an initiation, he just had to keep selling coke. He wasn't special, when Diego cuts him out, no one bats an eye, because ultimately the only concern is profit.

George's main defect is that he never takes a stand on anything, always choosing the path of least resistance. That's the attitude which starts his drug career. The marijuana dealing practically falls into his lap and it's an easier way to make money than working a regular job. The move up to cocaine, similarly is practically given to him by his cellmate at the time, Diego, and when it's taken away he barely struggles with the decision. For all his talk about how drastically his life was changed by his daughter's birth, we don't see any evidence of this, just a continuation of the same pattern he's always followed. He wants his daughter to love him in the way that his father loved him, unconditionally, but she only knows what she learned from her own parents, which is to always be skeptical and expect a promise to be broken.

The real story is a man on a quest to be better, and end up better off than his father, only to prove that he wasn't capable of either. What he admired in his father, (hard work, and reliance on his own judgement) are the things he sacrifices to make his money, substituting risk taking and creativity. For his father money was never the goal, happiness was, he realized that having the money wasn't as important as where he got it, even though it made his life miserable at times he took the high lows in stride. George succeeded only in having higher highs and lower lows, ultimately low enough that he couldn't come back from them. He claims to have learned this lesson, once stuck with over 60 years in prison, but you have to wonder, did he really learn or is it just that he had no choice?