I've never done drugs. I've never wanted to do drugs. I can't stand people who use drugs. With that being said, I like drug movies. Let me explain. With drug movies you have a relatively good chance of being entertained. You're either going to see the weird crap that goes on either dealing or using drugs or you're going to see some weird trip outs. So like I said, it's really hard to make a drug movie that isn't somewhat entertaining. At least, I thought that at one time. Then I watched this movie.After his wife is murdered Danny Parker (Val Kilmer) suddenly becomes involved in the drug culture. He makes friends with Jimmy the Fin (Peter Sarsgaard), don't you just love street names? He also tries and help his neighbor Colette (Debra Kara Unger) from her druggie life and her boyfriend, see the irony there? Anthony Lapaglia and Doug Hutchison play two undercover narcotics agents who keep hounding Danny. I also have to mention that Danny does some dealing with a very mean dealer, get this street name, Pooh Bear, who has done so much coke that he lost his nose and uses a prosthetic one. He is played by the always talented Vincent D'Onfronio. There are also two kinda weird stars in this as well R. Lee Ermey and Meat Loaf. I just had to mention it.
This movie isn't hard to follow it's just hard to stay interested in. With a drug movie you have to make it an effort to make a movie that isn't entertaining for the most part. I would also like to say that the makers of this movie are really high but I've seen "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" and I know everyone involved was high in someway, not to mention the original writer, Hunter S. Thompson, was barely sober in his life. So I know you can make a good drug movie while high, stoned, or tweaking. Val Kilmer was a good actor at one point in time. He was the late 1990's Ben Afleck or Matt Damon. However, he is the weakest actor in this movie and he's one of the most sober! The ending is a bit stupid as well and is kind of random. It makes me feel as if the writers wrote what they wanted to and need an ending. There is one good and entertaining "fight" scene that is kind of dramatic.
Grade - D
This movie is not very well written or acted. The plot, what they try and call a plot, doesn't really make sense and likes to skip around. It might just be me but it seems like not the best thing to do to make a drug movie complicated. The end scene is a bit nice, artistic wise, but again not very well acted through out. Of course when you're suppose to play "high" or "stoned" it doesn't really help. I just want to know how actors can read some of the scripts and say to themselves, "Not only is this good but I would also like to be a part of this crapfest". It always makes ME wonder!
