Depp Shines

Rating: 6/10 (5 October 2001)

Johnny Depp delivers another steel-eyed performance that raises Ted Demme's morality tale to be the best it can be--which is to say not a whole lot. Based on a true story, Depp plays George Jung, an honest, likable drug smuggler who wants nothing more than to live the American dream and finds himself skilled at his profession; he's done in by a cruel, cold world that he fails to ever understand. Depp is quietly lyrical, infusing his character with a shimmering fluidity that allows him to fade into the background whenever the scene demands something larger--he's nothing if not an expert team player. Unfortunately, Demme is too obsessed with paying homage to Martin Scorsese to care and the film as a whole feels recycled from `GoodFellas'. Also starring is Penelope Cruz, good in a limited but crucial role as Jung's wife.