Sick Product of a Sick System

I'll tell you why so serious

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Clever title, "Tropical Snow," a kind of oxymoronic pun. The "tropic" is Colombia in the 80s when "snow," cocaine, was all the rage in the civilized world and the cartels were eager to provide it.Tavo (Corri) and Marina (Stowe) are two impoverished lovers in Colombia who are swept up into smuggling drugs in their bellies to New York, principally by the smooth agency of David Carradine.Corri is a handsome, sympathetic lad. Stowe is young and delicately beautiful with her asymmetric lips and skewed black irises. God, she's pretty. In fact, as this movie demonstrates, she's pretty pretty all over.Alas, though, the movie is a tragedy in which no one gets what he or she wants. It's not a drama. There is no monumental conflict between personalities or concepts. It belongs to the genre of suspense, the question being, after these two desperate youngsters have swallowed 100 bags of cocaine, will they make it through the Caribbean island and on through customs in New York City.The director is Ciro Duran. He has a nice scene of Corri waiting at JFK luggage roundabout for Stowe to descend from customs. At first, there is a great deal of hubbub as people crowd each other to pick up their suitcase and Corri bites his nails anxiously. Then, a cut. The roundabout has stopped. Only two pieces of luggage are left -- Corri's and Stowe's and she still hasn't shown up.Other than that, some of the direction and editing are straightforward and unimaginative when they're not downright clumsy. Some of the extras are allowed to smile self consciously when passing before the camera. The simple act of opening a panel door on an airplane is botched. And when Stowe is lying, half knocked-out, on the table waiting for an X ray of her tasty little tummy, her face is turned sideways towards the camera, a cliché which is beginning to give me indigestion.Yet, a viewer is likely to be caught up in the plight of this couple, and the writer and director shows us the kinds of work available to the Colombian poor even if they are trying only to make ends meet. Stowe is a waitress in a louche night club where the girls are encouraged to sit with the grubby customers and prompt them to buy more drinks. (Tea instead of champagne is served to the girls, if it works in Colombia the same as it does in the sleazy bars I've known in similar countries.) The scene in that bar isn't badly done either.A similar, far more polished movie appeared in 2004 -- "Maria Full of Grace", which must have had a better budget and overall is a little less hokey, though it has no stars to speak of. I don't know whether the later film was an example of imitation or independent invention, but it's quite involving.

This was a real sleeper, a good film that most people don't know about. Just check to see how many reviews are here: only a couple. It's also not available on DVD. That is a real shame, because this movie was beautifully shot. I saw it on a poor-quality VHS and still looked nice, so I can imagine how good this would be with a clear transfer and great colors.Nick Corri and Madeline Stowe play small-time thieves and lovers. Desperate for money, they do things they should not do in a few categories. Stowe, by the way, shows a lot of skin in this film, something she has not done in subsequent movies. She had just become a "name" actor the year before in the hit film, "Stakeout." Corri's real name (at least according to IMDb here) is Jsu Garcia, but for awhile he used the name Corri.There is not much violence in this drug-crime movie and very little profanity. It's rated R for the nudity.This is interesting film and certainly something that's different. If if ever comes out on DVD, I'm going to buy it.

This was not a bad effort to put together a moral tale on drug trafficking. The movie focuses on the mules - in this case it is two impoverished kids from Columbia whose desperation to start a new life in America leads them into the clutches of the traffickers. The film is low budget and contains few surprises in its story line. However it requires little concentration and is typical rainy Sunday afternoon TV fare.What makes it fun to watch is the stunning Madeleine Stowe. She is supremely gorgeous and is totally convincing with her Latin accent and her portrayal of her character.A creditable mention for David Carradine. Less wooden than usual he oozes evil.Curious title!