Noriega: God's Favorite

Bob Hoskins is a great character actor, and the role of General Noriega gave him the opportunity to utilize his entire acting range, portraying the general in many facets - as a jovial host, passionate lover, fiery populist speaker, repentant Catholic, brutal murderer, and cynical drug dealer. However, despite the rich material provided by the life of the "little" general, the script is extraordinarily average, and the direction is unfortunately lackluster. The dialogues at times resembled a soap opera, lacking the dimension of true drama. In many details, the film is not so much inaccurate as it is unconvincing. This includes the implausible connection between Cuban leader Castro and the Colombian drug mafia or Noriega's decoration of his official office with Nazi symbolism, including a large portrait of Adolf Hitler. Overall impression: 55%. (2007-10-22)