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Reading here and
there on social media, someone took 'Cocaine Bear' seriously.
One reads outraged
and pissed off critics of Elizabeth Banks' film, as if they were waiting for a
work by Kubrick.
It seemed quite clear to me, even without the help of drugs, and from the very first images and the first trailer, that the ultimate
goal was solely and exclusively to create
a horror film, a bit splattery, demented, in eighties salsify.
And 'Cocaine Bear' succeeds perfectly in this intent, with stereotypical crime-horror movie characters, absurd scenes, black humour and an almost nonsensical plot.
"Almost nonsense" because this film is based on a true story, which
happened in 1985 when a bear died of a cocaine overdose, most likely thrown
from a drug trafficker's plane.
An urban legend was born that the drugged bear became violent and went around attacking and killing people. In reality 'Pablo Escobear', as was called, did not harm anyone.
He died with a stomach full, literally, of cocaine.
Jimmy Warden, the
screenwriter, is loosely inspired by this news story, exaggerating the
situation skilfully directed by Elizabeth Banks, who, as mentioned at the
beginning, simply achieves her goals.
Andrew C.
Thornton, a cocaine trafficker, drops duffel bags full of drugs from his plane,
before trying to reach them by parachuting but in the attempt, hits his head
and falls into the void.
One of these
duffel bags ends up in a nature park and a packet lands in the paws of a bear
that takes advantage of it.
The animal transforms into a bloodthirsty monster that immediately assaults an engaged couple consisting of Elsa (Hannah Hoekstra)
and Kristoffer (whose real name is
Olaf), played by Kristofer Hivju, who we all remember from his character
Tormund in Games of Thrones, where he bragged about having sex with a bear,
creating an amusing, in my opinion, reference.
At the same time, a group of punks who somehow saw the duffel bag try to go and retrieve it. A teacher chases her daughter
and her friend who cut school to go to the park and
two henchmen of the local drug kingpin (Ray Liotta) try to retrieve it. As if
that wasn't enough, there are also the park rangers, who are quite idiotic and
a bit of a poor shot.
This whole world of deliberately ironic and stereotypical characters comes to grips with the drug-addled bear, giving us exquisite moments,
see the ambulance chase, the
arrival of the animal's cubs and finally a bit of a scene in the end credits,
which brilliantly close the circle.
"Cocaine Bear" is an amusing and entertaining operation with an eventful plot that glides along on a never shouty and very enjoyable comedy. Trashy, deliberately trashy,
but that's enough to say that Elizabeth Banks undoubtedly hits the mark, also working with a fine cast, which in addition to the aforementioned performers sees Margo Martindale, O'Shea Jackson Jr. and Matthew Rhys.
Last
appearance of Ray Liotta, who died shortly after the end of production and to
whom the film is dedicated.