Cocaine Cowboys (2006)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Billy Corben

Release Date:

23 November 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | Crime

Tagline:

The incredible true story that inspired "Scarface" and "Miami Vice".

Plot:

In the 1980s, ruthless Colombian cocaine barons invaded Miami with a brand of violence unseen in this country since Prohibition-era Chicago...

Plot Keywords:

Cocaine | Drugs | Murder | 1980s | Violence

Cast

Jon Roberts	...	Himself
Al Sunshine	...	Himself
Sam Burstyn	...	Himself
Mickey Munday	...	Himself
Bob Palumbo	...	Himself
Toni Mooney	...	Herself
Edna Buchanan	...	Herself
Joseph Davis	...	Himself (as Dr. Joseph Davis)
Al Singleton	...	Himself
Louis Caruso	...	Himself
Raul Diaz	...	Himself
Jorge Ayala	...	Himself (as Jorge 'Rivi' Ayala)
Nelson Andreu	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Griselda Blanco	...	Herself (archive footage)
Kelly Hughes	...	Girl in apt
Jenna Reeves	...	Girl In Ocean
Monica Rooker	...	Grizel Lorenzo
Alfred Spellman	...	Chucho Castro

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive drug content, gruesome violent images, and language.

Runtime:

118 min | USA:116 min (short version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M (2007) | Germany:16 | Norway:10 (TV rating) | Norway:15 (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Rakontur

Movie Connections:

References "Miami Vice" (1984)

This really sums it up

This was a spectacular depiction of the life and times of Miami in it's criminal hay day. I witnessed the carnage first hand as a member of federal law enforcement and this documentary hits the nail squarely on the head. What made this really enjoyable for me is the way the director conveys the story. It is flashy and all over the place... just like Miami at that time. This was one of the few documentaries that told the stories of both sides of the struggle. The makers of this film were also able to do something very difficult. They assembled interviews from both sides of the fight. Anyone that is or was in my line of work knows how difficult it is to pull that off. Most documentaries are steeped in biased rhetoric and never give the viewer the chance to form an opinion based on all the facts. For those of us who remember those days and can be honest with ourselves and others about the gravity of that situation, it stirs up a long stored emotion. I can understand why people may find this documentary offensive or cheap, politically correct agendas have a way of skewing reason. That mentality is probably why this behavior has gone on so long. I wish I could take some of the misinformed back in time to see the reality of those times. It makes the nonsense of today look like Disney World. This documentary was an excellent depiction of the times.