Noriega: God's Favorite (2000) (TV)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writer (WGA):

Lawrence Wright (written by)

Release Date:

6 June 2001 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The story of Panamanian general Manuel Antonio 'Tony' Noriega, whose meteoric career, from utter poverty...

Plot Keywords:

General | Decapitation | Torture | Sanctuary | Shot In The Forehead

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Bob Hoskins	...	Manuel Noriega
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Nuncio
Rosa Blasi	...	Vicky Amador
Luis Avalos	...	President Nicky Barletta
Denise Blasor	...	Felicidad Noriega
Nestor Carbonell	...	Major Giroldi
Tony Plana	...	Colonel Diaz-Herrera
Sabi Dorr	...	Irwin
John Verea	...	Father Jorge
Richard Masur	...	Mark
David Marshall Grant	...	Drug Dealer
Michael Sorich	...	Fidel Castro
Jorge Luis Abreu	...	Witch Doctor
Edward Edwards	...	Oliver North
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Susan Africa	...	Adela Giroldi
Ina Alegre	...	Prostitute
Ivan Allen	...	Newscaster
Ed Aquino	...	Giroldi's Man
Ed Bouffard	...	Newscaster
Janice Brillotes	...	Yacht Woman
Jennifer Cain	...	Swiss Receptionist
Edith Castillejo	...	Party Guest
Jackie Castillejos	...	Party Guest
Rick Constantineau	...	Chuck
Bruce Cornwell	...	Harvard Professor
Rez Cortez	...	Bodyguard
Renzo Cruz	...	Plotter
Richard Cunanan	...	CIA Agent
Ivo Cutzarida	...	Hugo Spadafora
Maggie Dela Riva	...	Party Guest
Zoey Del Corro	...	Waitress
Michael De Mesa	...	Drug Lord
Janice De Padua	...	Secretary
Diego Domicoli	...	Giroldi's Kid
Teresa Elliott	...	Newscaster
Michelle Estevez	...	Noriega's Daughter
Jaime Fabregas	...	Officer
Miguel Faustmann	...	Lieutenant Contreras
Jaime Garchitorena	...	Aide
Charley J. Garrett
Rosemarie Gil	...	Señor Sarita
J. Boyce Harman Jr.	...	Tony's Doctor (as J. Boyce Harman)
Ala Hegazy	...	Mountain Man
Subas Herrero	...	Gabriel Arias
Dick Israel	...	Bodyguard
Barbara Johnson	...	Ginny
Chris Johnson	...	State Department Official
Robert Kraut	...	Priest
Micha Lil	...	CIA Agent
Samantha Lopez
Barbara Luna	...	Mama
Alicia Mansfield	...	Nun
Tonyo Meléndez	...	Pepe Velasquez
Melanie Menoza	...	Yacht Woman
Randelier Orlino	...	Mountain Man
Joanna Orros	...	Secretary
James Gregory Paolleli	...	Newscaster (as James Paolleli)
Eric Payne
Leo Rabago	...	Mountain Man
Ed Requestas	...	Disc Jockey
Leo Rialp	...	Raul Castro
Romeo Rivera	...	Officer
Alexandra Rocha	...	Giroldi's Kid
Ed Rocha	...	Enrique
Frank Roman	...	Cesar Rodriguez
Rhett Romero	...	Giroldi's Man
Camille Roxas	...	Carmen
Princess Ann Schuck	...	Giroldi's Kid
Andrew Schuten	...	Drug Dealer
Charmille Shartle	...	Noriega's Daughter
Samantha Smith	...	Yogi
Bart Suretsky	...	Kiki Pretelet
Ashley Talbert	...	Nurse
Tom Todoroff	...	The Swiss Doctor / Nestor
Noel Trinidad	...	Rebel Officer
Chandro Uttamchandani	...	Giroldi's Man
Veronica Veron	...	Chaquita
José Vicente Vibar	...	American General
Stefanie Walmsley	...	Radcliffe Student
Larry Wright	...	District Attorney

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | UK:15 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Manila, Metro Manila, Luzon, Philippines

Company:

Industry Entertainment

Trivia:

Near the end of the movie, the Nuncio warns Noriega that if he isn't careful, he'll end up like Mussolini, strung up by his heels. Bob Hoskins, who played Noriega, had already met that fate in the 1985 movie biography of Mussolini, whom he played.

Quotes:

Manuel Noriega: You want some friendly advice? I suggest you kill yourself.
Major Giroldi: That is against my religion.
Manuel Noriega: [smiles unpleasantly] Then give me your weapon, and place yourself in God's hands...

A parody of every tyrant the world has seen!

It is hard to find a person who is both extremely evil and at the same time funny. Well Noriega was it. He was basically a walking-parody of every dictator the world has ever known. He was so mad many of the things he said and did were funny (in a black comedy sort of way). He was so evil anyone could write a book out of all the horrors he committed during the years he ruled over Panama. And strangely, his luck ended only after he was finally apprehended.

Usually, movies based in real-life events often fail to be accurate. Well, in this movie, even the uniforms worn by the military were exact replicas of the real thing. And Noriega did have a picture of Hitler in his office. And he did have a statue of the Virgin Mary next to it. And he was a vegetarian. Also a voodoo priest. And the people who tried to overthrow him made the mistake of leaving him alone in his office as the movie shows. Everything you see in this movie happened more or less. The real Noriega said some of the crazy things you can hear in this film. He did the horrors you see in this movie and even more. He survived two coups, Colombian cartels and an American invasion of Panama.

This movie basically has it all. It is a black comedy, a violent drama, and it gives you the chance to get a glimpse of a part of history most people have forgotten. Excellent performance by Bob Hoskins. Lawrence Wright did an excellent job with the script. This movie never fails to entertain, educate and at the same time bring to life a very enigmatic and dark person: Tony Noriega.