The infamous story of Griselda Blanco is one of a ruthless Colombian drug lord of the Medellín Cartel, a woman who, from the 70s to the 2000s was a pioneer and prominent player in the cocaine-based drug trade.
Having watched Cocaine Godmother (2017), a TV miniseries starring Catherine Zeta-Jones as Blanco some years ago, this story isn’t exactly new to me. As such, my main reason for watching Griselda, Netflix’s 6-part re-telling of Blanco’s story is that I’m a fan of Sofia Vergara, and I wanted to see her excel as Blanco.
The first bit of good news is that I was impressed by Vergara’s performance. I only had to look at how she moved as Blanco to know that a new phase had begun. Vergara did a good job of taking the audience through her character’s evolution, which wasn’t always easy to watch, bearing in mind the nature of Blanco’s work.
The parts of Griselda I enjoyed watching most are those when it was easier to root for her because she was the underdog, a mother, hustler, entrepreneur and a woman doing what she had to do to survive. But then, inevitably, the rude awakening came when Blanco was no longer the underdog, and I remembered British Historian Lord Acton’s famous words: ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely‘.
What happens after the awakening is still engaging and executed well, even though it was difficult to look at because, I guess, sometimes I selfishly don’t want my protagonists to be that complex. I like to be able to continue liking them. Still, as sensitive as I can be, I wouldn’t change anything. Not that could, anyway, since it’s all based on a true story.
The other good news about Griselda is that the story edit is clever. We get to see Blanco in the present-day of the film and a series of flashbacks. All while we also watch the authorities in their desperate pursuit.
My main issue with the 2017 Cocaine Godmother miniseries was that it didn’t get the production budget Zeta-Jone’s performance deserved. This new version of Blanco’s story can be seen as the answer to my prayers back then.
Vergara’s Griselda is quite the story of a woman who took her life into her own hands and rose to the very top of her field, regardless of all those who told her she couldn’t, that she didn’t belong and that she was ‘just a housewife’. Such stories always have a special place in my heart. Joy (2015), for example.
Give Griselda a chance if you’re curious, and especially if you haven’t seen Cocaine Godmother.
Additional key cast includes Alberto Guerra, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Martín Rodríguez, Jose Velazquez, Orlando Pineda and Fredy Yate.
Happy Film Loving,
G
