Blow (2001)

Believe it or not, there was a time when Johnny Depp could do no wrong. 'Blow' was an example of one of the many - possibly only average - films which his presence and screen-charisma elevated to more than just a run-of-the-mill biopic of a drug dealer. Depp plays 'George Jung' - possibly the most notorious American-born drug dealer of the seventies and eighties and 'Blow' charts the man's rise to power and subsequent fall, leaving off where he (literally) is today (or at least where he was in 2001 when this film was released).Besides Depp, there aren't that many famous faces on show here. Penelope Cruz seems to relish taking a break from playing 'nice girls' back then in favour of being Depp's crazy, coke-fuelled on-screen wife and Ray Liotta pops up as Depp's long-suffering father (with occasional dubious make-up to show how he's aged throughout the story). Besides them, it's a Johnny Depp film all the way. I do wonder whether, if it was released today, it would have been half as popular, as Depp's last few big screen ventures have brought nothing but scorn from critics at the Box Office. However, here he shines. Yes, he is certainly a rogue - someone only interested in the 'good life,' but despite being a criminal, he's never a violent one (of course some may argue that spreading addictive and deadly drugs to the masses constitutes 'harming' people!).Being a 'real life' tale (or, as Hollywood tends to do, takes aspects of the real events and forms a more compelling narrative around them) Depp provides a lot of voiceover which does tend to 'tell' the story, as opposed to 'showing' what transpires. Plus this turns into a convenient tool with which to fill in blanks when the film moves from time period to time period (I think - technically - it starts in the fifties and ends up in the nineties, so many time-jumps are required). And, if a voiceover isn't there, sometimes you get a montage to quickly get the audience to the next major point in Jung's life. These can come across as a bit jarring and make the film (which most likely could have been a whole TV series about this man's life!) feel a little rushed in places.If you're into crime films (based on real life events, or otherwise) you should enjoy this. It's definitely very watchable and, from what I've seen online, presents a reasonable attempt at portraying the facts surrounding Jung's life. Plus, if you're into Depp in his heyday, then you'll get your money's worth here.

Blow is a good movie with a well developed storyline and a talented cast. It's an enjoyable film, as we follow the life of the man who kick started the cocaine market back in the 1970's, who is magnificently portrayed by Johnny Depp, the highlight of the movie, delivering, once again, another performance that is nothing like any role he has had previously. The biggest problem with Blow is that it really didn't try to make itself become its own unique movie, it felt very much like a Scorsese film, having several scenes and an overall tone that was very similar to that of Goodfellas and Casino, it didn't really have anything to make it feel like a whole new film experience. The ending of the film felt very forced, although it is very well written and sweet, it comes very suddenly and changes the tone abruptly, though it was a nice ending, I didn't really feel like the audience had been given enough sympathy for George Jung to truly feel remorse for him. It has many great moments, as well as many flaws, but Blow is definitely worth the watch if you ever see it on television or Netflix. Follows the true story of the man who started the phenomenon of cocaine during the 1970's. Best Performance: Johnny Depp Worst Performance: Cliff Curtis

George Jung (Johnny Depp) is a young boy living with his parents in Boston, Massachusetts. His childhood is difficult because his parents are suffering from money problems. These money worries cause many a rift between George's parents. As a result of all the problems that being poor has caused his family, George announces that he'll make sure that he's never poor when he gets older. When he becomes a teenager, both he and his best friend Tuna move to California and soon discovers that drugs are an easy way to make a quick buck. However, as George discovers, the lifestyle that he accustoms himself to isn't all glamour and his actions end up having far reaching consequences.I think part of the problem that I had with this film is that I didn't find it particularly insightful. Despite the fact that the film clocks in at around the 2 hour mark, I left the film feeling as though I'd never really learnt much about George. I'm assuming that this was intended partly as a character study of sorts, but for me the writers didn't give George enough depth for this aspect to really work.There were other narrative issues in this film such as writing out the character of Tuna. After George is released from prison, we're told that George is living in Mexico and that's it. This may be what actually happened, but it seemed a very lazy way to write out someone who I considered to be a fairly important character. Another problem that I had with this film is that it felt repetitive (particularly after the first hour) and it did get to a point where it started to feel a bit boring. This wasn't helped by the fact that I just didn't care about any of the characters - not because they were bad but just because they weren't developed. I also thought it was a bit of a cop-out that George lost all his money due to the fact that the bank ended up nationalised which resulted in the Government seizing all his funds. I'll admit that came as a surprise, but not in a good way. It actually almost made me feel sorry for him.There are some good aspects to this film; I thought Johnny Depp was excellent in the lead role and I also thought that Molia was excellent in his respective role. I also liked the fact that the writers told the story pretty straight and didn't seem to really glorify George at any point. However, by telling the story straight it did mean that the film wasn't always as exciting or engaging as it perhaps could, and should have been. It just needed a bit more life to it.Despite all its flaws, Blow does end strongly and the ending is actually very moving. Whilst I thought it was an OK film, I didn't feel that it was anything more than that due to its rather poor development of characters, the repetitive and meandering nature of the narrative, and its severe lack of energy.

10 points from me! As always,Johnny Depp (my hero)acts faultlessly. Penelope Cruz I like very much too. That history is so interesting and also real! I don't have any rebukes for this film actually. Only the best words. I was so concentrated when I watched "Blow", because it's very thrilling. I promise,when You will watch this film,You won't have time to breathe... I felt the same. As I know "Blow" was the last film which made Ted Demme. It's sad,but it's true. Anyway,he had a talent and we can visibly see it,because "Blow" is a masterwork in my opinion. Don't waste the time with cheap films (If You watch it) and watch something with (for example) Johnny Depp or Penelope Cruz or other Hollywood actor or actress. As I usually say (if the film is good): in conclusion I want to say,that You won't be out of conceit with this film,because it is really worth to see. Have a nice evening with fantastic film!