Blow

Johnny Depp, (George Jung),"The Libertine",'04 played an eager young guy who wanted to out do his father in many ways in life, especially making more money and satisfying his wife. When George Jung was growing up, his father and mother always fought about not enough money and his mom seemed to always dominate his poor dad. Penelope Cruz,"Sahara",'05, played the wife of George and was a complete knock out with her good looks and great acting skills. George Jung hit the top of his chosen career with rooms filled with millions of dollars and lots of white powder to blow up the nostrils. If you like pictures dealing with drugs and the outcome of enjoying this junk, this is the picture for you. Johnny Depp, gave an outstanding performance and put his heart and soul into this role.

Not a bad movie, above average, but nothing extraordinary, nothing that could even remotely be compared with for example, Scarface.

In my opinion the main 'problem' with this motion picture is that Depp is never really believable as a hardened drug dealer, there is no way that the real George Jung was ever even remotely like that. The proof of this is in the last frame of the movie where we see the real George's face staring at us from the screen. At that precise moment we know: the real George Jung was very, very different, his face tells us that.

On the other hand, Paul Reubens is excellent as Derek Foreal and the very good soundtrack is also worthy of mention. All in all, a good movie definitely worth watching, but also a movie that could have been much much better.

The effects of lacking the fortitude and conscience to make the right choices in life are examined in `Blow,' directed by Ted Demme and starring Johnny Depp as George Jung, a young New Englander who decides early on that living week to week and barely being able to make ends meet is not the kind of life he wants. George grew up in the ‘50s, in a decent, middle-class family, but was deeply affected by the fact that his father, Fred (Ray Liotta), worked his fingers to the bone as a plumber, sometimes fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, and it was never enough, especially for his mother, Ermine (Rachel Griffiths), who complained endlessly about not having enough money. More than once she abandoned her family, only to be taken back every time upon her return by Fred, who adored her. Then, in the late ‘60s, George, along with his childhood friend, Tuna (Ethan Suplee), moved to Southern California and quickly discovered the freedom of the beaches and a lifestyle conducive to his idea of paradise. That `paradise' being anchored in the realization of the big, easy money to be made at the time selling marijuana; and for George, it was only the beginning, the on-ramp to the freeway that would ultimately take him to the top of his `profession,' and which was destined to define his life.

It's a tale as old as time, the lesson of which is destined forever-- unfortunately-- to be ignored by those who seek the quick and easy road to wealth and happiness. Courage, it has been said, has many faces; one kind earns soldiers and citizens medals for rising above imminent danger. Another can be defined as being able to decline the carrot of ill-gotten gains when it is dangled before you. George lacked that kind of courage, and instead grabbed the promise it proffered with both hands, only to discover-- too late-- that it was empty indeed, and laced with unhappiness. It's a classic rags-to-riches-to-oblivion story, with a moral that will be embraced by those with the wisdom to build their house of brick instead of sticks and straw.

As George, Depp turns in a convincing, believable performance, portraying him as a misguided, rather than `bad' person. You sense that George's naivete enabled him to take chances and enter an arena to which common sense would otherwise have dictated avoidance, and because of that you are able to sympathize somewhat with him. Depp lends an innocence to the character in which you can find the kid next door, the good kid you grew up with and knew throughout your school years, and in retrospect, it would seem that George, a reasonably intelligent young man, simply made some very stupid decisions. And, as they say, the prisons are full of those just like him. But the most telling indication of who George really is and what he could/should have been, comes through his relationship with his father. And it is that which becomes the very core of the story.

As Fred Jung, Ray Liotta gives a poignant performance, presenting a very real person in a very real setting. completely avoiding any kind of stereotype into which this character could easily have fallen, Liotta plays him with a depth that averts sentimentality and makes the unconditional love he shows for his son entirely believable. It's a direct and understated performance that so clearly defines the true character of the man, and it is in the scenes between Liotta and Depp that the true nature of George is revealed as well, in which you begin to understand that he was just an ordinary guy who got caught up in extraordinary circumstances of his own design.

The supporting cast includes Penelope Cruz (Mirtha), Franka Potente (Barbara), Paul Reubens (Derek Foreal), Jordi Molla (Diego), Cliff Curtis (Escobar) and Max Perlich (Dulli). A cautionary tale for those who allow themselves to stray from the straight and narrow, the real impact of `Blow' is ultimately contained in the final frame of the film. It is a still picture of the real George Jung; and to fully realize what his life has been about, you need look no further than into the eyes of the man in that photograph. I rate this one 8/10.

Based on a true story of how the American cocaine market was founded, this is a lot more funky than I had expected. A thumpingly good soundtrack right from the start and Johnny Depp cruising in to be a convincingly laid-back big-shot - almost like a graduate from Boogie Nights. Penelope Cruz manages to be blisteringly erotic in a few well-crafted scenes and without removing a stitch of clothing. Later, instead of following the usual pattern of despair in the second half where most drug movies home in on drug dependency, Blow refreshingly focuses on the emotional losses suffered by the characters. A film that just about manages to be more than the sum of its parts, it would have made a nice sort of pre-quel to Traffic, but it stands alone in fine form. And it's moving rather than depressing.

I don't understand why many people I talked to either thought the film was bad or mediocre. Sure, it isn't a "great" movie, but when was the last time you saw 5 great movies in a row? A great movie comes along once in a blue moon, depending on your definition of great. I personally was very engaged in the plot. Johnny Depp gives a tour-de-force performance, fully engaging himself in the character. I'm sure he did lots of research on George Jung and tried to mimick his every mannerism, because this was far from a half-baked effort. Then again, I don't ever recall Johnny Depp doing a movie where he didn't put his full enthusiasm into the role. The movie has many tragic moments and many funny moments. The film is a little over 2 hours long, but the time flew by in a breeze. I was so enlightened that I'm anxious to do some research on the real George Jung. I'm not a fan of Penelope Cruz, and they could've chosen a much better actress, but she's only in the film about 20 or 30 minutes, so she isn't given enough time to ruin the film. Paul Reubens gives a surprisingly earnest performance as a flamboyant, bisexual hairdresser. It's too bad he's caught up in all this controversy, because he seems to have sufficient range as an actor. I loved hearing all the great classic rock songs in the soundtrack, and every time I watch the film the songs get stuck in my head and I start singing them for days on end.

"Blow" is a touching drama that doesn't try to exploit the world of drugs, nor condemn it. After seeing George's tragic outcomes as a world-class coke dealer, I doubt anyone would want to get in or get back into the "business," but that doesn't necessarily mean the message is preachy.

My score: 8 (out of 10)