ben hibburd
Blow is directed by Ted Demme and stars Johnny Depp as real life drug smuggler George Jung, who was part of the Medellin cartel run by Pablo Escobar that at one point had an 85% market share of all cocaine imported into America in the late 70s early 80s. Blow is a fairly inspired biopic with some flashy moments sprinkled throughout. Watching this film I kept asking myself what was the film trying to achieve? Because I struggled to find anything that retained my interest in the film. That's not too say this is a flat out bad film, which it isn't, it's just with a plethora of quality crime biopics such-as: Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, Serpico, Scarface etc this film falls by the wayside.The film is technically well constructed and the soundtrack was a joy. The film also contains terrific performances across the board. Johnny Depp gives one of his better performances, he does a terrific job of making a thoroughly unlikable character somewhat sympathetic and relatable. The star of the show for me was Jordi Mollà, Jung's unhinged business partner Diego Delgado. During a short stint in prison Jung and Delgado team together alongside Escobar to flood the American market with cocaine. Also in this time Jung meets and marries Mirtha (Penelope Cruz). Demme does a good job of juxtaposing their relationship against Jung's own parents which adds a nice dynamic to the film.The film is rounded out by excellent supporting performances from Ray Liotta, Rachel Griffiths and Paul Reubens. The entire cast give a committed performance. It's just a shame that for such an interesting time in history the screenplay was so dull. You almost get a sense that the creators were trying to make their own version of Goodfellas, rather than expressing their own vision, and in doing so the film came off as being disingenuous. Ted Demme does not have the same kinetic editing or free-flowing, stylish camera movements that Martin Scorsese does. Which he then tries to over-compensate with, using a high-energy soundtrack and voice-over character exposition. The problem is this only works when the pacing is rapid and the audience needs quick-fire exposition to understand what's happening. The pacing in this film is lethargic, and the voice-over became increasingly tedious.In the end Blow is a disappointing film, it had so much potential that wasn't fully realised. There are fun moments to be found in the film, and the engaging performances more than make up for a dull script. The biggest issue with Blow is that it's a film that is more interested in following the footsteps of past genre classics, rather than carving out its own path.
natamity
There is too much storytelling crammed into the running time that it skims over what would have been poignant moments in George Jung's life. A lot happens, but without much depth and insight, and to the point where the story feels disjointed in places. Delving deeper into some of the sub-stories with further character development could have lifted this film into something great. Instead, you are taken on a moderately entertaining ride but left without any real insight into who Jung was and with more interest in the sub-stories that this film only lightly touches upon. The direction and cinematography are not strong enough to hold up the film on entertainment value alone; it needed some soul.
Brooke Dahlberg
First off I would like to say this movie is an absolute masterpiece! The first time I saw it I was so enthralled and enveloped in it! The story line is so amazing, never a dull moment or a moment of disengagement. It is quite a long movie, but it holds your interest from start to finish and will have you reaching for the Play button as soon as it ends! I cannot say enough good things about this movie! Johnny Depp is on point for all stages of his character, doing an immaculate job portraying the highs and lows of his journey! I highly recommend this movie to everyone but I do suggest reading the plot first if there will be children watching it, I don't want to give any spoilers.
jlbrady-933-748122
Blow Review The Movie Blow (Ted Demme 2001), is a movie that follows the rise and also the fall of the primary U.S. distributor of 1970s cocaine, George Jung. Debuting on April 6, 2001 in theaters, it was sure to be a fan favorite, with aspiring dreams of reaching the heights of movies alike like the Godfather. With a star studded cast headlined by Johnny Deep (George Jung) and Penelope Cruz (Mirtha Jung) and backed by solid actors such as; Franka Potente, Jordi Molla and Cliff Curtis, anticipation was high for the release. Out of the $30 million starting budget, $12.5 million was made back just in opening weekend. Speaking to the strenghth of the movie as a whole, the film went on to gross $53 million as of July 2001. ("Blow") Surprisingly, to me at least, the movie did not go on to win any prestigious awards, which could be in part do to the smaller budget of the film. The director, Ted Demme did go on to get nominated for a Crystal Globe by the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, along with another personal nomination of Penelope Cruz for Breakthrough Female Performance by the MTV Movie Awards. The only win the movie was able to capture was a Prism award presented by the Prism Awards for Theatrical Feature Film. Graeme Revell was nominated for Best Original Score of the Year Not Released on an Album for his role in Blow. ("Blow") Just a little background on George Jung, he was born in 1942 in a small suburb outside Boston, Massachusetts. One he got to high school/college age, he began to experiment with marijuana, both smoking and selling also to make small profits. This is where the movie starts, George and his childhood friend Tuna decide to leave their small town in the East and see what California has to offer them. California has all they can ask for; drugs, women, beautiful beaches, and most importantly a market for them to sell their weed that they obtain from flamboyant hairdresser Derek, who they met through George's lady Barbara, who also is a stewardess. George naturally, always looking for something better soon realizes after a visit with a friend from back East that the market for weed back in his childhood state is exponentially higher than in California and with that could come exponential profits. Gears get moving and before you know it, Barbara's suitcases are packed tight with pounds upon pounds of marijuana headed back East almost daily. More, More, More is all that George hears in his mind and Derek is simply not able to deliver. George is no longer playing a game of small risk, small reward, he has elevated himself to a new level with new risks. 1972, games it is no longer, the police bust him with 620 pounds of marijuana crossing through Chicago. Followed by 2 years in prison, George Jung exclaims "I went in with a bachelor's of marijuana and came out with a doctorate in cocaine." (Roger, Ebert) Mid 1970s, can be looked at and world wide power Pablo Escobar can be seen. Who was this man? Pablo Escobar was one of the most powerful men of this decade because of a thin white powder called cocaine. Here, in Medellin, Colombia, George Jung is introduced to the Colombian cartel led by Pablo Escobar. A budding mutually profitable relationship forms between Escobar, who needs a runner and seller in America and Jung, who needs a source and a supply of this new drug running rampant through the country. Jung is now blinded by the light of success and power and money, with the cartel at his back he says that he now feels invincible. At this point in his life he meets beautiful but wild Mirtha (Penelope Cruz), who he soon marries. This part in the movie would be considered the climax, because from here on out it goes downhill, whether it is because he is not thinking as clearly or if it is simply just a matter of business. George tells his partner Diego who his middle man is that is helping him deliver and distribute the cocaine. With this newfound information, Diego goes right to Derek, the middle man, and undercuts George right out of the business that he started from the ground up. At this point, George leaves the cocaine business, but not without harsh consequences. In a spiraling turmoil he loses all his money, his freedom through one last DEA bust, and even his family whilst he is in jail, all in quick succession. Ending with a beaten and demoralized and completely broken picture of the real George Jung. This is a story of the damaging effects that such rapid success can have on a human being. George Jung started his life on top of the world but quickly fell to his knees losing everything he had by getting blinded by the light of success he was having.
