Blow

The premise of Blow with its start resembling Tarantino's Jackie Brown which soon transforms into an uncertain blend of De Palma's Scarface and Scorsese's Goodfellas, promised a lot. However, it eventually stops at an unbalanced sentiment associated with the inevitable reckoning of the law. Especially if it’s all based on real events. But in order to make the journey to the top and down still interesting, it needs an innovative approach to its execution. Director Ted Demme opted for a two-hour fact-based format that doesn't deviate from the average, except perhaps in the category of performances, which are superbly led by Johnny Depp as always, along with excellent performances by Ray Liotta and Jordi Mollà. Penelope Cruz tries to at least partially erase the image of being a beauty, but I've seen the stylish partying of young ladies doing drugs done much better in other films. All in all, it’s an uninteresting and unremarkable genre film that could have given us more. Or maybe not? (02.09.2005)

Blow reminded me of the productions of Canadian television and film companies based on the West Coast that specialize in the mass production of biographical films and so-called films based on real events that flood the market and usually end up airing at less attractive broadcasting times. This film is an average affair in every way with a predictable plot, characters, and character development, only elevated by the presence of popular actors. However, Penélope Cruz is completely unnecessary because her role simply does not require anything from her and it could easily be played by a second-rate actress with an attractive appearance or even a model aspiring for an acting career. Depp is, of course, consistently good, but he cannot do much on his own, especially when the script and dialogues do not work in his favor. The problem lies primarily in the approach to the entire project. If Ted Demme could have directed the true story of a drug smuggler as a stylish comedy or tragicomedy, as Steven Spielberg did in the film Catch Me If You Can, it could have been a very successful affair. The presence of Ethan Suplee, known as the retarded Randy from the series My Name is Earl, who is perfect for comedic parodies, would have helped with that. But the creators went in a different direction and since they probably paid the real George Jung for exclusive information and filming rights, they also let him influence the script in such a way that we are following the story of a "hero" who faces misunderstanding from his parents, the loss of his beloved partner, betrayal from his closest friends, and the money earned through crime, and in the end, he fights in vain for the favor of his daughter. The self-pity that emanates from the film is embarrassing, and it compels me to reduce my reliable three stars to only two and an overall impression of 45%. (01.01.2012)

How could somebody wreck their life like this? At the beginning everything looked so perfect. A little rough here and there, but nothing too hard to handle. The goods were selling well and business was booming. Why did his friends betray him? For money? Or was it nothing more than business? The life story of George Jung is compelling and, as it draws to an end, truly sad. As it tends to be in similar movies, the contrast between wealth and poverty was presented perfectly. Plus, Johnny Depp in the main role was great, as always. Attracting most of the attention to himself again. But I’ve never seen him looking like this before: a bit chubby and wearing a light blue shell suit. (13.07.2006)

Not animalistic enough, too contrived and too sentimental. A gangster film that is more palatable to a general audience, but that won’t make it great, quite the opposite. (12.02.2014)

I love these half-biographical, half-crime films where we follow the life journey of a half-good, half-bad person, although in this case, there's not much of corruption to speak of. George Jung, played by an excellent Johnny Depp, comes across as a purely good guy, whom we root for, relating to the roller coaster ride of his life, where one day you're on top and the next you're on the bottom, and it's up to us how we make it work. The script is superbly written, with a strong touch of nostalgia that floats through American society in the stoned 60s and 70s full of hippies and marijuana. And the ending is masterfully crafted, powerful and moving, and it’s only there that we fully realise how beautifully Ted Demme has had it in his grasp all along and what a compelling and real story he has created. (12.08.2012)

Yes, there are definitely moments here that are powerful, moments that take your heart, but it takes a while for the film to get to these moments. It's similar to "Scarface," just without the same drive. Depp's hero evolves differently, his self-destruction is not as bloody, yet it provides an interesting contrast with the beginning and end of the film. It's like two different movies. An interesting story, the fact that it's based on a true event somewhat supports its significance. (06.12.2013)