Review of Blow (2001) by Keenan S — 30 Dec 2014

Blow is a wild, drug-crazed, psychadelic, hilarious, and heartbreaking drama about one man's swan dive into drugs, indulgence and excess, a dangerous crime world, and the loss of his friends and family as his empire comes crumbling down around him. It also happens to be one of Johnny Depp's best films and one of his standout performances that would help to cement his career as a great actor of our time.

Though received with "meh" response from the critics, Blow would later go onto to becoming a classic crime flick that the critics clearly got wrong. It has also gone onto to becoming one of my favorite crime flicks and one of my favorite Johnny Depp films. If you love a good crime film, let me explain to you why you should watch this superb film.

The story focuses on George Jung, who while in boyhood, wants to be like his hard-working and wise father. But, when his father can never seem to please his mother and the fact the family always seems to be in dire financial straights, George vows that he will never be in his father's financial shoes.

Shoot forward to the 1960's and George has now moved to California with one of his friends and they begin a business partnership with a man named Derek to sell weed on the beach, making them very popular and earning them a lot of money.

But, when another friend visits California and smokes the weed they have, a new business opportunity awaits them in their home state of Massachusetts to sell their weed to college kids for even bigger prices and soon the group is rolling in cash as their market spreads, which includes cutting out the middle-man and buying their supplies directly from Mexico. But, his empire comes crashing down on him when he is busted by cops for being in possession of more than 600 pounds of weed in his car.

He is arrested and also learns that his fiance is dying of cancer and will not live to see him get out of prison. Ultimately, his drug empire collapses, and first he resigns to his fate in prison after being captured while skipping bond, until he meets a man named Diego, who gets him involved in the cocaine business, which he jumps right into after his release in the 70's.

From this point of dealing with a more dangerous drug, complete with more dangerous associates like druglord Pablo Escobar, George's world rises and falls constantly from the drug addiction, drug sales, the cash he's made, back-stabbing from friends and loved ones, romance, strained relationships with family and friends, and a whole lot more that lasts into the 90's when he eventually hits his lowest point and his hardest prison time.

The story is classic example of a character's downfall that costs them everything they cared about. George Jung is a fascinating character to follow throughout these years, especially as he ignores advice from his wise father which later comes back to haunt him in his later years as he comes to realize what his father was trying to tell him. It's a story about the good times, the bad times, the tragic times, the regrets, and the harsh realizations life can bring upon a person, especially someone involved in such a dangerous profession.

Some critics denounced the use of the George Jung character as the lead in this story considering his questionable moral decisions, but his character is in reality, quite necessary to the plot, as well as to human nature itself by showing what happens when someone indulges too much and forsakes everyone else to get more money and more power, and how it ultimately can cost them everything. It's a cautionary tale about greed, hunger for power, excess, and indulgence and how such things are not as glamorous as one would like to believe and fantasize about. It's a brilliant story of one man's downfall and the harsh realities of life.

The acting all around is superb. Johnny Depp is incredible as George Jung by not only playing a manic character, but also playing one as the world of the larger-than-life comes crashing down around him and realizes all too late what is most important in life. I also loved Penelope Cruz's performance as Mirtha, and the fact she nominated for a Golden Raspberry for "Worst Actress" is outrageous. She does a great job of playing her character as she falls in love with George, becomes addicted to drugs herself, and also watches as their life as a couple comes crashing down from George's decisions. I found her compelling and fascinating.

Jordi Molla does a great job as Diego, and it was interesting to watch the beginning of his and George's friendship, as well as its eventual downfall through greed. Paul Reubens was great as Derek and I also thoroughly enjoyed Ray Liotta's performance as George's father, Fred, as he tried to teach his son lessons that ultimately wouldn't be learned until it was too late. He was very likable and sympathetic.

There are also a number of other great performances, so I will just sum it up with this: the acting is superb across the board and every actor made their character feel real and alive.

The film blends drama and comedy, and it manages to blend them together successfully, whereas most other films would cause the two polar opposite genres to clash with one another. I laughed at the hilarious humor, but I was also compelled and engaged by the drama as George's life hit its worst points and became more aware of his bad decisions that cost him everything in the end. It's a character study, but it is also a tragedy that is heartbreaking and thought-provoking, which is something very few crime flicks ever manage to do successfully.

Blow is a great film and one well worth checking out. If you enjoy crime flicks or are even just an admirer of Johnny Depp as an actor, Blow is something you must see. It has a compelling story, eccentric characters, a great soundtrack, great direction, hilarious humor, and believable, heartbreaking drama all mixed together superbly. It is definitely one of the great crime flicks of our time.