Blow Review
by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)July 10th, 2001
BLOW
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'If you snorted coke in the late '70s there's an 85% chance it was mine,' says George Jung (Johnny Depp). A disillusioned kid from Weymouth, Massachusetts who moved to California with his buddy Tuna (Ethan Suplee, "Road Trip") in the late sixties, George soon discovered his calling selling pot on Manhattan Beach where he came to be known as 'Boston George.' A stint in prison introduced him to Diego, (Jordi Molla, "The Flower of My Secret") a Columbian who became his partner working with notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar (Cliff Curtis, "The Insider") initiating the white powder into the United States in director Ted Demme's "Blow."
Adapted from Bruce Porter's book by David McKenna and Nick Cassevettes, this ambitious biopic paints George as a decent, if not law-abiding, man with a talent for drug smuggling on a gargantuan scale. While it's tough to buy Jung as such a nice guy when he runs with hardcore, murdering drug traffickers, Johnny Depp proves to be one heck of a salesman.
George's childhood is a rollercoaster affair of paternal love and maternal abandonment. Beloved dad Fred (Ray Liotta) owns a heating oil company and George loves nothing better than to accompany him to work. Shrewish mom (Rachel Griffiths, "Me Myself I") packs her bags and leaves whenever she believes her material needs aren't being met, only to be welcomed with open arms by an adoring Fred upon her returns. George isn't as forgiving. Fred eventually goes bankrupt.
College age George falls in love with stewardess Barbara (Franka Potente, "Run Lola Run"), who introduces him to hairdresser Derek Foreal (Paul Reubens, "PeeWee's Big Adventure"), a marijuana connection that gets George's beach operation going. But George soon figures out that they're paying a middle man who can be cut out for much higher profits. Soon he's flying to Mexico in a 'borrowed' plane pilotted by buddy Dulli (Max Perlich, "Beautiful Girls") and has created a small family living high off the hog. Mom's impressed by Barbara's two carat engagement ring and her son's roll of hundreds. George's 650 lb. pot bust in Chicago and subsequent fateful jail term coincides with Barbara's death from cancer. Old friends are left behind while dangerous and deceiful connections begin, although George wisely keeps the identity of his Hollywood man Derek to himself - for a time. The tremendous success of the 'Americano' allows him to steal Mirtha, (Penelope Cruz, "All the Pretty Horses") the fiance of a high ranking Columbian drug trafficker, and make the wild party girl his wife.
When George finally faces betrayal and is cut out of the lucrative cocaine ring, he doesn't really mind - he has his millions, his wife and the love of his life, daughter Christina. More betrayals follow, though, until George is destitute and alone, imprisoned until 2015.
Anchored by yet another terrific turn from Depp, "Blow" is, alas, pretty standard biopic fare jazzed up with cutting edge subject matter and fringe characters. It's "Traffic" via "The People vs. Larry Flynt." It's a whale of a story, though, and behind the camera credits are all first rate, from Ellen Kuras' sunny cinematography, Mark Bridges' decades spanning costume design and Jamie Kelman's makeup (Depp's wigs are another matter). Demme's direction is solid, although there's an over-reliance on voiceover (fortunately, it's Depp's).
Performances are generally good to great with Depp transforming himself once again into the entrepreneurial New Englander. Jordi Molla turns in terrific work as Diego, the low man on the Columbian totem pole who forms a partnership with ever loyal George but makes us uneasy with his every move. Paul Reubens is always fun to see on the big screen and he gets his 'hairdresser in the right place at the right time' (Jon Peters anyone?) just right. Ray Liotta is affecting as the father who loves too unconditionally - his final shuffle into his suburban garage to listen to a tape recording from his son will bring tears to many eyes. Griffiths is hissable as the money-grubbing, morally high grounded mom. Franka Potente is sweet as George's first love, but Cruz is shallow and shrill as Mirtha, the woman who George watches evolve into his mother (her second billing on this film is a bit inexplicable). Ethan Suplee is endearing as the overlarge Tuna, reminding me of Philip Seymour Hoffman's character in "Boogie Nights," and is missed when he disappears from the story all too soon. Max Perlich makes Dulli seem like the guy everyone remembers from high school.
From the raucous opening to the Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knocking?" to the final image of the real Jung's weathered face, "Blow" is a good ride, but not the high I was hoping for.
B
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