Blow (2001)

Absolutely amazing

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Believe it or not, there was a time when Johnny Depp could do no wrong. 'Blow' was an example of one of the many - possibly only average - films which his presence and screen-charisma elevated to more than just a run-of-the-mill biopic of a drug dealer. Depp plays 'George Jung' - possibly the most notorious American-born drug dealer of the seventies and eighties and 'Blow' charts the man's rise to power and subsequent fall, leaving off where he (literally) is today (or at least where he was in 2001 when this film was released).Besides Depp, there aren't that many famous faces on show here. Penelope Cruz seems to relish taking a break from playing 'nice girls' back then in favour of being Depp's crazy, coke-fuelled on-screen wife and Ray Liotta pops up as Depp's long-suffering father (with occasional dubious make-up to show how he's aged throughout the story). Besides them, it's a Johnny Depp film all the way. I do wonder whether, if it was released today, it would have been half as popular, as Depp's last few big screen ventures have brought nothing but scorn from critics at the Box Office. However, here he shines. Yes, he is certainly a rogue - someone only interested in the 'good life,' but despite being a criminal, he's never a violent one (of course some may argue that spreading addictive and deadly drugs to the masses constitutes 'harming' people!).Being a 'real life' tale (or, as Hollywood tends to do, takes aspects of the real events and forms a more compelling narrative around them) Depp provides a lot of voiceover which does tend to 'tell' the story, as opposed to 'showing' what transpires. Plus this turns into a convenient tool with which to fill in blanks when the film moves from time period to time period (I think - technically - it starts in the fifties and ends up in the nineties, so many time-jumps are required). And, if a voiceover isn't there, sometimes you get a montage to quickly get the audience to the next major point in Jung's life. These can come across as a bit jarring and make the film (which most likely could have been a whole TV series about this man's life!) feel a little rushed in places.If you're into crime films (based on real life events, or otherwise) you should enjoy this. It's definitely very watchable and, from what I've seen online, presents a reasonable attempt at portraying the facts surrounding Jung's life. Plus, if you're into Depp in his heyday, then you'll get your money's worth here.

This is a story about a man who opened the door to America for Pablo Escobar. Rise and fall of the first American king of cocaine. Johnny Depp nailed it as usual. Penélope Cruz is ugly as usual and she won the award for the worst Spanish actress. Deserved.7/10

Yes, it is awesome. it is exciting, but most importantly it is real. ''Blow'' is all about George Jung, played by Johnny Depp, a drug dealer, who rises to heights, starting with marijuana and moving on to being one of the greatest cocaine smugglers to ever live. This is one of those movies based on a true story, that is actually really interesting and has you on your toes throughout.The movie does a great job making the viewer feel compassion for a drug dealing criminal, towards the end it gets really emotional and you feel sad for the life George Jung has lead and how he ends up.I love the flow of this movie, the story is unfolding at a steady pace. i fell that the director did a great job of correctly displaying the transformation of George over the years.George got screwed so many times, it's not even funny, all his friends betrayed him, eventually, everyone, literally, everyone he knew left him rotting in prison. Shows how the drug industry is, you are never really friends when it comes to business and huge amounts of money.

This is an inspiring film that tells the story of an entrepreneur who started in the "illegal" profession at a young age, and because of that he just couldn't release it from his life.George Jung always knew how to connect the dots from A to B.There was a demand, and he knew how to supply; therefore he did it.This is one of those movies which teaches you that incarceration is absolutely brutal and inhuman... it not only abstains us from living our lives, but it sharpens our criminal skills too.The whole smuggling tutorial thing in the movie is one way to sharpen, but by meeting fellow criminals in the same building can gather oneself a great amount of connections for the next life to come upon release.The movie was lovely.. however the end where the father listens to the son's voice on recording, was very heart breaking and a crucial point in the movie where the viewer realizes this is the end of the road for Mr. Jung, and so it was.