Blow (Widescreen)

Over the years he struggles with a crack-addicted wife (Penélope Cruz as you've never seen her before), the relationship with his young daughter, and maintaining his relationship with the only person who truly cares for him in the world, his father. Additionally, Jung is portrayed in a sympathetic light as a nice guy who just makes some bad decisions. Usually I disagree with this type of "glamorization" of criminals, but I feel that in Jung's case it is truly deserved.

"Blow" is not only the fascinating, pulse-pounding, and historically informative chronicle of the rise and fall of one of America's most influential drug lords; it also the exploration of some very deep personal connections, such as very deep father/son connection between George and his father. In addition, George's love for his daughter, who ends up being the single thing motivating him to stay alive throughout his jail sentences, delivers a powerful emotional impact in the film's final scenes. I also appreciated how director Ted Demme delicately showed us the parallels between George's mother's resentment for his father and George's wife's resentment for him after he loses most of his money as well as George's struggle to be a good father just as his own father did.

The final scenes of "Blow" are surprisingly moving, which ultimately distinguishes it from all of the other crime films out there.

Demme borrows so much from Scorcese's style in 'Goodfellas' (the flashbacks with 50's-60's music on the soundtrack; freeze frames and voice over narration) it's as if Scorcese is in the wings shouting instructions.

"Blow" details the story of George Jung, who, growing up watching his hard working father drowning in both a sea of debt and the constant nagging of a shrewish wife, vows never to experience poverty himself.

Jung goes from peddling pot to college kids to become a full fledged drug kingpin doing business with Pablo Escobar and the Colombian cartel.

Johnny Depp is a fine actor, but the screenplay doesn't give him all that much to work with...Penelope Cruz as Jung's Colombian wife is gorgeous, but she can't act and when she's emasculating Depp in one particular scene, the result is almost laughable ("you are a Poosy!").

The whole thing leaves you with an empty feeling buoyed by the realization that you've just watched a two hour film about a guy whose chief accomplishments in life were dealing drugs and going to prison.

****

The DVD package is excellent and includes some worthwhile special features including an interview with the real George Jung and a series of deleted scenes....Depp's more detailed scenes with Escobar, cut from the final print, were superb and if left in, would have given "Blow" a much needed lift.