Blow

Rating: 8/10 (24 February 2014)

Blow Review The Movie Blow (Ted Demme 2001), is a movie that follows the rise and also the fall of the primary U.S. distributor of 1970s cocaine, George Jung. Debuting on April 6, 2001 in theaters, it was sure to be a fan favorite, with aspiring dreams of reaching the heights of movies alike like the Godfather. With a star studded cast headlined by Johnny Deep (George Jung) and Penelope Cruz (Mirtha Jung) and backed by solid actors such as; Franka Potente, Jordi Molla and Cliff Curtis, anticipation was high for the release. Out of the $30 million starting budget, $12.5 million was made back just in opening weekend. Speaking to the strenghth of the movie as a whole, the film went on to gross $53 million as of July 2001. ("Blow") Surprisingly, to me at least, the movie did not go on to win any prestigious awards, which could be in part do to the smaller budget of the film. The director, Ted Demme did go on to get nominated for a Crystal Globe by the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, along with another personal nomination of Penelope Cruz for Breakthrough Female Performance by the MTV Movie Awards. The only win the movie was able to capture was a Prism award presented by the Prism Awards for Theatrical Feature Film. Graeme Revell was nominated for Best Original Score of the Year Not Released on an Album for his role in Blow. ("Blow") Just a little background on George Jung, he was born in 1942 in a small suburb outside Boston, Massachusetts. One he got to high school/college age, he began to experiment with marijuana, both smoking and selling also to make small profits. This is where the movie starts, George and his childhood friend Tuna decide to leave their small town in the East and see what California has to offer them. California has all they can ask for; drugs, women, beautiful beaches, and most importantly a market for them to sell their weed that they obtain from flamboyant hairdresser Derek, who they met through George's lady Barbara, who also is a stewardess. George naturally, always looking for something better soon realizes after a visit with a friend from back East that the market for weed back in his childhood state is exponentially higher than in California and with that could come exponential profits. Gears get moving and before you know it, Barbara's suitcases are packed tight with pounds upon pounds of marijuana headed back East almost daily. More, More, More is all that George hears in his mind and Derek is simply not able to deliver. George is no longer playing a game of small risk, small reward, he has elevated himself to a new level with new risks. 1972, games it is no longer, the police bust him with 620 pounds of marijuana crossing through Chicago. Followed by 2 years in prison, George Jung exclaims "I went in with a bachelor's of marijuana and came out with a doctorate in cocaine." (Roger, Ebert) Mid 1970s, can be looked at and world wide power Pablo Escobar can be seen. Who was this man? Pablo Escobar was one of the most powerful men of this decade because of a thin white powder called cocaine. Here, in Medellin, Colombia, George Jung is introduced to the Colombian cartel led by Pablo Escobar. A budding mutually profitable relationship forms between Escobar, who needs a runner and seller in America and Jung, who needs a source and a supply of this new drug running rampant through the country. Jung is now blinded by the light of success and power and money, with the cartel at his back he says that he now feels invincible. At this point in his life he meets beautiful but wild Mirtha (Penelope Cruz), who he soon marries. This part in the movie would be considered the climax, because from here on out it goes downhill, whether it is because he is not thinking as clearly or if it is simply just a matter of business. George tells his partner Diego who his middle man is that is helping him deliver and distribute the cocaine. With this newfound information, Diego goes right to Derek, the middle man, and undercuts George right out of the business that he started from the ground up. At this point, George leaves the cocaine business, but not without harsh consequences. In a spiraling turmoil he loses all his money, his freedom through one last DEA bust, and even his family whilst he is in jail, all in quick succession. Ending with a beaten and demoralized and completely broken picture of the real George Jung. This is a story of the damaging effects that such rapid success can have on a human being. George Jung started his life on top of the world but quickly fell to his knees losing everything he had by getting blinded by the light of success he was having.