Overly sympathetic bio of an unworthy subject

Rating: 4/10 (28 April 2001)

Have you ever talked to someone who was a criminal? They are constantly making excuses for their behavior, rationalizing the bad things they do and blaming everyone but themselves for their mistakes. Such is the case with the film Blow - the folks responsible for this movie have obviously had some pretty major wool pulled over their eyes. This is the Forrest Gump of drug dealer movies - we are led to believe that this blundering, good natured fool might have just gone into selling insurance if he hadn't just been accidentally the first person to think of global cocaine trafficking instead! Johnny Depp gives a good performance, but so what? This character is so unworthy of celluloid time the whole thing just seems a shame. Glossed over are the nastier aspects of his long, habitual criminal career. Instead we are presented with his life as the big dreamer who had it all, love, money, status, family, riches, friends, and lost it through bad luck and betrayal while he just tried to be a stand-up guy. The worst part is the shameless picture of the actual George Jung growing old in prison shown before the credits roll. Are supposed to think he's some kind of political prisoner? I'm not buying it and neither should you. Save your money.