Another Great Johnny Depp Performance

Rating: 8/10 (7 December 2009)

Johnny Depp stars in this true story of a drug dealer, user, and supplier. It's a lot more compelling and realistic than I expected. (In fact, I only watched this for Johnny.) The film succeeds in getting past the obvious seediness of its subject matter and makes the viewer see its characters as real and not just part of the dark side and unknown world that goes relatively unnoticed by the working class people.
But, after a while as Johnny can't seem to learn from his mistakes, I couldn't help feeling a little disinterested and disappointed in his continual plight that he can't or won't get out of and just "get a job." It's not until he gets busted that he regrets anything and then he goes right back into it. But, it is effective in showing how his parents and his daughter were affected by his drug problem. The scenes with his daughter were particularly good and moving. It's almost too heartbreaking in its sad, what-could-have-been ending.
(I keep adding to this review.) Upon further contemplation, it reminds me of Spielberg's movie "Catch Me If You Can," which told the true story of Frank Avegnale, but without all that 50s retro feel to it, with classy clothes, sunglasses, 50s music, and girls hanging on his arms, and therefore sensationalizing and glamorizing the criminal life. What I really mean to say is that "Blow" is appropriately downbeat and never shows the life of a drug dealer as something that a child should ever want to grow up to be.
If you're interested in good movies about real life with bad choices and its repercussions and not put off by drug depiction, then you should see "Blow." Another example of Johnny Depp at his best.