Product: Blow [VHS] (2001)
Rating: 3.0
Solid chronicle of a good guy with some bad habits
Chronicling the life and crimes of George Jung, Blow sizzles with style, but substance (not substances, theres plenty of those here) is another story. Thanks to Johnny Depp's superb performance as Jung, we feel sorry for Jung who rose to power in the marijuana and cocaine trades through the years only to lose it all to one police bust after another and after another. If it were any other actor in the role, I doubt any sympathy would have been felt at all for Jung. The rest of the cast includes Penelope Cruz as Jung's wife, Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Ruben, Ethan Suplee, Cliff Curtis, and Ray Liotta as Jung's sympathetic, loving father. Cruz is just plain annoying most of the time, while Liotta is his usual great self in his role. All in all, Blow is worth a look, but a film which displays the dangers and consequences of addictions has been done better in films like Requiem For a Dream and Traffic.