Product: Blow [VHS] (2001)
Rating: 2.0
Shallow and non convincing.
This is a story of a "good boy" turned into a big drug dealer, including all the usual elements- the way up, the pretty wife, the cars, the riches, the betrayal of a good friend and then all the way down. Sounds familiar? Yes, you have seen it in "Scar face" and other movies of the same kind, only there the story was more interesting; Cruel maybe, but with some reasoning - you could understand the motives behind the actions of the heroes (be it to advance, to prove their power, to control) and you got immersed in the logic of the drug world. This movie on the other hand is neither convincing in its logic or characters nor presented in an interesting manner. Contrary to what we expect the movie is also non violent and this fact (which in other cases could have been appreciated by me) makes it not credible, or rather covering up the truth more then disclosing as we know the events have truly happened.George, the `good boy", played by Johnny Depp is presented as some kind of tragic hero. Someone who got involved in "bad things" but really just wanted to live in peace and quiet with his family...The only explanation we get for his turn to crime was that his mom always used to nag his dad for money...Everything his dad earned was not enough. George then promised himself that he will always have money.George gets into the drug business as if by mistake, just to earn some quick money for him and his friends ("these were great days"...he says with nostalgia). He was the mind behind the group of good kids and devises techniques of drug delivery while using his girlfriend Barbara as a carrier. The drugs are sold to other "good kids" from universities and colleges and the techniques of drug delivery grows more sophisticated as there is rise in demand. We never get to see the "end customers" or the final sale process which I assume could have been interesting to watch. Barbara dies from cancer ("I really loved her") and George starts making big money by joining with the Boss, the famous Escobar, a symbol of the drug world and its corruption. However, not in this movie... The drug world presented here is clean of violence. The Colombian farmers are nave and nice and even the scene with Escobar is quite mellow, besides maybe one shot. In George's jail periods we learn about the qualities of cocaine (good cocaine melts only in 86 degrees) but these facts seem to be the only gain from this movie.I have just seen Johnny Depp as a charming Pirate in the new film "Pirates of the Caribbean" where he just shines through - here however, except for his beauty there are no signs of the famous Depp magic. Here his beauty is not enough to save his role from total shallowness. His gestures and facial expressions are void of any true feelings.Penelope Cruz who plays the beautiful wife is one of my favorite actresses. However, I have to admit that even she does a lousy job here. Maybe it's not her fault as her role is of the spoiled rich wife who does nothing but be pretty and smoke drugs - however, her part is a pale replica of the part Michelle Pfeiffer does in scar face and she does not manage to look convincing, nor is it clear what besides her looks, drew George to her. Penelope Cruz hardly appears in the movie and I did not appreciate the fact that her picture is the one appearing on the cover of this movie. Ray Liota and Rachel Griffiths play George's parents, and although Ray Liota is convincing as the father, the mother seems the same age as her son and she does not seem to bring anything to this role.I must confess that in several parts this movie seems like an "ordered movie" to clean the name of George Jung or at least present him in a human light as the movie is so one sided and unconvincing. In the end we see George in prison, waiting and hoping that his daughter would come to visit... the movie is filled with manipulations such as this one who are meant to make you feel sorry for this man.