Product: Blow [VHS] (2001)
Rating: 1.0
It blows.
"True" story of a drug dealer named George Jung. "George WHO?" you're asking. Well, whatever. Somebody cared enough to make a movie of the dude's life. I am sorry to say that I have seen this movie about a million times already. *Blow* is a 2-hour cliche: the rise and fall of an idiot. Who freakin cares. I am so sick of this story. We get the unhappy childhood, the golden-oldies soundtrack, the groovy clothes, the Drug History For Dummies lesson ("If you did cocaine in the late 70's or early 80's, there's an 80% chance you got it from me" [prove?]; as well as "This is Pablo Escobar" . . . et cetera), the shiny clothes of the Reagan era, forbidden love with a witch on wheels, cross-generational regrets, Oedipal motivations, self-hatred, prison, heart attacks, on and on -- I. DO. NOT. CARE. This movie has all the suspense of last year's newspapers. Director Ted Demme reveals a profound lack of imagination with this picture. Lack of insight, as well: why does he think we should care about this loser? Am I supposed to feel bad for a spoiled-rotten baby boomer who thought he could get away with drug dealing for the rest of his life? The proper response at the end of *Blow* should be: "Uh, yeah . . . SO?" Performances? Mr. Depp looks mighty uncomfortable under some of the worst Rod Stewart-ish wigs ever put on screen -- given these circumstances, who can act? (Certainly not Penelope Cruz. She sounds like a gnat. And she's not even that pretty, if you ask me.) It was also unfortunate to see Ray Liotta, a fine actor, hidden under bad old-age make-up. Final thought: Paul Reubens, sans the Pee-Wee costume; Alan Cumming . . . separated at birth?