Blow (2001)

Based on a True Story.

Starring: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Franka Potente, Rachel Griffiths, Paul Reubens, Jordi Molla, Cliff Curtis, Miguel Sandoval, Ethan Suplee, Ray Liotta, Kevin Gage, Max Perlich, Jesse James, Miguel Perez, Dan Ferro, Jaime King

Director: Ted Demme

Running Time: 124 minutes

US MPAA rating: R
UK BBFC rating: 18
Crime, Drama

On DVD

On DVD

Normally, when a Hollywood movie boasts about being "based on a true story", you can generally assume that in reality it's no more true than your granddad can piss donuts. 'Blow' is perhaps one of the few exceptions though, because - though undoubtedly spruced-up in the name of audience-friendliness - this biopic of drug smuggler extraordinaire George Jung was made with close enough involvement from its subject to suggest that there is some modicum of reality hidden in here.

Jung, of course, was unlucky enough in his life to eventually get caught - on more than one occasion. But he may take some smidgen of consolation from the fact that he's now been lucky enough to have the ever-impressive Johnny Depp cast in his role. After a brief prologue showing George as a kid (Jesse James) who looks less than impressed with the financial struggles of his father (Ray Liotta), Depp takes the character through decades of slowly climbing the drug barons' answer to a career ladder. It's a life that takes him to and from Colombia on countless occasions, has him regularly threatened with extreme violence, sees him start a family with a whining money-snatcher (Penelope Cruz) and then - as you'd probably hope - eventually get his just desserts.

For those who don't know about such things, Jung is largely seen as responsible for setting up America's cocaine trade single-handedly. Apparently, that's reason enough to deem him worthy of a two-hour-plus biopic, complete with all-star cast and full trimmings, but in all honesty there's nothing here you won't have seen before. Despite a typically faultless performance from lead man Depp, the whole thing is like a sort of watered-down cross between

DVD Extras: A string of interview sessions between the real George Jung and director Ted Demme, a 25-minute documentary on Colombia's ongoing drug war, a 5-minute featurette about addicts (cheery stuff!), audio commentary from Messrs Demme and Jung, Demme's production diary, ten deleted scenes with commentary, character out-takes, Nikka Costa's 'Push and Pull' music video, a couple of trailers, and cast & crew resumes. Version reviewed: Blow Extras: 8 out of 10

It's Got: Paul "Pee Wee Herman" Reubens as Jung's camp hair-crimping partner in crime.

It Needs: Top marks to go to the costume department for finding such top notch shell-suits for the film's late-80s/early-90s period.

Alternatives: Goodfellas, Scarface, Traffic

Summary: It's only thanks to Johnny Depp being Johnny Depp that 'Blow' doesn't suck. Overall Score: 5 out of 10

Review by Gary Panton
Review Date: 9th June 2005