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Movie Title: Blow
Official Website (it might still work): Blow
Rating (out of 10): 7
Reviewed By: Michael Stevens
Buy the: Video/DVD | Soundtrack
The Review:

One might think by the title that this movie is about blowjobs, or maybe even about a birthday party. But if you saw any of the trailers, then you would know that Blow is about cocaine. Well actually drugs in general, but a focus on the white powder from Columbia.

The film starts in Massachusetts with George Jung (Johnny Depp, Chocolat) growing up with his parents and friends. We learn that George's dad Fred (Ray Liotta, Heartbreakers) has a business that eventually fails, and we learn that his mother (Rachel Griffiths, My Best Friend's Wedding) likes to leaves when the going gets tough. Then and there George decides he has to live a different life and as soon as he is out of school he heads to California with his friend Tuna (Ethan Suplee). In California they meet beautiful women and the drug scene. Soon they are small time pot dealers looking to make it big. Then a friend (Max Perlich) from back east shows up and they soon have an East Coast market. But their local dealer Derek (Paul Reubens, Dr. Dolittle) doesn't have the connections to deliver the quantities they need, so they head to Mexico to find a grower. In no time they have a big pot business, a mansion in Mexico, and lots of money. Then George gets busted in Chicago, learns his girlfriend Barbie (Franka Potente) has cancer, and then his own mother turns him in. George might be down, but he's not out yet. In prison he meets a Columbian by the name of Diego (Jordi Mollà), whom he sets up a drug smuggling company with after leaving prison. But first they need a supplier, and that turns out to be the infamous Pablo Escobar (Cliff Curtis). Again George is riding on top of the world with his millions of dollars, beautiful Columbian wife Mirtha (Penélope Cruz, All the Pretty Horses) and soon a daughter too. But it is all just too good to be true, and again he spirals downward.

The film is based on a true story from the book by Bruce Porter. Blow is directed by Ted Demme while David McKenna wrote the screenplay. Others in the film are Kevin Gage, Miguel Sandoval, Jesse James, Dan Ferro, and more. I really liked the acting jobs by the cast with special recognition for Ray Liotta and Johnny Depp. It is nice to see a drug based true story that shows the downfalls of the drug runners and not just how the cartels run the world. I liked Blow, but I can't give it a great rating since the plot (the rise and fall of criminals) isn't that original. So instead I give Blow seven couches on the About-Movies.com scale. Later.

Last updated: Saturday, October 28, 2006 05:37:36 PM

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