Blow (2001)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Joe M

  
  Are they trying to manipulate me into feeling bad for this scum bag? He got less than he deserved.

• Sajin P

  
  "Blow" is a deeply touching biopic of a man's over-ambitious pursuit of a better life, only to end up in deeper muck than where he was before, regardless his 15 minutes of fortune. Johnny Depp at his best...

• Shawn E

  
  "Money isn't real, George. It doesn't matter. It only seems like it does." The progressive story of drug dealer George Jung, is not a happy one. Depp's appearance is a tad distracting, but his performance brings a lot of compassion to his character. Although… More
  "Money isn't real, George. It doesn't matter. It only seems like it does." The progressive story of drug dealer George Jung, is not a happy one. Depp's appearance is a tad distracting, but his performance brings a lot of compassion to his character. Although the lifestyle of the drug dealers in the film are grand and appear to be full of rewards, the message is still that drugs will always lead you towards corruption and your own downfall.

• Manu G

  
  Great movie! One of his best roles ever I would say for Depp, the story itself based on a true story is amazing and I really liked it alot. It was nice to see Emma Roberts when she was little as Depp's daughter. The film opens to a young George (Jesse James) and his parents Fred… More
  Great movie! One of his best roles ever I would say for Depp, the story itself based on a true story is amazing and I really liked it alot. It was nice to see Emma Roberts when she was little as Depp's daughter. The film opens to a young George (Jesse James) and his parents Fred (Ray Liotta) and Ermine (Rachel Griffiths). Fred files for bankruptcy and loses everything. Fred tries to instill George with a belief that money is not important. A grown-up George (Johnny Depp) moves to Southern California with his friend "Tuna" (Ethan Suplee) and they plan to earn a living by selling marijuana with the help of an airline stewardess, Barbara Buckley (Franka Potente), and a girlfriend of George who introduces them to her friend/entrepreneur Derek Foreal (Paul Reubens), the main dealer. With Derek's help, George and Tuna make a lot of money. Kevin Dulli (Max Perlich), a college student back in Boston who is a friend, visits them and tells them of the enormous demand for pot in Boston. With the help of Barbara, they start bringing the drugs to Boston. As the demand grows, they decide to start buying the drugs directly from Mexico with the help of a few Mexican drug lords. George then proceeds on to Chicago to do business, but is caught trying to import 660 pounds of marijuana and he is sentenced to two years. George skips bail (after trying to plead his innocence by reciting It Ain't Me Babe) to take care of Barbara, who is suffering from, and eventually succumbs to, cancer. While hiding from the authorities George visits his parents back in Massachusetts. While he is having a heart to heart talk with his father, George's mother calls the police who come and arrest him. George is now sentenced to twenty-six months in a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut. His cellmate Diego Delgado (Jordi Molla) has contacts in the cocaine trade in Colombia and convinces George to help him go into business. When George gets out of prison, he violates his parole conditions and heads down to Cartagena, Colombia to meet up with Diego. They meet with Cesar Rosa, to negotiate the terms for smuggling 15 kilograms for "good faith". As the smuggling operation grows, Diego gets arrested, leaving George to find a way to sell 50 kilos (110 lbs) of blow and get the money in time. He reconnects with Derek in California, and the two successfully sell all of it in 36 hours, amassing a $1.35 million profit. George is then whisked off to Medellin, Colombia, where he finally meets Pablo Escobar (Cliff Curtis) who agrees to go into business with George and Diego. With the help of main middleman Derek, the pair becomes Pablo's #1 importer. After an altercation with Diego over his "connection", who happened to be Derek (Diego pressured George to reveal his connection), and a drug-related collapse, George returns home and vows to leave the drug business forevermore, especially as he now has a daughter. All goes well with George's civilian lifestyle for five years, until his wife Mirtha (Penelope Cruz) organizes a 38th birthday party for him. Many of his former drug business associates attend, including Derek who reconciles with George after it is revealed that Diego cut him off of their deal. The party is raided by police and George is arrested. Following his conviction, he becomes a fugitive dodging his court date. Meanwhile, his large Panamanian bank accounts have been seized. His wife Mirtha causes him to be arrested while driving one night. He is sent to jail for three years and during that sentence Mirtha gives him the news that she wants a divorce and she wants custody of their nine year old daughter, Kristina Sunshine Jung. On his release he finds himself struggling to keep a relationship with his daughter on good terms. George promises his daughter Kristina (Emma Roberts) a vacation in California and goes into one last deal to garner enough money for the trip. On the deal, he is set up by the FBI and DEA, along with old accomplices, and sentenced to 60 years at Otisville Correctional Facility in upstate New York. He explains in the end that the sentence did not bother him, nor did the fact that he was betrayed by his accomplices "to save their own asses" bother him. What bothered him was he broke a promise to his daughter, in addition to the emotional damage he caused on those he loved (especially his daughter) and how his ambition exceeded his talent. In prison, his lawyer says that his request for a furlough for George to see his dying father was squashed by his unforgiving mother, who says it would only upset him. He is given a tape recorder to record a final message to his father. In the message, George recounts his memories of working with his father, his run-ins with the law, and how finally, too late, does he realize what his father meant when his said that money is not "real". The film closes with George being an old man in prison, imagining that his daughter finally comes to visit him and conversing with him. She slowly fades away as a guard calls for George indicating that she is not real and just an illusion. The film concludes with notes indicating that Jung is still in prison, his sentence not to expire until 2015, and his daughter yet to visit him, with the final imagery being a photograph of the actual George Jung.

• Flutie A

  
  Not typically a movie I'd watch, it was a loaned to me by a friend. Johnny Depp's performance made it worthwhile, but I doubt I'll need to see it again.

• Jeff "

  
  Blow is the real life story of drug dealer George Jung (played by Johnny Depp). The film chronicles George's exploits from a small time marijuana dealer to one of the most important Cocaine dealers in America. An intense drama film this incredible true story is directed by… More
  Blow is the real life story of drug dealer George Jung (played by Johnny Depp). The film chronicles George's exploits from a small time marijuana dealer to one of the most important Cocaine dealers in America. An intense drama film this incredible true story is directed by director Ted Demme, who himself died a few years ago due to a cocaine overdose. Blow is a rivetting film about the golden age of cocaine smuggling, and dealing. George Jung managed to be in league with Pablo Escobar, the most notorious criminal who ever lived. With the Mendelin Cartel, George Jung amassed a large fortune in cocaine sales. Blow tells about his rise from a small town boy to his rise in the criminal underworld to his eventual arrest. An incredible film with a terrific cast this is a truly unique film. Depp is in top form as George Jung, and director Ted Demme's casting choices are well done. This is a terrific drama with many poignant moments. Mostly when George's parents were in a state of disbelief with his choice, those were very powerful scenes. I admit the film could have been better, and at times it felt a tad over acted, but in the end; the film worked well enough to keep me entertained. This a film that isn't for everyone, and some may find it quite uninteresting or others may find it boring. However this is a very good film with a good story, great acting and good acting. I believe that the reason this film works so well is because of the cast, and when you have a cast this good, you're film can be better than what the filmmakers want their films to be. In the case of Blow, thats exactly it. The cast makes this film very watchable, and the story is very interesting to boot. You have two strong elements, you have a good film.

• Chris W

  
  As far as biopics go, it's not the best, and suffers from the flaws that come with the territory, but, as far as entertaining drug movies (anti-drug movies that hypocritically glamorize drugs can still be good) that are also strong character studies go, this film is amazing.… More
  As far as biopics go, it's not the best, and suffers from the flaws that come with the territory, but, as far as entertaining drug movies (anti-drug movies that hypocritically glamorize drugs can still be good) that are also strong character studies go, this film is amazing. The energy is high, the sets, decor, costumes, hairstyles, and soundtrack are excellent, and the performacnes are msotly really good. It's a little hard to buy Liotta as Depp's dad, but it could be worse. Depp is phenomenal, Suplee is really pretty good, and Reubens is just a goddamn riot. It seems a little contradictory that he made this a handfull of years after his infamous "crack" PSA, but he does an awesome job here. I find it sadly ironic that this movie makes the lifestyle fun and glamorus, and that the ultimate message is that drugs are bad, but that the dam ndirector died of cocaine related heart problems. I'll admit that this movie is a mess, but I really like it. There's a lot of good technique and other stuff on display here, and to me, that makes up for some of its issues. Plus, the movie has some hilarious moments and some really great lines. It gets depressing, but it's mostly a fun ride.

• Randy T

  
  The film itself is great, but it's dragged down by it's own intent. George Jung's warped abomination of a life, his twisted pursuit of the 'American Dream', is so sad and pathetic that it made me physically ill just to watch it unfold. Johnny Depp… More
  The film itself is great, but it's dragged down by it's own intent. George Jung's warped abomination of a life, his twisted pursuit of the 'American Dream', is so sad and pathetic that it made me physically ill just to watch it unfold. Johnny Depp inadvertently gave Jung more character and class than he ever deserved.

• Conner R

  
  A really well done biopic about George Jung and his rise in the cocaine business. Johnny Depp was extremely good and Penelope Cruz did a nice job as well. It has a unique style, which was nice. While it is not perfect, it isn't that far off. It's extremely fun and… More
  A really well done biopic about George Jung and his rise in the cocaine business. Johnny Depp was extremely good and Penelope Cruz did a nice job as well. It has a unique style, which was nice. While it is not perfect, it isn't that far off. It's extremely fun and entertaining.

• Lewis C

  
  I never could completely come to terms with Johnny Depp as Boston George. He's a good actor, but he never really seemed like a guy from New England. As the movie went on, I grew more accustomed to the character, but the issue never completely went away. As for the movie itself,… More
  I never could completely come to terms with Johnny Depp as Boston George. He's a good actor, but he never really seemed like a guy from New England. As the movie went on, I grew more accustomed to the character, but the issue never completely went away. As for the movie itself, I liked it well enough. It was pretty obvious that some parts of the real story had been changed to make George a more sympathetic and likeable character. If you like these kinds of druglord sagas or you are a huge fan of Johnny Depp, then you'll probably like Blow. It's no Scarface, however.

• Anthony L

  
  Blow is like a cross between Scarface and Boogie Nights with a little bit of Goodfellas for good measure. It?s an entertaining enough film based on a real drug dealer with good performances from an impressive cast.

• Megan S

  
  Who would have thought a drug movie could be touching...but it was. I ended up feeling sorry for George in the end. I just kept waiting for the happy ending.

• Ginny  

  
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• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"Based on a True Story."</i> Following the life of cocaine-trafficking pioneer George Jung in a way that recalls Martin Scorsese's Casino, Blow recounts the man's days from his 1950s childhood in Boston to his downfall in the 1980s. George (played… More
  <i>"Based on a True Story."</i> Following the life of cocaine-trafficking pioneer George Jung in a way that recalls Martin Scorsese's Casino, Blow recounts the man's days from his 1950s childhood in Boston to his downfall in the 1980s. George (played by Johnny Depp) begins his life as the son of Fred (Ray Liotta), an earnest breadwinner, and Ermine (Rachel Griffiths), who frequently walks out on them in pursuit of a more fulfilling life. When George moves west to California in the late '60s, accompanied by best pal Tuna (Ethan Suplee), he becomes an entrepreneur in the marijuana business, which soon spreads to the East Coast as well, with girlfriend Barbara (Franka Potente) smuggling the product during her stewardess shifts. George is arrested in 1972 -- at which time Barbara dies of cancer -- but George finds a new ally in Diego (Jordi Molla), who proposes the idea that he become the American conduit for Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar (Cliff Curtis). George flourishes in the heyday of the disco era, and falls for Mirtha (Penelope Cruz), a self-serving bombshell who eventually has a daughter with him. Trouble escalates as the FBI threatens to bring George and his crew down, while he desperately tries to be a stable parent to his young offspring. Blow also features Paul Reubens and Max Perlich in featured roles. <b><u>Review</u></b> Blow is a drug film, and yet I find it touching and emotional. Its not one of those typical hard-edged drug related movies like Scarface, they shook the ground a little bit by giving the main character a heart. And they developed it more as it basically became the main theme in the third act of the film, the shaky relationship between George Jung and his daughter Katrina was well-developed and you kind of feel bad to George when he took the fall and ended up in prison for 60 years. The ending is totally heart breaking and as the credits roll, you'll almost be in tears. Johnny Depp in one of the best roles he's ever done took the role of an ambitious small town drug smuggler and he gave it a heart. You actually feel sorry for the real George Jung and Depp definitely gave justice to the role. Penelope Cruz steals every scene she's in by flailing her arms wildly and shouting at the top of her lungs (well, that's that one scene only and it was in my opinion, excellently done). 'Blow' will definitely blow you away, its El Magico.

• Cherry D

  
  Diego Delgado: Do you have a dream, George? George: Well, I would if I could get some fucking sleep. =)

• Lenny M

  
  Depp and Drugs, very nice.

• xGary X

  
  The life of drug dealer George Jung is the subject of another engaging performance by Johnny Depp. The film has a lot of things in common with Goodfellas; the true life story of a man's life of crime, the voice-over, the way the story darkens once cocaine appears on the scene. It… More
  The life of drug dealer George Jung is the subject of another engaging performance by Johnny Depp. The film has a lot of things in common with Goodfellas; the true life story of a man's life of crime, the voice-over, the way the story darkens once cocaine appears on the scene. It even cheekily casts Ray Liotta and a Lorraine Bracco look-alike as George's parents. The main difference is in the tone; it has a gloss that skims over the moral implications of Jung's actions, portraying him as a charming and likeable entrepreneur and never showing the results of his criminal activity. As such it lacks the power and grittiness of both Scorsese's masterpiece and Traffic. Moral implications aside though, it's a well written, well acted and enjoyable tale with a nicely poignant ending.

• Lady D

  
  The rise and fall life story of George Jung, well played by Jonny Depp. An interesting account of the Cocaine Entrepeneur's life style during that era and the meaning of his life when things go wrong.

• Alexander W

  
  I didn't really get this movie, I didn't understand the importance of it as a film, sure its about cocaine, but scarface was a film, this is just horrible acting

• Dean M

  
  Awesome story of real-life drug dealer, George Jung, doing time for a long string of offenses, is familiar but well-acted played by Johnny Depp. Following Jung from his early pot-selling days in 1960s L.A. through the cocaine boom of the 1970s and 1980s. At the final scene when I saw… More
  Awesome story of real-life drug dealer, George Jung, doing time for a long string of offenses, is familiar but well-acted played by Johnny Depp. Following Jung from his early pot-selling days in 1960s L.A. through the cocaine boom of the 1970s and 1980s. At the final scene when I saw a picture of real George Jung freaked me out.

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