By
Mark Betancourt
Arizona Daily Wildcat
GRADE: C+
'Blow' takes a toothless bite out of the narcotics trade
If only middle schoolers were old enough to go see "Blow," the D.A.R.E. program could officially recognize Johnny Depp as an honorary "Say No" ranger. McGruff could present director Ted Demme with an award for "most confusing anti-drug propaganda," and Penelope Cruz could appear at recess to convince the children she was only pretending to be an ultra-kinky coke sniffer.
But alas, the Motion Picture Association of America has denied our youngsters the enlightenment of yet another naughty-language movie, and adults are much harder to brainwash.
"Blow" takes the lesson "drugs are bad" to a whole new, never-before-attempted level. It shows a guy's life getting messed up because of cocaine.
The American drug culture will never be the same.
Somehow the film manages to muddle even this simplistic theme by simultaneously glorifying and denouncing that culture, leaving the audience members wondering why they didn't use their evening to do laundry.
Not that "Blow" is uninteresting. It moves fairly fast for a true story about the entire life of George Jung, a common drug dealer from New England who rose to be one of the top cocaine suppliers in America. The film actually keeps the audience interested in what happens to George, at least until the end. Don't worry, it is impossible to ruin. The loosest definition of "narrative" usually includes a "climax," but whatever.
Of course, "Blow" is steeped in all the trappings of modern film style, complete with freeze-frame character introductions and senselessly askew camera angles, which is admittedly starting to get old. It's like the filmmakers think audiences go for the same thing over and over.
There is something to be said for the style of this film, especially when it comes to the subtle humor in many of the scenes. Through the movement of the camera, Demme seems to lightly suggest the little nuances of irony that infest George's lifestyle. For example, when George is walking around his estate with his father as they discuss his "new business," one expensive car after another comes slowly into the expanding frame. It brings the film to a calmer level that gets lost in the standard fast-paced "things-are-going-well-for-our-hero" montages.
"Blow" can't be denied credit for the acting of Johnny Depp and company, either. Depp might have worked in a few bombs lately (perhaps "Blow" is one of them), but his performance leaves nothing to be desired. As George, he embodies the tragic hero who can't seem to avoid trouble no matter how normal - or good - he seems.
Penelope Cruz transforms into a freaky addict/dominatrix wife in this film, which is admirable. Her part is small, but she makes the audience hate her, a feat which is too often underestimated.
Ray Liotta, playing George's father, does some respectable acting. He conjures a couple of decent crying moments that certainly give the film a much-needed emotional boost. All in all, the acting isn't responsible for the film's failure to live up to its trailer.
The movie's disappointment isn't necessarily a style issue. It's not that the filmmakers did a poor job of rendering this stunning story, because the story isn't stunning at all. It's lame. Everyone born in the last century knows drugs are bad. Even the general public, arguably the most insultable entity in the world, probably feels too big for this one.
