Blow (2001)

Directed by Ted Demme. Starring Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Paul Reubens, Jordi Molla, Rachel Griffiths, Ray Liotta, Franka Potente, Cliff Curtis, Max Perlich, Ethan Suplee, Miguel Sandoval, Kevin Gage, Emma Roberts. [R]

Superficial, derivative drug trafficking saga with a middle-man as the subject: George Jung (Depp), a young man who graduated from smuggling marijuana from Mexico to the East Coast to becoming a key figure in the operation to import cocaine from Pablo Escobar’s Medellín Cartel. Style, period milieu, and performances are for the most part adequate (Cruz, however, flounders in the underwritten role of George’s Colombian wife), and although the script (credited to David McKenna and Nick Cassavetes) sprints through the story so recklessly that there’s nothing around to hang it all together and provide a solid foundation of cause-and-effect, a handful of scenes are sharply realized. The wistful music at the end suggests we’re supposed to care about this flimsily-motivated crook, but the movie has provided no reason as to why—not only is it hard to sympathize with George, it’s hard to care about him at all. Director Demme and Denis Leary are among the producers; Bobcat Goldthwait and Jaime King make brief appearances.

49/100