Blow chronicles rise, fall of George Jung

Julien R. Fielding

Cocaine snorted in the United States in the '70s to the early ' 80s had a more than an 80 percent chance of originating with one man - George Jung.

Director Ted Demme's latest film, "Blow," chronicles the rise and fall of this drug entrepreneur who became the American linchpin of the Medellin cocaine cartel out of Columbia.

The story, adapted by Nick Cassavetes (son of actors John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands) and David McKenna from Bruce Porter's book, demonstrates how one man had it all - money, a family, planes, cars and a lavish home; then found himself in prison with nothing to show for himself, not even his most prized possession, his daughter.

The film spans five decades, beginning in the 1950s. We witness Jung's home life and how having an extravagant mother (Rachel Griffiths) and a browbeaten father (Ray Liotta) made him into the man he became.

One particularly poignant moment comes when the boy watches his too-decent father sink into bankruptcy.

"Are we poor? I don't ever want to be poor," he tells his father as they leave the bank. "Then you won't," the man replies.

When he is old enough, Jung (Johnny Depp) and friend Tuna escape from the confines of Massachusetts to the hedonistic beaches of California.

Rather than getting steady jobs, the men decide to sell marijuana. But, to make real money, they need good dope. And that's where hairdresser and supplier Derek Foreal (Paul Reubens) comes in.

Their operation remains local until an old neighborhood friend comes for a visit. He tells them they should expand their business to the East Coast and make it bicoastal.

They do, and the money starts pouring in. But Jung, always ahead of the game, realizes that by cutting out the middle man, they can increase their profits. So, they "borrow" a Cessna from an airport and fly to Mexico.

Everything goes well until Jung gets busted at the Chicago airport with 660 pounds of grade A marijuana.

Despite his memorable defense, he gets jail time. Fortunately for him, this far from disrupts his entrepreneurial spirit. Thanks to a new acquaintance and cellmate, Diego Delgado (Jordi Molla), as soon as Jung gets out on parole, the two men head for the big score. Through Delgado, Jung meets drug czar Pablo Escobar, and a whole new enterprise gets fired up.

As Jung tells us, he may have gone into prison with a bachelor's degree in marijuana, but he came out with a doctorate in cocaine. Soon, the men make so much money, they don't have enough room to stash it.

In the novel, Porter claims the men lined floors and walls with $100 bills, and Jung estimates that during his career, he made $100 million.

But "Blow" isn't the feel-good movie of the year. It's a story about soaring high and crashing hard. In the words of Jung's father, it shows that money doesn't really matter, because while it can buy a person love, it can't help him hold onto it.

As so many films before, most notably "Traffic," "Goodfellas" and "Scarface," Demme's "Blow" takes the audience on a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs, revealing to us a life far removed from our own.

Cassavetes and McKenna carve out for us a compelling story of greed, lust and ambition, and the two hours hurry by.

Depp proves particularly mesmerizing with his blond good looks and affable manner.

He's a drug dealer, but this isn't Al Capone or Scarface. He doesn't kill or rough anyone up. Basically, he's an honest man who believes he's living out the American Dream.

He takes amazing risks because of a blinding drive to succeed and so as to not suffer from his father's fate.

Whenever Depp stars in a film, with the exception of "The Astronaut's Wife" and "Nick of Time," it's often difficult to imagine anyone else playing the part. He simply ingratiates himself into your consciousness.

In "Blow," Depp also seems comfortable playing Jung, so true to the man's spirit. It's a wonderful performance that should get him some favorable notice.

Reubens spent a lot of years behind the Pee Wee Herman persona. But since he's left it behind, he's opened himself up to some wickedly fun roles, particularly in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Mystery Men," and now, "Blow."

Reubens eases into Foreal's flamboyancy without too much difficulty, and he makes the most of his first scene with Jung. He's still the quintessential boy-man.

Penelope Cruz, who plays Jung's Colombian wife, Mirtha, handles the shift from sex kitten to pampered bitch, proving there's more to this actress than just Latin sizzle. Although anyone who saw her in Pedro Almodovar's "All About My Mother" already knew that.

The casting agents looked to another foreign actress to play Jung's first love, the stewardess Barbara. It might be difficult to recognize her without the flaming red hair, but she's none other than Franka Potenta from "Run Lola Run."

Liotta is at his best as the Jung patriarch. Those who only know the actor as playing a myriad of psychopaths would be well advised to seek out a little known gem, "Dominick and Eugene." It'll forever change your mind about him.

In "Blow," Liotta portrays the father we all wish we had, one who's understanding, patient and tolerant and loves his son unconditionally.

Although it's curious that this actor, who's just eight years older than Depp, would be cast as Depp's father, it's fortuitous for the viewer. He's an amazing presence.

Odder still is the decision to cast Australian actress Griffiths as Depp's mother, when she's five years his junior. (This brings back memories of "Forrest Gump.") Nevertheless, Griffiths is excellent as the psychologically unstable woman who never seems quite satisfied with her life. You'll love to hate her.

A cameo by Bobcat Goldthwait provides filmgoers with a good chuckle, and Spanish actor Molla steals a few scenes, just by firing up his sparkling blue eyes.

Not only is the cast exceptional, but the cinematography also demands some note. Crafted by Ellen Kuras, a two-time winner of the Sundance Film Festival's Best Cinematography Award, she went all out with "Blow."

Wanting to differentiate each era faithfully, she employed a variety of film stocks, lenses, lighting techniques and lab work to get smashing results. It was a monumental undertaking, but she achieves something close to majesty.

Through creative camera work and a strong attention to detail, Demme, who happens to be the nephew of director Jonathan Demme, gives audiences a riveting story, proving he can take his place at the big boys' table.

And the screenwriters do us a favor by not focusing on a crazed gangster who fills coffins as easily as his bank vaults, but on a bright-eyed, blond-haired drug-dealing "rock star," who in the end wanted nothing more than love.

As one of the better films released in this already too dismal year, "Blow" comes highly recommended, even if the ending will produce some moans of disbelief.

Blow chronicles rise, fall of George Jung was originally published in Daily Nonpareil on 12 April, 2001. © Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil LLC