Movieline's Hollywood Life
"...Intriguing....Depp's physical transformation is chilling. It's a fearless performance shorn of all movie-star vanity, and Jung emerges as a striking individual..." 04/01/2001 p.30-1Variety
"...Buoyant and flavorful....[With] impressive widescreen lensing..." 03/19/2001 p.29-37 New York Times
"...[Depp's] witty, spare performance gives the picture a poignancy....Mr. Demme's storytelling is quick and engaging..." 04/06/2001 p.E23 Rolling Stone
"...Smart, sexy, funny and dangerous, this high-wire act is a movie and a half..." 04/12/2001 p.145-6 USA Today
"...Clickety-clack pacing and inventive supporting casting....Consistently compelling..." 04/06/2001 p.6E Sight and Sound
"...[Demme] capitalizes on his strongest assets: a knack for comedy and an ambitious taste for scale..." 06/01/2001 p.40-1 Hollywood Reporter
"...Vigorous direction and attention to detail....Uniformly excellent performances....Depp provides a remarkably supple performance in the lead role..." 03/20/2001 p.17-43 ReelViews 9 of 10
Blow is the third movie in the past six months to plunge audiences hip-deep into the drug culture. And, like both Requiem For a Dream and Traffic, Ted Demme's feature manages to carve out enough of a unique niche that it never seems to be imposing upon frequently-trodden territory. This is an effective and powerful motion picture...Based on a true story...and employing a voiceover narrative, Blow shows how George's insatiable desire for material possessions leads him to betray, or be betrayed by, nearly everyone he knows or loves...For many years now, Ted Demme has labored in the shadow of his uncle, Jonathan. With Blow, the "other" Demme has finally made the kind of film that should earn him recognition for more than his name. The film has all the right elements in nearly flawless proportions - a well-written script, good acting across-the-board, and perfect pacing. At two hours in length, Blow seems neither bloated nor lean. And, for something released before the Oscar season of October through December, the movie boasts an uncommon level of intelligence to go along with the fine craftsmanship. - James Berardinelli
Reel.com 7 of 10
Wait a minute, isn't this a movie about drug smuggling? Demme often seems to forget this, fast-forwarding through what should be the most interesting parts -- the tricks Jung used to sneak tens of thousands of kilos into the country, the complicated schemes used to launder his profits -- in favor of downbeat scenes of domestic strife...When the director does focus on the drug trade, though, Blow is brilliant. Playing like GoodFellas lite, it shows how Jung was responsible for almost single-handedly bringing the cocaine trade to America, but never fired a gun once...Depp fares better as Jung, nailing the smuggler's outer mannerisms and inner drive. Narrating in a subdued, dead-on Boston accent, the actor delivers his best performance since Donnie Brasco, giving us an appealing but amoral character who sincerely believes he's not doing anything wrong by bringing tons of narcotics into the country -- even though the horrible legacy of his efforts is evident on every street corner...Demme doesn't do Blow's credibilty any favors when he cuts to a still snapshot of the real-life Jung -- a grizzled, hawkish man considerably less attractive than Depp -- before the credits roll. - Tor Thorsen
|
