That director Ted Demme died of a cocaine-fueled heart attack within a year of the film's release only shows what his take on the subject really was. His loving portrait of George Jung (Johnny Depp), the man credited with cocaine's explosion in the 70s, is quite plastic, but is fun as hell to watch. That it's totally amoral makes it a great guilty pleasure, like cocaine itself. Depp is solid as Jung, though by the end of the movie he's wearing some really bad wigs, and Demme doesn't seem as interested in the downfall as the rise. The cast is rounded out by a ton of familiar faces, including Paul Reubens (in a delightfully prissy turn as a gay hairstylist/drug dealer), Ray Liotta, Rachel Griffiths, and Ethan Suplee. By no means a masterpiece, Blow is nevertheless one of my favorite films, simply because I love watching it. The DVD adds some great features, including a prison-yard interview with the real George Jung, who might not have much of substance to say, but comes off as cool just because he's lived. Though it's not acceptable to admit as much, most of us would trade places with the guy, when it all comes down to it.
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