Critique: Blow is often an entertaining film at the height of its fast paced frenzy, but comes up short and leaves the viewer with a hollow feeling. One of the film's primary objectives is to emotionally exhaust the viewer, and leave one feeling moved by the experiences of the man shown on film. However, the film never establishes effective emotional involvement early on, and fails in its last segment to provoke feelings. The film is truly a Greek tragedy, complete with a tragic hero and a fall from glory due to hubris. Nonetheless, the fall of the protagonist has no impact due to the lack of focus and balance. The film's strength is also its weakness. Ted Demme attempts a fast paced, high velocity tour as he displays the height of Jung's glory. Although Demme's effort is noble, he is not mature enough to balance kinetic storytelling with deeper meaning and thought. Thus, when the story comes to a climax the desired effect is absent. Nonetheless, during the wild and animated middle segment there is certainly guilty pleasure to be had. One of Demme's crucial mistakes in losing emotional involvement is not showing any scenes where Jung helps his dying girlfriend, and only commenting on it through narration. Even in the film's best moments it rarely surpasses guilty pleasure.
Blow is dwarfed by the recent drug related films, Traffic and Requiem for a Dream. Traffic was dominant in scope and emotional impact, and Requiem for a Dream was extraordinary in its style and uncompromising presentation. Blow attempted to show the high life of drugs, but also how it changes lives for the worse. It missed its mark on the last point. There appears to be two angles in recent drug films. One angle is how drugs are affecting society as a whole, and how the current system needs reform. The other angle is simply how drugs are awful, and hurt everyone personally. Traffic focused on the impact of drugs on a society, but had some details of personal infliction. 'Requiem' focused on presenting why drugs are horrifying, but had some segments on the current government position towards drugs and how it is innappropriate. Blow straddles both fences; it attempts to show why drugs are bad, and why the government's policy towards drugs needs improvement. Its efforts are intriguing, but Blow is unable to deliver due filmmaking that needs improvement. Last, its profile of Jung is not textured, or revealing, and does not give us a deep analysis of the actual man. Thus, the viewer is unclear about Jung's character.
In conclusion, Blow is a guilty pleasure in its wildly animated segments, but fails in depth, thought and impact. It is hollow, and unconvincing in its arguments. The film is not terrible, but it is average, and I do not recommend average films.
review by supernothingman |
