Though some find out about this movie as nothing but a pro-substance abuse film, it’s ignorant to believe. He is no hero but it’s real. George Jung (Played by Johnny Depp) is a boy with the American dream at heart; he grew up in a poor Boston neighborhood with a family constantly struggling to get by even with a hard working father. His father offers this memorable piece of advice ”Sometimes you're flush and sometimes you're bust, and when you're up, it's never as good as it seems, and when you're down, you never think you'll be up again, but life goes on.”Soat a young age he vowed to never be poor, to never live with this broken family situation, to enjoy life.
Slowly this dream is realized and constantly through the film he experiences his ups and downs. After high school George starts off for California with only his friend “Tuna” (Ethan Suplee) to help out. Awhile living the beach life he meets Barbra (Franka Potente) who introduces him to the main marijuana dealer in his area Derek Foreal (Paul Reubans) with the help of a high school friend Kevin Duli he begins to distribute weed in various areas throughout the United States, after being caught in Chicago with 660 lbs of grass, he is sentenced to 2 years in prison. While this is happening Barbra finds out she has cancer, and George skips bail to take care of her after his mother turns him into the police he goes to prison where as he describes his experience “I entered with a bachelors in marijuana and left with a PhD in cocaine”. He meets Diego who soon hooks him up with the likes of Pablo Escobar, throughout the film you begin to see the tale of one of the world’s biggest cocaine distributor’s story, with his stolen Wife (Penelope Cruz) to his large time cocaine operation, all to tie together for his immense love for his daughter Katrina.
The film’s director Ted Demme, does an amazing job at portraying a true story without getting caught up in silly details. Provided, the real George Jung that the book and film were based upon gave personal interviews, and was able to give them all the information they could ask for, he puts it to the screen amazingly. The film carries you easily through the plot as the writing is very well done. It’s exciting to realize the rise and demise of those we’re never taught about in school, but it’s no action packed “Bourne” movie, as it I more a narrative biography that I really enjoyed.
The Shots are done extremely well, and they are able to portray lots of emotion while not portraying it too risqué or cheap. A Few shots like when He meets his 2nd wife are especially memorable, or when he first gets into the cocaine business. Although He has many mistakes in his life, including letting his daughter down to quote him “I was busted. Set up by the FBI and the DEA. That didn't bother me. Set up by Kevin Dulli and Derek Forreal to save their own a**es. That didn't bother me. Sentenced to 60 years at Otisville. That didn't bother me. I'd broken a promise. Everything I love in my life goes away. “
