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    Black Mass

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    I’m not a huge fan of Johnny Depp. The guy’s been in some good movies, but it’s not his inclusion in “Black Mass” that lured me towards it. The trailers just looked good to me and I was not disappointed. It’s a film that works consistently and features Johnny Depp’s best performance in years. Within the 122 minute running time you can also find terrific casting, a script that feels authentic and a constant sense of unease or tension as you delve into a frightening world filled to the brim with corruption. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a movie that proves that the road to hell is paved with good intentions as well as this film does.

    Based on true events, the film begins in 1975, South Boston. James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) is a small-time ganger who has his fingers in all kinds of illegal pies. An old friend of his, John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) suddenly takes interest in him. The goal isn’t to take down the Irish mobster though, it’s about making a deal. Bulger will turn informant and the FBI will look the other way when his criminal activities are brought to light. The film follows his rise to the power and the rampant corruption that blossoms in the wake of this growing empire.

    Whenever there’s a movie that’s based on a true story, there are going to be some details changed. That’s fine. Nobody wants to see a film where every year is given as much screen time as every other year because real life gets boring even when you’re a criminal. The key, I think, is to merge characters and alter events in a way that feels authentic. “Black Mass” is extremely successful in this sense, as no moment or speech or action ever feels like it was inserted to make the film more commercially appealing. For this reason, there’s not really an arc to the story. It’s more about the characters, tone and mood. This is not a non-linear story, but it’s one that does not follow a typical 3-act structure. Then again, real life does not follow traditional writing conventions either.

    I’d compare this film to a game of dominos. Every criminal action and act of negligence by the FBI is another piece added to the chain. When it’s all going to come tumbling down, you don’t know, and you have mixed feelings about when or where you’ll want the toppling to begin. I desperately wanted to see these terrible people get their comeuppance, but I also have to admit that I was always curious to see what was going to happen next. Could things get even darker? If they did, I wanted to be a witness to it.

    Johnny Depp steals the show here so we’ll just touch on him quickly. As Whitey Bulger he’s frightening. A flat-out monster that puts you consistently on edge, even more so as his power accumulates. More than a great performance, it’s a transformation. Depp is still recognizable, but this is about as far as you get from being voted “Sexiest man alive” twice. Credit goes to the makeup people who did a terrific job and to the actor for making the most of the part.

    I’ll admit that I came to despise (in a good way) Bulger, but the character that makes this film stand out among the slew of mobster titles is John Connelly. I’d even say that he’s a worse person than Bulger. I think there’s something inherently fascinating about people who try to be heroes but go about it the wrong way and end up becoming as loathsome as the scum they deal with. I was completely engrossed as I witnessed a man who decided that to get his hands dirty was the way to get real results, not realizing what kind of deal with the devil he was truly signing. This theme of corruption and loss of morality; the question of “how much is too far? ” is what makes the supporting characters worth taking a look at even if their parts are too short (I would have liked to have seen more of Benedict Cumberbatch as Whitey Bulger’s brother William Bulger for example) I loved seeing Connelly’s descent and it really made me think about all of the underhanded techniques that police of government agents must have to deal with all the time in order to try and get a leg up on people who play by no rules.

    Even at 2 hours, it still feels like there are some segments missing in “Black Mass”, but I suspect an extended cut on home video could easily patch up some of the holes. I would be interested in seeing any deleted or extended scenes and I do think there’s re-watch value here, even if it’s only to take a second look at the actors. While we wait for the Blu-ray, it’s the characters, that simultaneous rise of an evil man and the fall of another with good intentions and those performances that makes the film worth seeing. (Theatrical version on the big screen, September 29, 2015)

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    adamwatchesmovies@  1.10.2015 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

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