BLACK MASS REVIEW
Black Mass is a riveting true story of the rise and fall of Irish-American crime lord James ‘Whitey’ Bulger (played fantastically by Johnny Depp). The story spans over 30 years and begins with introducing Bulger in 1975 as the leader of the South-Boston based Winter Hill Gang. Without trying to give too much away, the movie covers the most significant events of the Bulger's life in order for the audience to try and make sense of how and why he ended up being on top of FBI Most Wanted list for 12 years.
Black Mass features an incredibly talented all-star cast
including Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch and, of course, Johnny Depp. All
three give great performances of their respective roles but it is, without a
shadow of a doubt, Johnny Depp who outshines all the rest. Depp’s portrayal of
Bulger had me feeling sadness, discomfort and outright fear. There are a number
of scenes when his character dominates not just the people on screen but also
the people watching, especially in the later scenes when he is quite unstable.
There is no scene in particular that comes to mind and those of you who have
seen the film probably know the one I am referring to and those of you who haven’t
seen it will know it when you see it. I suffered a little from a little
condition a call ‘Cinema-Seat-Paralysis’ during this particular scene and I’m
sure I’m not the only one.
Unfortunately, I can’t really speak much to the Boston
accents in the film as I have never really been exposed to it in my life,
however, I was able to understand everything that was being said so I’m happy.
It was also very interesting watching this film as someone who had never heard
of Bulger before the movie started, maybe it’s because I was raised between
Ireland and England but news of Bulger and his crimes never reached my ears
though I was never really one for the news of the world.
Critics and users reviews have criticised the film because
it not all guns and explosions from start to finish like some similar films,
but to be honest I seriously enjoyed the more intimate and personal take on the
story and I feel that it gave the actors a chance to really pour some of their
talent in to the roles. Not every film with a criminal at the centre needs to
be ‘high-octane’ bullshit that ends up being forgotten by the time the credits
finish. Black Mass is certainly not that.
The film isn’t perfect however and I think that one of its
most prominent flaws is the lack of screen time for some of the interesting
supporting characters, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Billy Bulger being at the top of
this list. Billy Bulger is not only the brother of ‘Whitey’, he is also a
leading member of the Massachusetts Senate. I feel this is contrast between the
two brothers, who were quite close, could have been better utilised to make
some truly dynamic moments. Unfortunately, the number of scenes with Benedict
Cumberbatch could be counted on one hand. Such as waste.
Overall though, the
film is excellent. Well worth going to see if you are interested by the source
material or simply a fan of Johnny Depp. There are some spectacularly shocking
moments filled with sadness and fear that make the viewer almost sympathise
with Bulger from time to time but only from the beginning to the middle, after
that Bulger jumps to an eleven on the psycho scale. Enjoy!
8/10
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