I saw Black Mass on September 19, 2015!! This was a brilliant biopic on one of South Boston's most notorious criminals. It explored the deal between James "Whitey" Bulger and his childhood friend, who worked in Boston's FBI offices, John Connolly. Both realized they need the deal: Connolly wants it to take down the Italian Mafia, while at the same time Bulger wants to get rid of the Italian Mafia simply to further his own criminal agenda. While many Hollywood movies can over-dramatize events, I feel this took a great look at the events of the movie without overdoing everything. A major aspect of the movie was performances, and since acting is the basis of what movies should be, that's great to see.
I definitely believe that Johnny Depp should be on the list for the Golden Globe and the Oscars for Best Actor. He gave such a chilling performance. What I really enjoyed about it was how calm Bulger always seemed to be, while conveying his message. He had a cold stare in his eyes, and a menacing tone to his voice that keeps you drawn to Depp's performance. He made Bulger a cold, calculating mastermind. Depp is one of the very best actors in my opinion, and I think this showed that he still has it. It's probably one of his best performances, and he has so many great ones. His work as John Dillinger in Public Enemies was phenomenal as well. While many directors would resort to the gory aspects of Bulger's actions, Scott Cooper focused on the character/personality. One of the best scenes in the movie revolves around a dinner scene where he tests Connolly's partner John Morris about how he marinates his steaks. Morris gives up the "family secret" without much interrogation. Depp's work following this was calm, but intense. It was acting at it's finest. There was so much tension in the calm, but menacing tone. Cooper presented scenes where criminal activity was in effect, but the action still focused on the personality overall. Incredible work by Johnny Depp here!!
Many are discussing Joel Edgerton's work as John Connolly in this movie, and I think they should. He gave a tremendous supporting performance that showed loyalty to Bulger, but at the same time showed how conflicted he was with the violent acts getting out of hand. Bulger used Connolly to further his criminal empire. Connolly never sells out Bulger. While he protected a criminal, you have to still respect the fact that he never sold out his friend. Edgerton usually turns out pretty solid work, and it was no exception here. It was also great to see Jesse Plemons, who you may know from his work on Friday Night Lights or Breaking Bad. He did well as an informant as well as muscle for Bulger. Plemons looks hauntingly like Matt Damon in this, and in many ways, Plemons reminds me of Damon, so that worked really well. He's a really underrated actor who can pull off some incredible scenes-I've seen him do it so many times. It was great to see him involved with such a big project. Benedict Cumberbatch, Corey Stoll, and Peter Sarsgaard were also brilliant in their performances. These three added so much depth to the movie-Cumberbatch's family relationships, Stoll is the law trying to crack down on Bulger & Connolly's relationship, and Sarsgaard selling intimidation and sheer terror of Bulger was excellent. Every cast member was integral to creating the big picture of how infamous James "Whitey" Bulger is.
This movie gets a 5/5 from me for excellent performances, especially from Johnny Depp-one of his best performances, a great look at the clash between the criminal world and the world of law enforcement, and a realistic approach to a real life crime drama. It's a great mix of Donnie Brasco meets The Departed with a splash of Goodfellas. Depp, Edgerton, Cumberbatch, Stoll, and Sarsgaard are all reasons to see this. It's definitely an awards season worthy film!!
