Johnny Depp
Joel Edgerton
Benedict Cumberbatch
Dakota Johnson
Kevin Bacon
Jesse Plemons
Corey Stoll
Peter Sarsgaard

Jez Butterworth
Mark Mallouk

122 mins.
Biography, Crime, Drama
September 18, 2015
Rated R for brutal violence, language throughout, some sexual references and brief drug use. (MPAA)

Check out our podcast episode, too!

“Say hello to my little friend!” There’s something about a gangster movie that moves us to the box office. I remember the first time I saw movies like “The Godfather”, “Scareface”, “Goodfellas”, “Casino”, “New Jack City”, “The Departed”, and etc. Whether it took place in New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas, or Boston, organized crime seems to fascinate movie-goers throughout the decades. Somehow, we always find ourselves rooting for the bad guy. This genre took normal actors and turned them into household names, like Robert DeNiro, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. Now, when I heard that Warner Brothers was doing a gangster movie starring Johnny Depp, well, my eyebrow raised quite a bit. As a matter of fact, it is still raised.

Imagine every criminal activity from racketeering, murder, bribery, to drug dealing being committed without any recourse or question from law enforcement. “Black Mass” is a true a story about South Boston’s most notorious gangster, James “Whitey” Bulger, who was able to dominate the criminal world without a challenge because he, himself, had the ultimate protection from the least likely source, the FBI. For almost his entire criminal career, Bulger was an FBI informant, turning in some of Boston’s most hideous criminals—yup, his own colleagues. The movie documents the formation of this strange alliance, and its ultimate disintegration. So how did director, Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart”), pan out among the likes of the Scorseses, Eastwoods, and Ford Coppolas? Well, I have a feeling that Whitey Bulger’s not going to like this review.

One of my favorite characters in the movie is the city of Boston. Who can top the scenic view of South Boston during the 1970s? With its steep streets and blue collar homes, Cooper was able to capture the feel and pulse of a working class town. The movie felt like a polaroid picture with its muted skies and shadowy allies. Even the costumes were spot on highlighting the floral dress of a young lady to the cheap polyester suits of the FBI. Aesthetically, the grind of Boston was there; however, unfortunately, that is where this movie starts and stops.

Headlining Johnny Depp (“Pirates of the Carribean” and “Edward Scissorhands”) as a heartless gangster had my interest. Never before had we seen Hollywood’s soft spoken, pretty boy, and odd child play gritty and ruthless. I went to the movie open for anything because it is Depp, and I am a fan. Had it not been for all the press and advertisement, I would not have recognized him. With a severe receding hairline, botched skin, and rotten teeth, one would hardly locate Depp in this movie. His beautiful face was transformed into a man who spent 10 years in Alcatraz. But apart from his appearance, that’s where the performance stops. I’m sorry, but I didn’t buy Depp as a gangster. Sure, he dropped several hundred F-bombs, shot and strangled people, assaulted women, and kicked people to death, but the fact of the matter is, Johnny Depp isn’t a tough guy, no matter what world or wig you put him in. What worked for the likes of DeNiro and Pacino was that their voice, body, and line delivery oozed tough guy. It was the way they entered the room, how they went from zero to 100 in seconds. You somehow didn’t want to double cross these guys. Depp, on the other hand, just comes across as creepy, and we know creepy criminals don’t equal tough guy. As delicious as this role may have been for Depp, a brilliant actor, he was simply miscast, and that is a “Black Mass” misfortune. But it didn’t stop there. There rest of the cast struggled, as well.

Joel Edgerton (“Warrior” and “Exodus: Gods and Kings”) plays Depp’s power hungry FBI handler and childhood friend, John Connolly. With so many outside elements affecting this movie, Edgerton manages to bring an intensity to the screen, but with the dialogue he was given, the overall performance fell flat. As for Kevin Bacon, David Harbour, Adam Scott, and Corey Stoll, who are all very talented actors, they do the best they can, but eventually give pretty forgettable performances as FBI agents. Peter Sarsgaard, Jesse Plemons, and Rory Cochrane all solidly play Depp’s criminal cohorts. Then, there is a surprise performance from Dakota Johnson (“50 Shades of Grey”), who, even though she seems too young to play Depp’s girlfriend, manages to stand firm going toe to toe with Depp. Rounding out the cast is Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Depp’s political younger brother. Knowing that Cumberbatch hails from the UK made his Bostonian accent even more sweet. But again, he was not really given anything special to do, so we soon forget he is in the movie.

The real criminals who robbed this movie’s success have to be the screenwriters. Even though it was based on a book, both Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth failed to bring this amazingly phenomenal story to life, ultimately not giving the actors or the director much to create. Sorry to say, but at moments it was like the actors were chewing steak trying to get those lines out of their mouths. They were all just a little lost in the dialogue. But most importantly, it was the very plot itself. The real story, in my opinion, is about the two brothers on opposite sides of the law, which got very little play. Instead, the plot focuses on the relationship between Connolly and Bulger, which at some points gets old and tired. You can feel the energy in the theater zap with each passing hour.

Let’s face it. Crime movies are tough. Crime movies miscast are worse. Crime movies poorly written, well, that’s just plain criminal. My overall suggestion: skip this movie, and pop in “The Departed”, “Mystic River” or “Gone Baby Gone” if you want a taste of good old Boston grit.

Verdict: Watch Later (Tolerable)

About: (Source: blackmass)

Three-time Oscar nominee Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Finding Neverland, the Pirates of the Caribbean films) stars as notorious mobster James “Whitey” Bulger in the drama Black Mass, directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart).

The film also stars Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby, Zero Dark Thirty) as FBI Agent John Connolly; Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) as Whitey’s brother, powerful State Senator Billy Bulger; Rory Cochrane (Argo) as Steve Flemmi, Whitey’s closest partner in crime; Jesse Plemons (TV’s Fargo) as Whitey’s main henchman, Kevin Weeks; and Kevin Bacon (Crazy, Stupid, Love. TV’s The Following) as FBI Special Agent in Charge Charles McGuire.

In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster Jimmy Bulger (Depp) to collaborate with the FBI in order to eliminate their common enemy: the Italian mob. The drama tells the story of this unholy alliance, which spiraled out of control, allowing Bulger to evade law enforcement while escalating his power to become the most feared crime lord in Boston and one of the most dangerous gangsters in U.S. history.

Cooper directed Black Mass from a screenplay by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill.