Directed by:
Scott CooperCinematography:
Masanobu TakayanagiComposer:
Tom HolkenborgCast:
Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard, Jesse Plemons, Rory Cochrane, David Harbour, Adam Scott (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
The true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (8)
In a story with prominent religious overtones, Depp’s Boston bloodsucker personifies an irresistibly seductive evil and, thanks to his charisma, wins you over to his side more easily than the boring good. Like the ambitious but so far unsuccessful Connolly. However, it cannot be said that the FBI agent is the story’s protagonist through whose eyes we follow the plot and with whom we are supposed to identify. The camera keeps the same distance from him as it does from the other characters, whose inner world we also have no access to (in the form of flashbacks or internal monologues, for example) and we see them only from a distance, more as noteworthy objects to observe than as participants in the narrative. An exception, when we see the actors’ faces in close-up, is the scenes of violence. The terrified expressions of those who witness Bulger’s sadism illustrates their awareness that they could easily become his next victims. We also see the faces of the victims, who are exposed to psychological and physical violence together with their wives and are the only characters with whom we can sympathise. They are characteristically the most powerless characters, who cannot influence anything and cannot do anything to prepare themselves for the approaching evil except read The Exorcist (like Connolly’s wife). The film’s restrained visual style, based on very slow camera movements, static wide-angle shots and dim lighting, corresponds to the attempt at a reserved procedural reconstruction of why the alliance between the FBI and Bulger resulted in so many deaths and contributes to the creepingly slow pace of the narrative. In approaching the actual events in a factual, descriptive manner in the style of a documentary, Black Mass keeps an aloof distance from its characters, offers fragments that we have to piece together ourselves instead of a fully formed narrative, and frames the world of organised crime without attempting to present an engaging spectacle. Conversely, it doesn’t offer the expected pleasure of a genre flick and requires more cooperation from the viewer than you would expect from a Johnny Depp film, but it will more likely stay with you longer than movies that cater to viewers and don’t place major demands on them. 75%
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The solid actor base and even the complete transformation of Johnny Deppʼs appearance didn’t make me completely blown away by Black Mass. Story-wise, it’s not bad, but at times I had the impression that had the movie been 90 minutes long, I wouldn’t be angry at all. High quality and uncompromising gangster movies have apparently become extinct. That’s what was constantly going through my head while watching the movie. The thing so good about the legendary Goodfellas, The Godfather, and Scarface, namely the unforgettable scenes, was missing here. In any case, Johnny Depp proved that with every new role he is able to go to the limits of his acting abilities and for that, he has my genuine admiration.
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Valuable for mapping real events. With a plethora of stars (why did Kevin Bacon disappear from the big screen?), but dramaturgically weak, Black Mass is dull, with only one or two scenes that really get to the viewer. Depp’s transformation, however, is chilling and admirable.
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Johnny Depp at his best! It's great to see Johnny back after all those failures and even in such a demonic performance. The story is interesting, and it almost always is if you tell a story about the most feared gangster. The film also has a very enjoyable pace, a raw delivery at times and the highlight is the dinner at a table of friends where the tension hangs in the air and makes makes you feel sick, yes that's how disturbing Depp is. The finale, typical of these gangster biopics, is also pleasing, giving real details of all involved. If you like gangster films, you should be satisfied. 80%.
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Johnny Depp is slowly ceasing to be an actor I would necessarily seek out. For example, I was almost looking forward to this movie more because Benedict Cumberbatch is in it. On the other hand, Depp took the opportunity to play something different and he succeeded. What didn't work were the masks, which at first glance I found horrible. And at second glance. How to watch a moving wax museum.
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