Black Mass is strictly criminal; if Black Mass is a color specimen, then the canvas made out of it will be of grey, black and blue, so dark(read serious) is the movie. And, this seriousness is around the rise and characterization of James “Whitey” Bulger, one of the most notorious crime lords in US history and a strange alliance the FBI makes with him, which opens new chapters of loyalty, corruption, greed and betrayal with flavors of thrill.
Getting into the detail, the basic story is interesting, though I thought it to be a usual gangster rise and fall drama, Black Mass opened to be something different, it was more of a crime drama around Boston than a character centered biopic.
For the story itself being ‘stranger than fiction’ stuff, the writers, Jez Butterworth and Mark Mallouk didn’t have to make serious changes in the original plot; still certain things needed clarity. Though the emotional side of infamous agent, Connolly is dealt well, that of Mr. Bulger didn’t have that impact; maybe he wasn’t worth it. At the making side, Scott Copper paints the movie in grey, a mode of violence without any bloodshed. He was able to offer that generic feel of gangs around Boston in the latter half of 20th century; the presentation was damn too serious, perfectly fitting the narrative.
Frames by Masanobu Takayanagi were of superior quality, certain slow paced shots had a classic feel. Music by Tom Holkenborg was matching Copper’s narrative style without any heavy stuff; those score in climax were a scream. The movie was technically sound with appropriate color gradient. Dialogues were sharp enough to offer loud ears. The makeup team requires applause for offering that devilish look to Depp.
Coming to the acting side, Johnny Depp offers a high level performance as James “Whitey” Bulger; though his flexibility in pulling off different roles is known, this one will stand novel for its brutality of character and flawlessness in presentation. Those scenes where he panic John Morris and threaten Marianne just elevate the genius of an actor in him. While Depp exposes such versatility, there is Joel Edgerton who offers an equally brilliant performance as John Connolly, who too shares an equal space on script. His performance came out as a surprise package and offered an unnoticed emotional inclination for the plot. In addition to them, there is Benedict Cumberbatch as Bill Bulger, a role suiting him very well, though less on screen, he was good. Dakota Johnson, with appealing lips, seemed unused in a smaller role while Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons and David Harbour did their supportive roles well.
Overall, Scoot Copper’s Black Mass is an engaging crime drama that throws light on the mobster activities around Boston in the second half of 20thcentury; though the movie has a slow paced narration, the amount of reality in theme makes the movie an enterprising watch.
Final Line: One of the best movies released this year; must watch for the ones who love serious movies.!