Director: Scott Cooper
Cast: Johnny Depp,  Dakota Johnson,  Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon,  Juno Temple,  Corey Stoll,  Joel Edgerton,  Adam Scott,  Jesse Plemons,  Peter Sarsgaard,  W. Earl Brown
Running time: 122 mins 
Rating: 15
Release date: 13/11/2015

There’s no denying that BLACK MASS has been garnering a lot of attention in recent months and largely due to the impressive cast involved and the shocking transformation of Johnny Depp.

BLACK MASS is based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill, which tells the story of James J. Bulger (Johnny Depp) who was, in the 1970s and ’80s, Boston’s most notorious criminal. His younger brother William (Benedict Cumberbatch) served as president of the Massachusetts State Senate. James (referred to as Whitey) ran the Winter Hill Gang, an especially vicious enterprise in a business not known for delicacy. He also enjoyed a rather fruitful relationship with the local office of the F.B.I., whom turned a blind eye to his crimes and misdemeanours in exchange for information about the activities of his problematic rivals.

He was a government informer who dished out lethal punishment to suspected rats; a remorseless killer viewed as a hero by some of his fellow citizens; a sentimental son of South Boston who brought drugs into his own neighborhood, and his story has always intrigued filmmakers inspiring previous work such as THE DEPARTED. 

As the film opens, we see Bulger as a small-time crime boss, who is well loved within his community and neighborhood, however his illegal escapades are hindered by the powerful Italian Mafia that’s taken over the North End. His childhood friend, John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), who is also an FBI agent gets the idea to align himself with the man he grew up with. As a result, Bulger becomes an FBI informant, feeding the Bureau information so they can take down the Mafia, and in return, the FBI will look the other way when it comes to Bulger’s own criminal activities. An intriguing deal it would seem, with benefits on both sides.

It does not come without risks for both parties, but Connolly talks both sides into it and soon Bulger finds is he is ridding himself of his competitors and is becoming more powerful, as he is able to spread his criminal operation across the country. However, with power comes responsibility and this was something which he seemed to lack, as his growing strength and reputation increased audacity and recklessness. The FBI powers-that-be soon realising just what they have helped to create and how they had initially underestimated Bulger.  

Director Scott Cooper has taken charge of the story well, entwining both beautiful compositions and engaging camera techniques, almost reminiscent of Martin Scorcese with its multiple storytelling opportunities moving the plot forward and it feels as though in some way it is an extension of CASINO or GOODFELLAS.

Cooper has created an engaging, entertaining story which boasts some rather impressive performances from the cast. Depp delivers a substantial performance, perhaps one that can be regarded as one of the best of his career and without a doubt, this is his movie from beginning to end. Having become so well-known for being Jack Sparrow in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN franchise, this may have overshadowed his talents as a dramatic actor. In so many projects, we have seen him don prosthetics and make up in films such as EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, ALICE IN WONDERLAND and of course the PIRATES movies. Now it seems that Depp is back at his dramatic best playing a human being that many have dubbed as an Oscar-nomination worthy performance; a glorious contrast to his other character roles. 

It is easy for the conscience to forget they are watching the actor in action, as he is transformed so effectively with sweptback silver hair, a dead front tooth and a grayish complexion offsetting icy blue eyes. He looks almost vampiric.  

Joel Edgerton also stands out so superbly in his role. His take on John Connolly shows a man who can’t come to grips with who he is or even wants to be, putting on airs of false confidence and bravado to convince his wife, bosses, and colleagues of his sincerity and innocence. He is juggling too many balls and eventually, the Bulger investigation brings everything crashing down. His character is by far the most conflicted character as we see how ineffectual Connolly is at playing both sides of the law. 

One could argue that one of the main flaws with the movie is that BLACK MASS doesn’t really reveal anything new for the audience. It tells the story of what is already public knowledge, but regardless of this, Depp and Cooper really have done a great job of bringing Bulger and his story onto the big screen. 

Overall, BLACK MASS is an impressively constructed gangster movie with great actors, that bring a well-known story to life. 

Verdict 

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