{"id":2446,"date":"2015-10-01T11:58:40","date_gmt":"2015-10-01T18:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ealasaid.com\/main\/?p=2446"},"modified":"2018-02-12T16:04:47","modified_gmt":"2018-02-12T23:04:47","slug":"2446","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ealasaid.com\/main\/2015\/10\/01\/2446\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Mass"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Black<\/a><\/p>\n

Directed by: Scott Cooper
\nStarring: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Jesse Plemons, Rory Cochrane, David Harbour, Adam Scott
\nRated: R for brutal violence, language throughout, some sexual references and brief drug use.<\/p>\n

Organized crime has long fascinated both Hollywood and of the American public in general. It\u2019s no surprise that one of the many books about it is now a movie: \u201cBlack Mass.\u201d What may be a surprise to folks who\u2019ve seen the posters and print ads is that the ensemble cast is led by Johnny Depp in impressive prosthetic makeup. He delivers an excellent performance, reminding us that he can do more than just act drunk and chew scenery. The movie is a solid true-crime tale, likely to please serious enthusiasts as well as those who like serious dramas about people\u2019s bad actions leading to their inevitable fall.<\/p>\n

Depp plays Jimmy \u201cWhitey\u201d Bulger, once an inmate at Alcatraz, now the head of South Boston\u2019s Irish-American Winter Hill Gang. His story is told in extended flashbacks as his former associates give testimony to the FBI. The title comes from the (as the book calls it) \u201cunholy alliance\u201d between Irish mob boss Bulger and FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton). Connolly is part of a task force trying to take out the Italian mob presence in Boston, and grew up with Bulger. This gives him enough credibility to persuade the man to become an FBI informant \u2013 but informing on the rival Italians, not on his own underlings\u2019 activities, which Connolly helps cover up by insisting he\u2019s protecting an asset.<\/p>\n

Unsurprisingly, the violent and ambitious Bulger takes advantage of this protection, extending his reach and increasing his activity. As Connolly spends more and more time with Bulger, he starts to change, becoming more involved and more accepting of criminal activity. He\u2019s able to convince his bosses that everything is going well, however, so it\u2019s a long time before the whole thing falls apart.<\/p>\n

The cast is packed with character actors, and everybody delivers top-notch performances, even if they\u2019re only given a few scenes. Depp in particular brings 110% to the table, giving us a man who almost always appears calm and collected, but is fueled by a calculating and vindictive rage.<\/p>\n

Edgerton has to walk a fine line of character development, taking Connolly from an apparently law-abiding FBI agent to a man who parties in clubs with criminals and overlooks murders. He walks that line very well \u2013 like many of the actors who seem to shift during the film, it seems as though he\u2019s giving us further and further insight into the corruption that already exists within the character. <\/p>\n

Fans of action-movie style gangster tales will probably be disappointed \u2013 \u201cBlack Mass\u201d is a film whose executions are mostly quiet, matter-of-fact affairs, and there are no thrilling chase scenes or shootouts. Folks who love a well-crafted drama and are more interested in reality-based stories than in romanticized violence are the target audience, and will notwalk away disappointed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Directed by: Scott Cooper Starring: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Jesse Plemons, Rory Cochrane, David Harbour, Adam Scott Rated: R for brutal violence, language throughout, some sexual references and brief drug use. Organized crime has long fascinated both Hollywood and of the American public in general. It\u2019s no surprise that one of the many books about it is now a movie: \u201cBlack Mass.\u201d What may be a surprise to folks who\u2019ve seen the posters and print ads is that the ensemble cast is led by Johnny Depp in impressive prosthetic makeup. He delivers an excellent performance, reminding us that he can do more than just act drunk and chew scenery. The movie is a solid true-crime tale, likely to please serious enthusiasts as well as those who like serious dramas about people\u2019s bad actions leading to their inevitable fall. Depp plays Jimmy \u201cWhitey\u201d Bulger, once an inmate at Alcatraz, now the head of South Boston\u2019s Irish-American<\/p>\n

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