It used to be Johnny Depp: the actor and not Johnny Depp: the movie star. There is a difference. It seems that ever since Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, Depp lost the ability to make a good movie. Sure, those ‘Pirates’ movies made a buttload of money (with yet another one on the way in 2017 – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), but it’s been forever since Depp has been in a good film (probably ever since the first ‘Pirates’ film). What happened to the cherished actor that turned heads for his performances in Donnie Brasco, Blow, Ed Wood, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and Edward Scissorhands? This is what many were hoping for with his latest film, Black Mass.
Think about it. What good movies has he done since 2003? All I can think of are the duds – Public Enemies, Alice in Wonderland, Transcendence, The Tourist, Sweeney Todd, Mortdecai, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Into the Woods, Dark Shadows, The Rum Diary, Secret Window, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and The Lone Ranger. See?! Most all of these were box office disappointments and all were critical failures.
That brings us to Black Mass and my review. My initial thoughts from the trailers of the film was that the makeup/prosthetics on Depp’s face was so distracting that I couldn’t see myself taking the film seriously, especially since Depp looks nothing like the actual criminal in which he’s playing – James “Whitey” Bulger. So, the marketing of the film was so that it was praising Depp’s performance as a return to form. This got me more interested and when I saw that it was Scott Cooper directing, I decided I wanted to see it. Cooper is responsible for Crazy Heart and Out of the Furnace. These are two films that I enjoyed for the most part, particularly for the performances.
The story of Bulger is fascinating but this film doesn’t really do anything outside of the box to make it stand out. The film never really gets into why Bulger is who he is but rather decides to focus on a few pivotal moments of his later life (post jail time in Alcatraz), creepy moments, and a few really violent scenes.
Bulger is a small time crook that ends up kingpin after establishing a working relationship with childhood friend, John Connolly, who is a FBI agent. The relationship ends up more one-sided as Bulger provides intel on a rival gang, the Italian mafia so that he can assert control of South Boston. Connolly does end up using the intel he is provided from Bulger to make a career for himself. What makes things more complicated is that Whitey’s brother, Billy (Benedict Cumberbatch), is a state senator. You’d think the screen writers (Mark Mallouk, Jez Butterworth) or the authors of the book (which the script is based) would examine the moral conflict that may rest with Billy Bulger or how Whitey and Billy relate. This is not touched upon either. Even the relationship with his wife (Dakota Johnson) is not much explained nor how much he adores his son. When tragedy strikes his family, you don’t really see Whitey in a personal crisis. No, this is glossed over.
The performances, all together, were solid but suffer from a script that doesn’t even divulge what motivates Whitey. Just ‘who’ is Whitey? This movie will not answer that for you. When you don’t have a deeper understanding of the characters, the story itself is hollow. Take, for instance, Goodfellas or The Departed (I did a Cinematic Showdown with them too). These great gangster dramas give a sense as to who these particular characters are and delve into inner conflict. Instead, Black Mass allows Depp to give a convincing performance but not enough ammo to knock the role out of the park. The same can be said for the supporting actors in this movie. If you are still interested in Whitey Bulger’s criminal career, I suggest you check out the documentary, Whitey: United States of America vs. James J Bulger, on Netflix Instant.
You know, I really wanted to like Black Mass and I want Depp back (as an actor) but I don’t see that happening. His upcoming films are Alice Through the Looking Glass, Yoga Hosers (Kevin Smith movie about two teenage yoga enthusiasts that team up with a man-hunter to battle an ancient evil) , and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. So, he doesn’t seem to be turning over a new leaf anytime soon (that’s a saying, right?).
Grade: C
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