Black Mass

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Black Mass opens with "Breaking Bad's" Jesse Plemons (who I momentarily thought was Matt Damon) wielding a Boston accent, telling investigators he's not a rat. For a second there, I thought I was watching The Departed. Then the story unfolded, and director Scott Cooper wove us through a portion of mob boss Whitey Bulger's life alongside the FBI agent reluctant to take him down. During this time, I felt like I was watching Heat. While Black Mass has a gritty feel, incredible performances, and certain a cinematic quality, it can't seem to match the excellence of the gangster genre greats, all of which I'd gladly watch again before this.

The film recounts the rise and fall of James "Whitey" Bulger, real-life Boston crime kingpin rom his prominence in the 70s to his fugitive status in the 90s. To reduce their sentences, everyone who worked with Bulger recount their experiences with the mobster. Told through flashbacks, the film covers 20 years of Whitey pulling off countless crimes under the governmental protection of his Senator brother Billy (Benedict Cumberbatch) and FBI Agent John Connolly (The Gift's Joel Edgerton).

There were countless approaches this film could've taken (thought to be fair though, it's heavily based on the historical book of the same name) in regards to its main character. We didn't see enough of Bulger the pusher, Bulger the family man, Bulger the adulterer, Bulger the businessman, or any pre-1975 Bulger. Instead, we get murderous Bulger. Now, there is no lack of authenticity in that aspect of his life, but turning Bulger into a well-rounded character for the screen would have given the film the boost it occasionally needed.

And even though the script doesn't always give him the most to work with, Depp manages to take the film to a level that I can't imagine being matched without his presence. He's impulsive, psychotic, decisive, and quite creepy all at once. It's the kind of glorious portrayal that will get film students talking about Depp's talents again without being shunned by their peers and professors - even if his makeup artists did make him look like an extraterrestrial.

With that, it's sad that Bulger oftentimes became a supporting character in his own movie. The focus all to frequently turned to Edgerton's John Connolly - the FBI agent who grew up on the same streets as the Bulger family. Hoping to keep his good friend out of jail, Connolly enlists Bulger as an informant to surpress the North End crime family and put him on the bureau's good side. When Connolly's wife and colleagues start doubting his intentions, the result is more screentime for Edgerton. I normally don't complain when I see Joel Edgerton onscreen, but what's disappointing is knowing his moments could have been given to Depp's character, or anyone else in Bulger's crew for that matter. Nearly all of them feel like complete strangers by the end of the movie, despite top billings and laudable performances.

Years from now, Black Mass will be remembered less as a film about Whitey Bulger's crime saga and moreso a film in the Johnny Depp filmography (and deservedly so on that last point). It's a gritty and blood-soaked crime film I'm not disinclined to watch again. Just sign me up to watch The Departed, Heat, GoodFellas, Donnie Brasco, and a slew of others beforehand.

Rating: 3/5