Review of Black Mass (2015) by Jason M — 17 Mar 2016

A film that falls far short of its target. This is not a good mob/crime movie. It covers the interesting story of Whitey Bulger, an Irish mobster that was only recently put behind bars after avoiding capture for a long time.

The lead character does not seem genuine. Johnny Depp's makeup is horrible and looks much unlike the real Bulger. There would have been so many other acting choices that would have looked and acted more naturally. In fact, the whole film seems overacted, which is why it comes across as unnatural. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino come across naturally in their mob films. This does not, largely because Depp is not cut from the same mould. The film wraps up early and abruptly. I felt somewhat relieved and appreciated that they did not try to prolong this into an epic length. As a recommendation, there are so many better crime/mob movies to see. If you are a fan of the genre, and have few to no more left to see, I would only then give this a viewing.