Review of Black Mass (2015) by Henry A — 25 Jan 2016

It has been some years since Johnny Depp has done something worth mentioning. But this may be his comeback role. Black mass' Jimmy "Whitey" Bulger is as ruthless and menacing as any of the gangsters portrayed on screen. He has undergone some severe makeup for this role and the result is purely mesmerizing. There is not an iota of Jack Sparrow or Edward Scissorhands in this Johnny Depp. There are some scenes between him and Benedict Cumberbatch that hint towards a softer Jimmy which he shows the world. There are predicable gangster movie scenarios such as double-crossing, a lot of f-bombs, murders and some not-too-subtle- references to Goodfellas or Departed.

The plot revolves around the unholy deal between Whitey and FBI to finish off the Italian Mafia from Boston.Whitey plays this deal to his advantage to keep the federal officers away from his criminal activities. The partner in crime is the FBI cop John Connelly (Joel Edgerton) who was a childhood friend of the Bulgers. The screenplay is based upon the book by Boston Globe reporters Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill which shows how deep the rabbit hole goes. The city of Boston plays an equally important part of the movie and its dark alleys and cloudy, glum atmosphere sucks the viewer like a drug trip with no chance of any kind of redemption for the characters.

The descent of Connolly from a guy trying to rise the ranks to an accomplice of murder and other crimes is extremely disturbing to watch. The themes of loyalty and bonds are skewed as the movie progresses. Some scenes are off the mark such as Whitey trying to touch Mrs. Connolly and scares her. There was no need for that scene as moments ago a scene clearly taking inspiration from Goodfellas had taken place (How Am I funny??).

Director Scott Cooper has done a tremendous job of recreating the crime filled South Boston with fascinating characters. The best thing he did was to bring Johnny Depp back from the dead.