Black Mass 4K 2015

Based on true events, the gangster drama that is “Black Mass” would make a great biopic. The real James Bulger in his time, escaped from Alcatraz, upon arrival in his homeland, quickly under the Boston criminal under himself, further on a tip from his childhood friend, an FBI agent, began to leak information to the bureau in exchange for a “roof”. After twenty years of “snitching” went on the run, successfully hiding for twelve years, for which he became the most wanted (after Osama Bin Laden) criminal. He was caught not so long ago, received two life sentences and another five years on top. A lot of articles and books were written about him, movies were made... Those who knew Balger said that he was a great conversationalist, respected old people, loved children, etc.

As you can see, even by such a meager description, it is noticeable how extraordinary personality was a famous Irish gangster. Therefore, the movie about him had to be an event of the year. And an event for the career of the actor who played him. The latter came true in part, the former did not happen at all.

It's hard to imagine how director Scott Cooper lures big-name actors into his movies, but for the second time in a row he got a flop. At the same time, “Black Mass” contains almost the entire color of modern “princes of foreign cinema”. Except that they have nothing to do here. Edgerton almost glow from the subservient attitude to the protagonist, Cumberbatch constantly lowers his head as if it does not hold. All the others are either waving their fists, not forgetting to periodically say the hackneyed fucking, backed up by modest variations of “your mother shatalal”, or appear to die tragically, or heroically show off, saying a couple of affectionate words. As for Depp, he's really back, but it's a purely academic comeback. And the Cannes or Oscar jury, as a rule, meet such metamorphoses with confident approval, but do not support it with awards. And the actor, it seems, they are now very necessary. For Johnny tries to do everything that only allows you to impose a thick layer of makeup. He speaks in a half-whisper, brutally squares his shoulders, pathetically brutalizes, pathetically holds a gun, pathetically wears glasses, condescendingly looks down at the dance floor. There's something about it, but that “something” isn't the Johnny Depp we know and love. This is the Johnny Depp who has suffered a lot of creative setbacks lately, and now it's as if he's afraid to experiment. It's a shame...

What a pity, in fact, and the movie itself, which looks in some ways beautiful, but mostly a faded tracing of the best examples of the genre. One can see with the naked eye that Cooper watched and re-watched “The Clash”, “Scarface”, “The Godfather”, but failed to internalize the main thing in them: most of the scenes of each of them were filmed with relish, the heart of which was character development and a logical dramatic line, embodied by a pleiad of talented actors. Cooper was able to bring the latter to the table, but in the pursuit of wanting to be like Scorsese, Mann, Coppola and the rest, he managed to leave out everything else. There's no point in drubbing your viewer for two hours that the mafia is evil, and the FBI, whatever it does, is a reflection of justice. In addition, Bulger, as already mentioned, was an ambiguous personality, and in the inept hands of the director this personality turned into a one-sided sadist, who in between crimes, plays cards with his mother, raises his son and exchanges a few words with his brother. There's one episode for everything mundane, and not much action. And it all looks so boring and dull that you don't pay much attention to such things as inept editing. It's not the point, when such material is ruined.