Black Mass

I am always open to checking out a good gangster film.  The key word here is 'good.'  I have learned in the past that if the movie's title has to specifically tell you and sell you on the fact that it is gangster, such as Gangster Squad, it is most likely subpar to bad.  Or Awful.  It could end up being downright awful.

Having an organized crime film that is based on real events or characters can add an impressive depth to the film, unless it is called Gangster Squad.  In 2006 Martin Scorsese directed The Departed, a gripping tale that was based loosely on James 'Whitey' Bulger, the notorious, and legally untouchable, leader of the Winter Hill Gang.  To watch the world of The Departed play out with no knowledge of the source material that birthed it, the viewer may think that this tale is so bizarre that it could only exist in the realm of fiction.

Black Mass, directed by Scott Cooper (Out of the Furnace), aims to tell the story from more of a fact centric stance, basing the film on actual events and using the real names of those involved.  The centre of the film, Whitey Bulger (played by Johnny Depp), tells the story of the rise of the Winter Hill Gang in south Boston in the seventies and eighties.  More specifically, it looks to shine light on the notoriety of Whitey and how he was able to be as brutal as he was without having to worry about law enforcement.

Cooper's film focuses on bringing the audience into the experience by incorporating south Boston as a true character of the story, taking us from main streets to tiny alleys, surrounding us with distinct architecture of the historic town.  While the story unfolds, the city remains living and breathing, even though some who cross paths with Bulger don't.  Adding another meticulous layer to the visual and atmospheric experience is the attention to detail that is payed with the wardrobe, hair, and make up.  Truly, Kasia Walicka-Maimone (Moneyball, Foxcatcher) nailed the outfits and costumes out of the park, and sadly I don't have enough room here to mention the entire makeup department, but they deserve loads of credit.


Most impressively transformed through the process were Depp and Bulger's childhood friend turned FBI agent John Connelly, played by Joel Edgerton.  It is difficult to see the actors true faces on display here, and while part of that is due to the cosmetic and physical alterations (I swear Edgerton must have packed on a good few pounds for this role) it is mostly because these two actors are standouts in completely embodying the characters they play.  The sad part is that a lot of the general movie going public may not even know Edgerton's name, and it will probably stay that way as I am predicting he will unjustly be left out of Oscar talk.  We all know what Depp is capable of, but the fact that Joel Edgerton was able to keep pace with him throughout was the main takeaway for me.

The movie is shot brilliantly, with great cinematography and soundtrack steering us through the scenes.  The problem, however, is the fact that the scenes stood out to me as just that... scenes, and seldom part of a flowing story.  The biggest problem with the film was the disjointed narrative, which switched from being told from the 'perspectives' (I use that loosely, because segments told from the view points of different characters felt no different from what we had seen prior) of those involved to third person.

The film takes place over a number of years, which could be difficult to tell seamlessly, but it is doable.  A great number of films do this, but Cooper seemed to struggle with how to pull it off and left me feeling like I just witnessed a scattering of moments and not a full story.  This is unfortunate, because there is a lot of gold here.  I have praised many aspects already, and within Black Mass are some truly memorable and unsettling scenes.  I will be quoting this film for years to come, and there is a good chance that I will be owning it as well.

The finished product, comprising of such wonderful technical displays of talent and lush acting performances, was a bit of a let-down.  The fractured narrative took what could have been a film that is held in the same regard as Goodfellas and bumped it down a notch.  It will be interesting to see what the shelf life of this film is, because I could see it sustaining in pop culture for a while.  There are just too many intriguing moments that take place for it to be totally forgotten, but not enough to guarantee its place in cinematic history.

Rating - 3 out of 4 stars