Black Mass

            For the past few years now, Johnny Depp has really been slipping in his career. After starring in films like “Dark Shadows,” “Mordecai,” “The Lone Ranger,” and “Transcendence,” all of which sucked, it seemed like it was a matter of time before he hit rock bottom and be completely unable to bounce back. Well, much to everyone’s surprise, Depp returns to the big screen once again with his new film, “Black Mass.”

            The film is based on the true story of James Whitey Bulger, a mob boss who, over the course of ten years, made an alliance with the FBI to take out those who he deems as a threat. Because of his actions, John Connolly, his ally, has to keep covering his tracks in order to secure the alliance, and keep everything intact.

            Just going to cut to the chase, this is easily Johnny Depp’s best performance in years! His portrayal as Whitey Bulger is both fascinating and ugly to watch, with that wooden tooth and those soul piercing eyes. It’s really uncomfortable to watch, but it’s even harder to turn away from. If I had to be honest here, I would definitely say this performance is worthy of an Oscar nod. Joel Edgerton plays John Connolly, and he really showcases his stuff pretty damn well too. While he does try to put full dedication into his job, he does struggle with maintaining that connection with Whitey, even to the farthest limits. Same can be said with Bennedict Cumberbatch, who plays Whitey’s brother, Billy. While they are brothers, Billy does his best to keep out of Whitey’s affairs and vice versa, especially since Billy is the mayor of Boston and his reputation is on the line. Also, it was really funny to hear Bennedict Cumberbatch do a Boston accent. Other performances from Dakota Johnson, Adam Scott, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, and many others also give fantastic performances. Great cast, great acting.

            Now does the film have faults? Sadly, it does. With a film based on a true story, there is a plot here, but not much story. I can point out memorable moments from the film, but I never got the feeling of when it was going from act 1 to 2 to 3. For a film that takes place within the span of ten years, it felt like a lot of it was cut out to be a two-hour film. Unlike a lot of films I’ve seen where it could have been cut down (*cough*The Hobbit*cough*), this one felt like it needed more stuff added. That, and it also had some predictable scenarios, mostly when Whitey’s about to murder somebody. If they only did this once or twice in the film, I could forgive it for that, but they do it at least three times. It just felt a bit repetitive.

            The film was directed by Scott Cooper, the same director behind “Out of the Furnace.” While I do think this is a big step up from “Out of the Furnace,” I feel like Cooper needs a bit more time to perfect his craft and deliver a film that really shines above the rest. Hopefully, that day will come within the future.

            Overall, “Black Mass” was a pretty intense mob film. While it does have its issues, the performances and dialogue manage to really make up for it. Hell, go and see the film just for Johnny Depp’s performance alone…you have no idea how long it’s been for me to say something like that.

Rating: 8/10